The Art of Communication

I've been asked a time or two (or ten) what it's like living in a non-English speaking country and what kind of difficulties it can pose.  Someone recently brought this up to me again and it got me thinking...

Living in a non-English speaking country can be extremely daunting.  It's what actually put me off moving to Asia for years.  I didn't know what to expect and I worried about basic communication...what if I was lost or in trouble?  How would I be able to find help from someone who understands my situation?  After finally pushing that fear aside and taking that leap, blindfolded into the unknown, I've realized: Life is SO much easier living in a country where you don't speak the language.

First of all, I'm about as introverted as they come.  So that definitely helps in these kind of situations.  Small talk makes me really uncomfortable, so anything to avoid that all together...well, that's winning in my book!  Don't get me wrong, if I'm comfortable around someone, I will literally talk their ear off.  But 9 times out of 10, just say what you need and get on with it!  Not understanding what people are saying, you can drown them out on the train...the hum of chitter chatter becomes peaceful background noise.  Sometimes you can tell foreigners are talking about you, but it doesn't matter because you don't understand what they're saying...it's just...noise...that you don't have to respond to (most of the time if they actually are talking about you, they're usually smiling, so it's probably good, at least I'd like to think so!).  There was this one lady in Korea who worked at the bakery that I would frequent.  She didn't speak a word of English, but would talk my ear off about my leg (this was after my surgery when I was in a cast and on crutches).  We would have a long conversation with each other every time I went into that shop, not really knowing what the other was saying, but understanding each other all the same.  She always gave me free cake, too.  I miss that lady.

Secondly, when you don't speak the language, you have to become more creative in the way you communicate.  If words can't get the job done, you need to find another way (and I don't mean by speaking louder...screaming at someone is definitely NOT going to help, and most likely will only increase anxiety in the situation).  When my students had a hard time understanding what I was trying to get across to them, I would generally revert to drawing pictures and becoming very theatrical with them.  Teaching in Asia brought out a dormant side of me...the side that I always knew existed, but was too shy or self-conscious to bring out at home.  My favorite moments from teaching was when I would try to explain something to my kids that they didn't understand...I would act it out for them, or draw a picture...then there was that moment of complete understanding that came across their little faces, and a unanimous "Ahhhhhhh!" would echo through my classroom.  (Not unlike the little green aliens in Toy Story).  It was magical to me.  Seeing them learn and understand what YOU are trying to get across...that's pretty cool!

Finally, this one has become a personal issue with me this past year and has definitely made me appreciate my previous circumstances a whole lot more:  When you don't speak the language, communication can't become convoluted.  Lines are not drawn or crossed.  If you invite someone out to meetup, that's what it is: a meetup.  No other connotations (is this a date?) are implied because communication has to remain in its simplest form.  There's no awkwardness, everything is understood from the beginning.  I'm not that annoying chick that says one thing but means something else.  What's the point in that?  Maybe that, again, comes from being introverted.  You would think that would be easier in your native-language country, right?  Hell no it isn't.

Story of my life.

Don't get me wrong, not speaking the native language in a foreign country doesn't come without its difficulties.  Especially, you know, when you're hit by a motorbike and break your ankle.  But it's not as hard as many people may think.  And if you're a seasoned traveler, you begin to learn the basics of languages to get you by...and when the basics fail, utilize your imagination and SMILE.  If there's one thing I've learned from traveling, a smile goes a long way :)

Happy Trails!

The down-side of traveling...

I have finally realized that there is a down side to traveling.  And it's a sucky ass down side at that.

As I was watching An Idiot Abroad the other day, Karl Pilkington said he didn't want to visit China because of the food they eat.  He was afraid of acquiring a "taste for toad", then upon returning to England not finding the availability of the toad he so decided he loved.  He ends up being force-fed toad in China, nearly vomiting with every bite, but it made realize...traveling opened up my taste buds to new and exciting, sometimes exotic, foods that I can't find in small-town America.  And it sucks!!

