..."If we lose our hope, that is the real disaster"

I was having a conversation with one of my fellow non-small town transplant coworkers the other day.  We're both from the city and both moved to this small town for work.  And we're both lonely AF.  We both have to do things on our own because neither of us have proper friends up here, lots of friendly acquaintances yes, but nothing more than that.  We can't exactly do anything together because of the demands of our schedule don't allow us days off together.  It's funny...I'm closer to people who live 15,000 miles away than I am with people I see on a daily basis...the irony, right?

While in the midst of our conversation, another coworker basically told us it's good for us to learn how to be independent.

Uh....what did you just say to me?

I know this guy quite well and know he said this in jest, but I still felt compelled to point out to him that I've moved country five times, SOLO, twice to non-English speaking countries.  I was involved in a life-altering accident in one of those non-English speaking country's and had major surgery in the other.  All alone.  I had a few friends who would pop around every now-and-then to help, but mostly during that traumatic shit, I was on my own.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining because it made me who I am today, but don't tell me I need to learn to be independent.  I'm independent AF.  So forgive me, if, after 13 years of traveling solo, I'd like to have someone to share shit with.

Life seems to have this funny way of flipping itself.  I used to have some semblance of an introvert's social life, and that part of my life is pretty much non-existent now.  While the part that used to suck (work), is now amazing and frankly the only thing keeping me around.  (Seriously though, the only thing I've ever felt as much passion for as I do about my current job is travelling and experiencing new cultures).  But then there's that other part of my life that has NEVER gone accordingly: relationships - it's never actually existed...me trying to land a boyfriend is like trying to capture Bigfoot, or a Yeti, or the Loch Ness Monster, or a chupacabbra (which is basically a dog with mange).  I do believe they exist, but capturing them...well let's just say that would be easier than me meeting a dude.  All I'm asking for a is Norse God Viking of a man, not much, right? All I'm saying here is, it would be nice if everything went well, if just once...everything in life worked in perfect harmony.  But apparently that shit only happens in movies.

I don't know...maybe I just need a vacation to cure this funk I've been in (of course that's what I need...vacations cure all sorts of things, even if you pick up malaria along the way, funks are still cured with vacations).  Or I just need a good friend to hang out with.

So if you're lonely, too...give ya girl a holla, I'll be out adventuring and shit because I'm still not waiting around for you :)

"No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that is the real disaster" - Dalai Lama

The epitome of loneliness, crutching your way around Angkor Wat through a sea of tourists

Happy Trails!

Photo of the Month: Look up, London!

Two months, two photos...Maybe this Photo of the Month thing is finally going to stick?

I love London.  For only about a day or two.  Any more than that, it just wears me out - more mentally than anything...as introverted as I am, I can only take so much of crowds, especially the tourist crowds.  And London is all crowds and all tourists.  But it always draws me back.  It's so iconically British: The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Oxford Circus, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, fueling up with a plate of fish and chips and a pint of lager...it's all British and it's everything I think about when I'm dreaming of London.

One thing I learned when I lived in England was to look up.  On the ground, it's store front after high street store front: Marks & Spencer's, Boots, Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins, NEXT, Costa Coffee and Starbucks, Greggs and Pret-A-Manger...all typical store fronts that are found all across the country.  But when you look up? That's where the magic is.  England is old.  And the architecture is beautiful and for the most part, unchanged and preserved.

I was hanging around the Westminster area of London on this particular day and glanced up, I was treated with just the tip of Big Ben peaking out over the chimney covered rooftops.  I stood there, in that moment, taking in where I was, the aches and pains in my ankle and back just disappeared.  I was expecting to see Mary Poppins blowing by under her umbrella and was waiting for Bert to pop up out of a chimney with his chimney sweep and break into a song and dance.  My reverie didn't last long, my screaming feet reminded me that standing in one spot too long is not good when you've been walking on them for miles over the last few days.

Jolly doomy, gloomy London Town!

Next time you're in London, or England (or even Europe for that matter), take a moment and glance upward.  Enjoy the craft in the architecture that was built centuries before.  Then find a quaint tea shop and British the shit out of your afternoon with a cup of tea and scones with clotted cream!

Happy Trails!

And of course, a little Mary Poppins magic...

Photo of the Month: Skogafoss, Iceland

Another attempt at Photo of the Week, but let's be honest, I know my habits and know I'm not going to stick to a weekly photo...so let's try Photo of the Month ;)

Iceland.