Every day at work, we have the age-old conversation of what are we going to have for lunch that day.  And every day, I have the same response: I want something exciting.  Something so exciting that it blows my mouth up, full of flavors and textures that keep me yearning for something more.  The food I desire is impossible to find where I live.  When I say "impossible", I mean it is a food dish that most of the people in my small town wouldn't even be able to pronounce, let alone cook.  There's not even a decent steak house in my little town...and my little town is renowned for being a top hunting destination in the States.  What's up with that?!

I definitely didn't appreciate the food in Thailand when I lived there.  (For an enticing Thai food blog, read this one...)  What I wouldn't give for a bowl of Khao Soi, or a plate of mango sticky rice, or even a simple plate of chicken fried rice from the woman who turned her front yard into a restaurant across the street from my apartment.  Last season on Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, he visited the Cowboy Hat Lady in Chiang Mai.  If you've been to Chiang Mai and are friends with the locals, then you will be familiar with the Cowboy Hat Lady.  Famous for cooking up the BEST roasted pork with rice and a soft boiled duck egg in town.  Since that episode of Parts Unknown aired, all I've wanted was to enjoy her food again, accompanied by her amazing sweet and sour chili sauce...it wasn't as spicy as a lot of Thai food, but it packed a punch and still I could drink gallons of it with tears from the heat streaming down my face.  Thanks a lot, Anthony, for reminding me of the Cowboy Hat Lady and making me suffer with an empty, unsatisfied belly.

Lately, I've been dreaming of sitting in a hawker (a government-regulated street food smorgasbord) in Singapore, drooling over a bowl of Shanghai Noodles with a side of dragon balls (similar to dim sum, and definitely not made of parts of Drogon or Rhaegal).  The noodles were made fresh to order.  Literally.  You order the noodles and the chef starts making them from scratch.  Holy hell they were delicious!  Singapore's signature dish is called Chicken Rice.  It's boiled chicken and rice...it sounds basic, but it's anything but!  Packed full of flavor, the chicken is silky and melts in your mouth.  Take me back to Asia, please!!

Top: Shanghai Noodles, Left: Steamed dragon balls, Bottom: Braised beef and noodles

Made to order: Seconds after ordering Braised Beef Noodles, the chef gets to work!

Even visiting Japan, the food blew my mind.  They have some weird stuff in Japan, like fried balls filled with octopus juice, but they also have Udon.  I must be a freak for fresh noodles, because I had the most delicious bowl of fresh udon and chicken in some random shack in the Gion District of Kyoto.  Seriously, the dingiest places have the best food.  I recommend forgoing on fancy restaurants when traveling...hit up that rusty shack with a line of people out the door.  Chances are it's a hell of a lot cheaper and a hell of a lot tastier!

At the end of this alley, there is a magic place. In that magic place, they make Udon.
Gion District, Kyoto

This magic man is cooking my fresh Udon.  I fell in love with him.

Elsewhere in Kyoto, I had this lovely, delicious cabbage pancake.
I can't for the life of me remember what it's called...

If, on the off chance, you can find real Asian food at home, it's so expensive!  Seriously, it's cheaper to fly to Asia and spend  months there eating than it is to buy it here.  Include the culture and experience and it's well worth it to hop a plane and get the hell out of dodge!

Even living in England, I fell in love with the food.  I've heard many people say that British food is basic and flavorless...I don't know where they were eating, but I never had anything basic and flavorless during my four-year stint in Leicester.  Fish n' chips, meat pies (I'm actually thinking of opening up a proper meat pie shop here because of my love for meat pies), Sunday roasts with Yorkshire Pudding....Does Yorkshire Pudding even exist in the States?  No.  Because no one knows what Yorkshire Pudding is.  Sausage rolls and pasties...god, pasties are just the perfect food: meat and veg-filled pockets of deliciousness!

Yes.  There is definitely a negative aspect of traveling.  Giving your taste buds a whirlwind adventure, only to come back to pure disappointment at home, agonizing for some excitement!  I'm left here with a hungry belly and feet that are growing itchier by the day.  I'm dying for an exotic, food-filled holiday next year!  Where will it be? Definitely not Korea...that's probably the only place I've traveled where I did not like the food, (with the exception of fried chicken! Korea knows how to fry up some chicken!).

See?  Korean food...yuck!  (Just kidding.  This is Korean hospital food)

This one wasn't so bad...Namyeong.  Cold buckwheat noodles with radish kim chi and beef.  Take that chili paste off and it was ok.

Food is something we all need.  It is a necessity of life.  It is something I really didn't appreciate enjoying during my travels as much as I should have.  I was too busy missing crap food at home to really understand how much I would miss foreign food when I came back.  On my next adventure, whenever (and wherever) that will be, I will definitely have an appetite and an empty belly to get my fill of exciting and delicious food!  Until then, here is a picture of a Panda Pau!  A chocolate custard filled Chinese steamed bun from the Singapore Zoo :)

It's so yummy!

Happy Trails!

The transitioning of a Nomad...

I'm nearing my five-month mark of working for the State Patrol and I will be testing out of training in a week.  It's the oddest feeling in the world, not having an end-in-sight for a job.  I've spent the last 10 years of my life country hopping and job hopping, I think my longest stint in a job was when I worked at Starbucks in Leicester while I was studying.  I worked for Starbucks for just over two years.  Eighteen months here, fifteen months there...that's all I've known since graduating college.  I keep thinking I only have a few months left in my current job and it makes me sad because I really like my job...Then I realize that I don't only have a few months left.  I've got as long as I want.  And that's really weird to me.  Maybe my fellow nomads-turned-non nomads also know that feeling?

I've also recently realized that living abroad is SO much easier than it is living at home.  You're alone, among others who are alone, so you're forced to make friends...and as much as I struggled making friends in Korea, it was still easier than it is here.  Moving to a small town, where most people who live here grew up here, the friend situation (and dating situation) is quite lacking.  People in small towns are established.  They know everyone.  They're married with babies...their friends are married with babies.  There is little room for an outsider to move in and try to establish themselves in these communities.  It can be disheartening.

And I've been getting itchy feet again.  Which is probably stemming from the pattern of country and job hopping that I've been used to over the last 10 years (and also the lack of culture in America).  In all honesty, if certain areas of my life remain stagnant within the next year and a half (meaning if I don't meet an awesome dude and a plethora of friends to spend my time with), I can see myself scattering once again like a dandelion in the wind.  You can take the girl out of the lifestyle of the nomad, but you can't take the innate nomad out of the girl.

Until then, I'm trying to discover north west Colorado, inevitably alone.  And I'm definitely going to enjoy another season of the Denver Broncos while living in Broncos Country...10 more Sunday's til football!

Here are some photos of recent Colorado adventures from the Sand Wash Basin and Freeman Reservoir in Moffat County...

Wild horses run freely out at the Sand Wash Basin

I'm not really a horse person, but these wild horses were pretty awesome at the Sand Wash Basin

Heading out to Freeman Reservoir 

Spring-green aspens

I found Rocket!  No idea where Groot and Star Lord were, though.

Beautiful view out near Freeman Reservoir 

A few weeks before, this was covered in snow and herds of elk.

Scraggly deer...shedding their winter coats in the spring

Two weeks ago, I was making my way out to hike Hanging Lake.  Unfortunately, my Jeep didn't make it...she died that day, melted in the summer heat.  Hopefully I'll make it out there in a week or two.  So, until then...

Happy Trails to all my fellow nomad travelers out there!