Glorious Iceland.  Since, let's say...2011, I was becoming more and more interested in visiting that tiny island to find myself a Viking of a man to bring home as a souvenir.  A good friend had gone and told me how amazing it was, which initially peaked my interests.  Then, it seemed that posts on Iceland started popping up more frequently, with gorgeous photos of irresistible landscapes that I couldn't take my eyes off of.  Bands like Of Monsters And Men, Kaleo, and Asgeir entered my life - and if you know me and my obsession with music, it's a pretty damn good selling point to get me to go somewhere.  Finally, when I was laid up from ankle surgery, I spent time watching film after film.  One of those films (now a definite favorite) was The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  I was sold.  I had this overwhelming need to visit Iceland: a dream I realized this past September.

Iceland is everything and more of what I could ever ask for in a country.  Not too touristy (yet), great food, kind and cheerful locals, and most of all breathtaking landscapes - a photographer's dream destination.  The land of fire and ice.  On my second day, I was already planning my next trip back.

I suppose my five days in Iceland, I considered my "taster", dip my toes into that country and get a feel for what it is, so I can adventure the hell out of it next time around.  So, I kept my base in Reykjavik, and joined various bus tours to visit the places I ultimately needed to see.

Bus tours.  Ugh...I was reminded why I stopped doing them.  They're great for meeting people, and as a solo chick, that's cool (if you're not as introverted as me), and they're also great for learning about the regions from your local guide.  But damn, they suck for photographers and adventurers!  There were SO many places I wanted to stop, get out an explore but instead I was limited to taking pictures from the inside of a bus and relishing in a 10 second drive by.  Iceland is like waterfall after waterfall after gloriously beautiful waterfall...you don't need to go chasing waterfalls in Iceland, they chase you!  And when the bus does finally stop, the guide gives you a mere 20 minutes to cram as many pictures and selfies you can on your camera.  I'm the kind of person that likes to take everything in...really experience a place: the sounds, smells, the taste of the air, views...then snap some pictures to refresh my memory of how that place made me feel deep down in my soul.  You can't do that in 20 minutes.

That brings me to this month's photo: Skogafoss.  Surprisingly, I was never that impressed with photos I had seen of Skogafoss...it just looked like a waterfall.  And it was merely a stop on the way to the Jokusarlon Glacier Lagoon.  Holy. Shit.  Skogafoss was just fantastic, and damn those 20 minutes for making me fall in love with a place, then tearing me from it, not even offering to buy me dinner, or a drink, first.

Skogafoss.

When time allows, you can hike up to the top of the falls...which is absolutely on the itinerary for next time.  Skogafoss is massive, so much bigger in person than I could've imagined.  And the spray, well considering the water comes from a glacier it was ice cold and incredibly refreshing after sitting for hours on a stuffy bus.  The rainbows bursting from the base, the cry of the seagulls, shivering and trying to quickly wipe the spray from the camera lens, running back to the bus dripping wet and freezing cold - I can't wait to go back to Skogafoss and truly enjoy its splendor!

Next time, bus tours are off the table.  It'll be me, a car, and the Ring Road...camping, stopping where I want to stop, exploring where I want to explore.  My dream vacay.

Happy Trails!

So many theme songs to choose for this blog...but I'm going with Of Monsters And Men because they're Icelandic I adore them :)

Travel is fatal to ignorance

Yesterday, as I was leaving crossfit, a guy that I work with was coming in for the next class.  As I was walking out, he randomly said "don't get hit by a car on your way home"...to which I replied "Once was enough for me" and explained my experience in Thailand.  This guy is your typical Team-America-Fuck-Yeah-Trump-Supporting-Obama-Hating American (not that I'm judging, I am, but whatever...we are who we are, right?)  His suggestion to me was to stay within the confines of the US Border and things like getting hit by a motorbike in Thailand won't happen.  Seriously dude?  Do you really think that pedestrians don't get hit by motor vehicles within the border of the United States?  I call bull shit on that...literally the day before, I took a call of a vehicle versus pedestrian that my Troopers responded to.  And this guy is a law enforcement officer, so I'm pretty sure he is aware that pedestrians get hit by vehicles, it doesn't matter what country you live in.

This brief interlude got me thinking of a quote I recently read:

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

- Mark Twain

I could've argued with that guy until I was blue in the face about the benefits of leaving the confines of the US Border, but I know well enough that those arguments would've fallen on deaf ears.  I've learned that it's pointless to argue with stoic, close-minded brick walls...it's wasting breath that should be better spent on holding so you can lose it the moment you lay your eyes on an ancient Asian temple - thick with the scent of incense and the ghostly whispers of millions of prayers from yesteryear, or when you witness a Mediterranean sunset, or enjoy a night of laughing with new foreign friends over a few pints of beer.  That's what I'll save my breath for.  Therefore, my response to "stay inside the US Border so you don't get run over" was that that sounded pretty fucking boring to me!