What I miss and don't about Korea

A few days ago, a friend of mine - who recently left Korea after 3 years - wrote a blog about what he misses and doesn't miss about living in Korea. (Check it out here, he's also a great photographer!).  When I left Korea, I had planned on writing a similar blog but never got around to it.  Admittedly, I was pretty pissed off at my exiting-situation, so writing that blog fresh off of the plane probably would have resulted in it being more negative than positive.  Enough time has passed now, that I feel like I can write it out of honesty rather than spite because in terms of living, I definitely preferred living in Korea over Thailand.  If we're talking holiday destinations however, Thailand would win over Korea for sure (but there are other places I'd rather revisit than Thailand).

So, without further adieu, I will begin with what I miss about living in Korea.

1. Table Bells

Example of a table bell...(image is from the Internet)

This may seem a completely ridiculous thing to miss, but it's such a brilliant little thing that I find myself seriously annoyed while I'm in a restaurant without a table bell.  At restaurants in Korea, each table has a bell.  After you're seated and have time to view the menu and are ready to order, you press the bell and the waitstaff is there at your table-side almost instantaneously.  Whenever you need something during your meal, press the bell and someone shows up.  This saves from waitstaff approaching you a million times and asking if everything is okay just as you take a bite or a drink.  It also saves from you dying of thirst with an empty cup waiting for the waiter, who at one point wouldn't leave you the fuck alone, and now that you need them is nowhere to be found.  I definitely miss table bells.  Ingenious.

2. The Internet
Yes, I know, we have the Internet in America...but it's slow as molasses compared to Korea.  Korea is the most connected country in the world.  If you're on the bus, on the subway, in a cafe, in a mall, in your house, you're connected.  And it's SUPER fast.  Like Superman-fast.  Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! No, it's a plane! No, it's Superfast Korean Internet!  It made watching my Broncos on NFL Game Pass a breeze.  And you know anything involving the Broncos, I'm pretty much in love with.  Get with it, America.

3. Public Transportation

Waiting for the train at one of the outdoor subway stations

The subway in Seoul is ah-maz-ing.  It's clean. It's always on time. It's everywhere. And best of all, it's cheap as dirt.  You can get from one side of Seoul to the other for a mere buck or two.

The indoor stations are spic and span! The glass doors keep people from jumping in front of on-coming trains
(In a country with a high suicide rate, subway track doors are necessary)

4. Architecture

Cool architecture of Yongsan Station

I'm usually more into the old architecture types like quaint cottage lanes in Britain or rustic old barns of the American west as opposed to modern and contemporary architecture.  But Korea has the latter down packed.  The buildings have their own unique characteristic with boldly lit lines or they make you feel like you're in the next Star Wars film.  All interspersed with traditional neighborhoods and palaces...you can be transported back in time in an instant just by walking through an archway.

The streets of Myeongdong

Looking out from Changgyeonggung Palace with Seoul Tower in the background

At Dongdeamun, you feel like you're exploring the newest star-ship in Star Wars. It's fucking cool.

5. My Students
I was never really a "kid" person until I started teaching them.  Korean students are immensely clever and intelligent.  They helped bring out the more playful, nerdy side of me that I've kept hidden away for so long.  I became very fond of my students and I miss their little monster personalities.

On November 11th, (11/11), students give each other Pocky sticks - pretzel sticks covered in chocolate because two sticks
represent 11's.  A student gave me this pack of Pocky's with a lovely note written on the back :)

6. Cafes
Quaint little coffee shops and cafes are all over Korea.  And they're not Starbucks.  You can find them in the cities, in the suburbs and in the villages.  One of my favorite things to do before work was grab my book and sit in a cafe, drink a latte (aka, get my caffeine fix) and relax before heading into work to teach my little wild monsters.  There are not many quaint cafes around my new small mountain town that I'm living in.  I'm sure there are more in Denver, but I'm far from the city and miss the cafes.

A beautiful cup of coffee from one of my favorite cafes in Hwajeong called Paul. Best. Coffee. Ever.

Now for the things I definitely do NOT miss about Korea.

1. Food
I was NOT a fan of Korean food.  It was one of three things: a) INSANELY hot, coated in red chili paste; b) pickled; or, c) sweet, like NutraSweet sweet, not sugar sweet.  And if it wasn't one of those three things, it was bland.  Don't get me wrong, I like spicy food...I can always go for a bowl of green chili (if you're not from Colorado, you don't know what real green chili is, and I feel sorry for you), or a Thai or Indian curry...but Korean food, is just HOT, like burn-your-taste-buds hot.  Call me crazy, but I like to taste my food.  I'm also a fan of a good dill pickle, but that doesn't mean I want all of my veggies pickled, which also had a NutraSweet aftertaste.  And then there's the I'm-going-to-dig-into-this-beef-and-rice-dish only for that beef to be sweet.  God, I don't miss Korean food.  At. All. (There were some things I liked, but not much...)

Namyeong...one of the dishes I could tolerate AFTER removing the pile of red chili paste.
The buckwheat noodles are cold, which is strange, so I would always add hot beef broth to it as well

2. Spitting
Koreans like to spit.  Everywhere.  Last winter when I was on crutches after surgery, I was hard pressed walking home trying not to step in spit or put my crutches down in spit, because I shit you not, spit is slippery.  I was on the subway riding home after my final checkup with my surgeon.  At one point, it was just me and an older lady sitting across from me in our subway carriage.  Out of nowhere, this sweet looking old lady hawks a loogie and spits it on the subway floor!! (So much for the cleanliness of subways I previously spoke of).  Then she proceeds to rub it out with her foot.  About five minutes later, she does it again!!  I was utterly disgusted.  Oh, Korea.

3. The Smells
Korea stinks.  If it's not the pollution, it's the squid carts.  If it's not the squid carts, it's the kimchi permeating through people's skin.  It's even worse during the hot, humid summer.  I suspect that foreigners smell to Koreans as well...95% of the time when I was on the subway and a I sat next to a Korean, they would get up and move to an open seat when one came available.  At first I was offended.  But then I realized I didn't have the smell of garlic next to me and I had more room for my big ass.

4. The Weather

Walking through the slippery, snowy park on my way to work

Spring and autumn are absolutely lovely and pleasant in Korea.  But they don't last long enough to make it on the "Things I Miss" list.  Winter and Summer are not pleasant.  Winter isn't as bad, it's similar to Coloradan winters...cold, snowy, and dry as a bone.  But Koreans don't know how to remove snow from walkways, so after fresh powder falls and people walk on it, it turns sidewalks into ice rinks.  It's very dangerous - especially when you're on crutches!  Summers are the worst summers I have ever experienced in my entire life.  I'm not exaggerating.  After my first summer there, I declared I would never stay for another.  And I did.  And it was just as awful the second time around.  The humidity is suffocating.  It's probably 80-100% humidity, hot as hell, no breeze.  Ugh.  Just thinking about it makes me angry.

Looking down from my office at the park...a beautiful wintry wonderland, but slick and cold as hell

5. Cicadas
Apparently cicadas in Korea didn't get the memo that they're only supposed to come out every 17 years.  Those little bastards were out during both of my summers in Korea.  Waking me up at 5am.  Like little assholes.

6. "Ugly"
This one mainly came from my students.  If they didn't like something, it was "ugly".  Be it a person, a freckle (yes, a freckle), some kind of food...everything was always ugly, which in and of itself is an ugly word.  I did what I could to stop them from calling things ugly, but I'm pretty sure that was lost on deaf, ugly ears.

7. Ajummas
I have nothing against the older generations.  I love talking to old folks and hearing their stories...we can learn a lot from them.  But Ajummas, old Korean ladies, are another story.  They push you out of the way to get on the train, elevator, etc. They're rude and pushy and noisy and demand respect.  I have the utmost respect for old folks, but not ones who act like that.  You can spot an Ajumma by her tightly permed hair, track suit, and giant visor.  And if you still don't see one, sure enough, she'll shove past you to grab that empty subway seat then glare at you for thinking it was going to be your seat.  Stop being "ugly", Ajumma.  Stop.