A moment I will never forget, praying with this kind man in an Angkor temple

In all honesty, I'm quite grateful for guys like this one that I work with.  They give me perspective and they do stay within the confines of the US Border - so I don't have to defend their ignorance when I'm travelling abroad (which I've had to do countless times anyways).  I do the best I can to give my country-folk a good name when travelling, especially considering the current conditions in the US (he didn't win the popular vote, y'all).  Respect culture, be open to learning about the people - their struggle and way of life, learn their smiles and embrace their kindness, it's enlightening and eye-opening.

Breath-taking sunsets on Kata Beach, Phuket

So dude, you stick to your American life...I know I can count on you to be all guns-blazing when those "very bad people" come knocking on our doors, here in Small Town America.  I got this travellin' thing covered.  I'll tell you how mouth watering that real Cuban jerk chicken is, and what a bowl of Pho is supposed to taste like, but I'm sure you won't care ;-P

I'll handle the travellin' and capturing of beautiful memories, dude...don't you worry about it!

Happy Trails!

Because...YOLOOOOOO!

Lookin' For Love (In All The Wrong Places)

It's been a while since my last blog, mainly because I'm on Expat sabbatical leave.  But last month, I got back from my first trip abroad since moving home from Korea two years ago and realized how much a trip can completely rejuvenate my ramblin' soul.  I came back with a new gusto for life, with new clarity and focus in my work.  I came to a realization that the petty bullshit drama I was forcefully dragged into (fuck drama, I hate that shit...leave me out of it) was just the foolishness of miserable people trying desperately to make me miserable as well...because a miserable world is a lonely world, and who wants to be lonely, really?  Being away, I realized once again that the world is far too big and beautiful for foolishness.

Being away also helped me finally move on from someone that I knew I spent far too long being stuck on.  Someone who, in all honesty, is a nice guy - he's just not nice to me.  I don't know what it was in particular about this dude that I was so hung up on, it literally felt like he had octopus tentacles wrapped around my brain and every time I tried to pull them off, they sucked their way back onto my head.  I had never asked for anything more from this guy than friendship, and in return he was a complete ass to me, and said some of the worst things a person has ever said to me, damaging my already low confidence.  I'm not like most females...I mean what I say, I don't play games, and I'm the most chilled out chick that I know.  Dude let his ego get in his way and it's his loss, not mine, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt.

Went to Iceland to find a Viking and only found a Troll.  Story. Of. My life.

 Although I have well and truly moved on from this dude, every so often I think of those words he said to me, how they made me feel.  And I cry.  Then I get SO angry at myself, because this last trip made me realize that I've wasted too many tears on this guy...Tears that should have been saved for that sunset in Reykjavik that I will never forget.  Or that moment in Iceland when Mother Nature cooperated and blessed me with the most beautiful Northern Lights show I could have ever possibly imagined - that moment that I had waited years to experience.  Too many tears have I spent on negative experiences in my life caused by others, when they should be tears of joy from my life spent abroad.

So much beauty in a simple sunset! Heading back to Reykjavik from the Snaefellsness Peninsula

I started this blog as a homage to those single solo travelin' gals in the world.  I can't even begin to describe how solo travel has changed my life.  If you have never traveled anywhere on your own, I implore you to do so.  You're not really alone.  The list of people and friends I have met because I'm a solo traveler is endless - and those are folks I never would've met had I been with someone else.  And the feeling that overcomes you, when you stand at the base of a beautiful mountain, or an ancient structure, and it's only you...it's priceless.  You don't have to talk to anyone, you can just look and feel and experience it, all on your own without worrying about the person next to you.

This is what those tears are made for!

Yes, I have decided the tears I want to cry are tears of joy and happiness that come from conquering the world on my own.  I don't want to waste anymore on someone who is undeserving of them...that's a waste of a good tear.  Of course, I'll keep on looking for that Ramblin' Man to bring into my little world, but until then, I'll put my tears to good use on my solo ramblin' adventures!

There he is!  The ever so elusive Mr Darcy.  I WILL find you, one of these days.

Happy Trails, solo ladies!

And for good measure!

Gion District - Photo of the Week

This week's photo comes from the Gion District of Kyoto, Japan.

I never had the desire to visit Japan.  It was never one of those countries on my list, or radar for that matter, that I needed to see.  While living in Korea, I wanted to take a trip during Chuesok - Korean Thanksgiving - as I had heard that Korea basically shuts down for Chuesok...I didn't want to spend the long weekend cooped up in my apartment, so I started researching countries to visit.  The Philippines were my top choice, with Singapore coming in second due to receiving an invite to stay with a friend from my university days in England.  However, both of those options proved to be far too expensive for my budget, therefore due in part to proximity, price, The Karate Kid Part II, and the video to The Killers Read My Mind, I decided to visit Kyoto, Japan.  (Yes, the Karate Kid absolutely influenced my decision to visit a country...I loved that movie as a kid, and still watch it faithfully when it's on TV).