8. The Feminine Isle Lady
Lads, you won't get this one.  Ladies...I hope y'all agree with me.  There's always a "helpful" lady working the feminine isle at your local Emart.  Watching which products you buy and recommending other ones - in Korean so you can't understand a fucking thing she's saying.  I should have learned the Korean phrase, "Leave me the fuck alone while I'm purchasing my feminine products".  That would have scared them off for sure.

As much as I miss the things in the first part of my list, and the ease of traveling around while living in Asia, I am glad to be back home.  Asia wore me out.  And tried to kill me off several times.  I'm absolutely loving my new job.  It was time for me to come home for sure...but that doesn't mean my travelin' days are done.  Not by a long shot!

Happy Trails!

The Singapore Zoo and River Safari

I'm not a fan of zoos what-so-ever.  I guess I have a love/hate relationship with them.  I feel like for the most part, they're good for helping out endangered species, but other than that, they make me feel pretty sad.  Even more so after reading this article in the Huffington Post: 11 Things You Should Know Before Planning Your Next Trip To The Zoo.  Every zoo I've ever visited, the animals look sad and depressed.  Imagine how you would feel locked up in a tiny cage or small environment with people gawking at you.  I'm sure you wouldn't like it that much.

So saying all of that, I didn't plan on visiting the Singapore Zoo when I went to Singapore last July.  Every pre-planning website and book that read about Singapore, however, suggested that the zoo was a must-visit.  I still wasn't having it though.  Not until my local Singaporean friend convinced me otherwise.  And I'm glad she did.  The Singapore Zoo is the kind of zoo all zoos should aspire to be.

The enclosures for the animals are more like miniature sanctuaries for the animals - who seem to be pretty happy (well, happier than animals in other zoos!).  Each enclosure is sponsored by various local companies, which are clearly marked on signs in front of the enclosure.  If the habitat looks like shit, you know who to blame and who to complain to.  (None of the habitats looked like shit though, they were all very well maintained).

The open chimpanzee enclosure...I kind of wished I lived there myself.

The lion enclosure.  You can see the female lion on the right.

The giraffes, not housed in a funky building with African bush painted on the walls.

Beautiful white tiger. Their enclosure is quite similar to the lion's enclosure.

Even the typography of the zoo made you feel like you're walking through a jungle.  The animal enclosures weren't just off of the pathways, you find them hidden behind islands of trees and shrubs.  Most of the animals are not stuck in cages, but have free-roaming enclosures that seem more fitting of their native habitats.

Enclosures are hidden behind the brush and trees

Another way to get to the animal enclosures.

A recent off-shoot from the Zoo is the River Safari.  I highly recommend paying extra to go through the River Safari.  With an open and inviting layout, it is divided into rivers by region - for example, the Amazon, the Nile, rivers in Asia and America.  Really cool place and made learning about the various river ecosystems fun!  It's also where the pandas are housed if you want to see them.  You can enter the squirrel monkey forest and walk in their enclosure while they jump around in the trees above you.

Looking out from the entrance of the River Safari, the various river habitats are built along the sides of the river.

I got caught in the monsoon while exploring the River Safari.

Adventures in the Nile.

An adorable red panda in the panda enclosure.

Hanging out with the squirrel monkeys in the Squirrel Monkey Forest!

Here are a few more photos of some of the animals in their enclosures, looking happy and having fun!

Feeding time for the free-roaming chimps!

Free-roaming orangutans

Like the Squirrel Monkey Forest, you can enter the lemur enclosure,
which also houses bats and birds.

Patrons feeding the elephants after the Elephant Show

One last thing while I'm on the subject of zoos and sanctuaries.  I recently read an article published by National Geographic about an animal sanctuary near my parent's home in Colorado. It's about Animal Defenders International, which is an organization that saves mistreated animals used for our entertainment (for example, abused circus animals).  This organization rescues these animals and move them to sanctuaries around the world to give them a better life.  The article really touched me and inspired me to donate a portion of profits of my photography work to ADI.