Japan blew my mind.  I fell completely in love with Kyoto.  What a fantastic little city!  My friend and I spent one day exploring Kyoto on rented bicycles.  The Gion District came heavily recommended as an area of Kyoto that everyone must see.  It's a long, quiet street full of tea shops and restaurants that Geisha frequent at night.  Unfortunately, we didn't happen upon any Geisha, but at the end of the the Gion District stands a beautiful traditional temple that we explored.

Throughout the temples that we visited, I kept seeing these large stone basins filled with water, with bamboo fountains...they peaked my curiosity, wondering what they were for.  While my friend and I took a seat to rest our feet, a group of school kids unknowingly demonstrated to me what those water-filled stone basins were for.  They stood giggling while they poured the water over their hands with bamboo cups, cooling off from the heat of the autumn afternoon.  As they approached my friend and I, they asked us if we would be willing to answer some questions for them as part of a school project.  Both being teachers, my friend and I happily talked with them for a few minutes and took pictures with them.  They continued on their school trip as I reflected on how being an English teacher in Asia has changed me and given me a much higher appreciation for life and this beautiful world in which we are all fortunate enough to live in.

Gion school girls

There was so much more to Japan than I thought...beautiful architecture, delicious food, and kind locals.  I spent four days in Kyoto and Osaka and decided that short visit wasn't nearly enough time to truly discover Japan.  I could easily spend a year there, adventuring and eating real ramen noodles.  There are so many places in this world I need to explore, but Japan is definitely high on the list to rediscover!

Happy Trails!

Why did I want to visit Japan because of The Killers?  Because this video is awesome..c'mon, Japanese Elvis and the gorgeous Brandon Flowers dressing in traditional kimono? Yes, please!

Chiang Mai Buddha - Photo of the Week

Ok...here is another attempt at getting Photo of the Week started up again.  Let's see how long I can keep it going this time!  Care to make a wager? Anyone?

This week's photo has always been one of my favorites.  Not just because I (biased-ly) think it's beautiful, but also because it brings back fond memories of Chiang Mai.

My first weekend in Chiang Mai, I strolled through the Sunday Walking Street market.  The Sunday Walking Street begins (or ends) at Tha Pae Gate and runs along Rachadamnoen Road until it reaches the temple of Wat Phra Singh, breaking off on little side Soi's (streets).  Thai craftsmen, artists, masseurs, and food stalls line up in the masses to sell their fare to tourists and Thai's alike.  That first stroll I took through the Sunday Walking Street during the warm evening, stopping to barter and negotiate with sellers, snacking on delicious Thai street food, drinking ice cold cha yen (Thai iced tea), stopping to listen to the musicians playing music I had previously only seen and heard in movies...it was all magical to me!  My millions of senses were in stimulation overload...I immediately fell in love with the Thai culture, and knew I made the right decision of leaving home to experience the world, once again.

Rachadamnoen Road is quite long...especially while fighting hoards of tourists stopping to shop.  I kept finding myself wandering along the side Soi's and exploring the beautiful temples of Chiang Mai (there are over 200 Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, alone!).  I found myself standing in what became my favorite temple in Chiang Mai: Wat Pan Tao.  Wat Pan Tao is one of the few remaining teak wood temples left in Thailand...authentic and ancient, it transported me back in time.  As I stood in awe of this beautiful, simply plain temple, I found this golden Buddha sitting among a field of tulips, surrounded by a koi-filled moat.  I found this temple and Buddha at the perfect time of day: sunset.  The colors of the setting sun reflecting off of the Buddha, I found myself in love with that moment and I am forever grateful I was lucky enough to experience it.  Every time thereafter I went back to visit Wat Pan Tao in the 15 months I lived in Chiang Mai, those tulips were gone.  The Buddha was just sitting in a lonely field of dirt.

Wat Pan Tao Buddha and tulips

The Sunday Walking Street Market, I soon found out, is a major tourist trap.  Not nearly as bad as the nightly Night Bazaar on Chang Klan Road, however.  My favorite market in Chiang Mai proved to be the Saturday Walking Street...which conveniently was right down the road from my apartment.  The Saturday Walking Street has the same stuff, with more authentic fare, as both the Sunday Walking Street and Night Bazaar, but it's cheaper as it's more for the Thai people.  I still enjoyed the Sunday Walking Street, but I always made sure to get there around 4 or 5pm, when it opened, to avoid the larger crowds that show up later at night.

I always look back with fond memories to my first Sunday Walking Street experience.  It was my first real introduction to a new, beautiful and colorful culture.  I learned a lot about myself living in Thailand...I became a better and more confident person - even including the hard times I had while living there.

I hope you enjoy this photograph as much as I do.  It's available for purchase through Art for Conservation and my Etsy shop.

Happy Trails!