If you happen to be traveling to Singapore soon, as a non-zoo lover, I highly recommend checking out the Singapore Zoo and River Safari.  Entrance fees are not cheap (nothing is cheap in Singapore), but it's definitely worth it!

Don't forget to try a Panda Pau!
A chocolate custard filled Chinese steamed bun!

Happy Trails!

Unfortunately, the only thing missing from the Singapore Zoo is a unicorn...

Fill my little world right up

One of the great things I love about being an expat (although I’m currently on expat-life sabbatical leave right now) is that I love feeling my little world grow.  It’s like watching a little seed that sprouts into a wee seedling and eventually grows into an old oak tree, full of life and branches and twigs and foliage. (The branches would be roads, twigs – side streets and alleys, foliage – interesting shops and cafes…hopefully you get the picture here, I’m shit at properly describing it.)

When I first visit a new country, I’m usually pretty nervous, maybe even a bit apprehensive while sussing out my new surroundings.  I tend to frequent the same places, which are not too far from my home base.  But ever so gradually, I venture further and further afield.  Until after a few months’ time, I think back at how I timidly started out my explorations and how far my, what was once small, world has grown.  It’s such a fulfilling and confident feeling.  What once had seemed like an enormous city from the space of a few blocks, turns into a small and easily accessible city in a country I want to explore more of.

For example, I remember the first times I had to take the subway solo in both London and Seoul.  With complicated-looking maps, the process seemed so dubious (or just terrifying).  But once I figured it out, it was simple and allowed me to build my world even more.  It’s so silly to think that something like taking the subway can be daunting at first, but when you come from a place that, while growing up, had a lack of public transportation, it can be anxiety-inducing.   

The London Tube map...when you first see it, it seems pretty unreadable.

The Seoul Subway map is even worse...most of the time they're
written in Hangul o_O

I think back on my time in Chiang Mai.  I absolutely refused to try out a motorbike.  The drivers in Thailand were crazy as hell (of which my broken ankle can attest to), I felt that the city had a crazy layout (it actually doesn’t), and frankly, I was just too damn scared.  When I went to Krabi, a small city in the Thai peninsula, I bravely decided to try to learn how to drive a motorbike.  Easy. As. Pie.  I still wasn’t sure about motorbiking-it around Chiang Mai though.  That took the peer pressure of a friend I’d met in the islands to get me to do it.  Once I did, though, the big city of Chiang Mai shrunk and I was zooming myself about all the soi’s (streets) and back alleys.  Slowly, I ventured further out of Chiang Mai and drove the Sameong Loop.  I loved to feel the polluted wind on my face (through my face-mask, of course!).  I loved speeding around and I turned into one of those crazy drivers myself.  Not really.  (For that I’d need about 4 other people on my motorbike and, while I’m driving, I’m holding a baby in one hand, mobile phone in another, with the person sitting directly behind me holding an umbrella over my head, because in this scenario, it’s monsoon season.  Or I would be driving around with a dog sitting on the back of my motorbike, wearing sunglasses).  I became addicted to driving my motorbike…so much so that I can’t wait to get one in Colorado.

I couldn't make this up if I tried.  We saw this guy and dog (wearing sunglasses!) on our
first trip up to Doi Suthep. At least the guy is wearing a helmet...that's rare!

I really love how my world has grown over the last ten years.  From discovering various countries in Europe and Asia, it definitely gets easier the more you do it.  And once I’ve given my leg a proper rest and let it fully recover, I can’t wait to grow my little world even more. 

Adventures on the horizon: Cuba (woohoo for opening up Cuba to Americans!!), Iceland, Norway, and Kilimanjaro in December 2016. 

Happy Trails!

While writing this blog, I kept singing the chorus to this song, which I haven't heard in AGES (and it makes me nostalgic for my Leicester days, for sure).