Houston, TX: Taxi Traveling

I write from a plush bed at the Hilton Americas in Houston, TX. I haven't really stepped outside the hotel much these past few days because I am here on a work trip, not to mention the weather here confuses me (how is it 80 degrees with a chance of showers?!) but I still have experienced a good amount of culture.

And it ain't Texan culture.

The few experiences I've had with people outside the hotel -- that is, outside my coworkers and the hundreds of chipper young girls and full-grown-women-with-pigtails who are here for the National Girl Scout Convention (I can count so many green Girl Scout skirts, but zero Thin Mints in sight. There is something wrong with this picture.) -- have been with taxi drivers. Since my arrival, I've been driven by two men from Ethiopia and one from Nigeria, the two African countries from which a majority of people have emmigrated to Houston.

My drivers have all been exceedingly friendly and affable; quite talkative; and very open about their cultures. They are also into their families. I've learned the following:

- It's very common for men in Ethiopia to have multiple wives as a form of status. My first taxi driver said his brother at home has four wives and spends a week per month with each wife -- and a handful of his 28 children. 28. children.

- Ethiopia is very green. My first driver went as far to say that "There is no difference between Houston and Ethiopia...they are ze same! Ethiopia...just greener!" However, I think I'll need to head over to Ethiopia to validify that claim. ;)

- Somalia is one of the most dangerous African countries, according to one of my drivers. Nigeria is, too, for tourists who don't know their way around (but isn't that true with any and all countries?).

- Music is a huge part of their culture and history. My driver tonight fully blasted Nigerian music all the way back to the Hilton and explained that Nigerian music has good messages. Wholesome messages. Like "be proud of your children" and "be good to your wife" (hm, wives?).

It's incredible how one can travel the world through conversation and interaction. Taxi traveling, as I've dubbed it. Through Houston, I've somewhat traveled Africa.

It's all about cultural diplomacy: people are incredible tools for action, understanding, and change, if we all took the time to listen and engage with each other.

PURA VIDA. COSTA RICA.

At the end of September 2011,  I spent 8 days in Costa Rica with one of my best friends from undergrad, Kristine.

Since the beginning of the year, K & I had been wanting to go to Latin America and, after stumbling upon their website, decided to go with Toronto-based G Adventures.

For a variety of reasons, it was one of the most life-changing trips for both of us.

The adventures while traveling were, of course, memorable, as they always are...

Like when we went rappelling down 220 ft waterfalls; cannon-balled our way into the tiniest of water holes - a mandatory to get down the mountain; and stopped the torrential down-flow of mountain water as human shields...

Or when we went on the most treacherous hike of my life, only to be given the opportunity to jump off mile-high rocks into a pool that led into another waterfall...

 

Or when we went Class IV white water rafting, my most favorite hobby in the whole world, and laughed, laughed, laughed as we were smacked by Costa Rican trees, swallowed and spit out by its murky, foaming waters, and gleefully encouraged by our mustached, Costa Rican, guide of a guide, Luis...

 Or when we danced on the ferry ride home: cumbia, salsa, merengue, atop the boat, with the locals - as if it were as normal as buying a hot dog at a baseball game (because it IS normal there!)...

 But of course, the best times were spent with friends.  All the new friends we made on our trip, with whom we bonded as we swung for hours on hammocks in the night, usually humid sky; or when we built bonfires together and swapped stories -- and how to best make s'mores...

PEOPLE are what always make the trip.  Always, hands-down.  I will venture to say that Costa Rica was not unlike any adventure I had while living in Thailand or even Australia; the beaches are surely not as impressive as Thailand, the food not as spicy or obscure; the culture not as wild different as I'd expected.

But on our trip, K and I both met people who will forever be in our lives.  Specifically, two other people who live in different countries, but share the same zest for travel, for doing better in the world, for LIVING.  Our lives are definitely better because of those 8 days and the people we met on that trip.

And we have Cacique to thank.  Just kidding!

PURA VIDA!

Bewitched; it's love.

Right now, I'd like to quote Mr. Darcy from “Pride and Prejudice” when he says at the end of the movie to the lovely Keira Knightley: “You bewitch me – mind, body, and soul.” And how every woman sighs a romantic sigh as she bracingly clutches her heart when she hears that line, I sigh a bittersweet sigh whenever I pause and reflect on my experience here.

Thailand has bewitched my mind, body, and soul.

At this point, I can easily confess that I love the Thailand that I've gotten to know. During my first month here, I was having fun and appreciating my experience, but I was still slightly homesick and would sometimes think about life back at home: how much I missed it, how happy I'll be to be back, etc. But something recently changed; I woke up one morning after Koh Samet and realized how hard I'm falling for this place.

It's hard to live in the present, for when I'm in it and am having the time of my life, I only think about the future and how much I'll miss this current life I'm leading. Does that make sense?

When I look at my students or pictures of my students, I get nostalgic and start missing them, even though I'm currently teaching them. I see them every day in the halls but am getting attached to their cheery greetings and how they'll drop everything they're doing just to run outside and yell “TEACHAH!” down the hall if they catch a glimpse of me. I'm getting attached to their exuberant cheers and the applause by which I'm greeted when I enter their classrooms. Attached to their high-fives, stickers, hugs (so many hugs), smiles; getting attached to singing “I want nobody, nobody but YOU!” by the Wondergirls (a famous song in Thailand right now) with my kiddos, and training them to do the “cha-cha-cha” whenever I say the word, “dance!” The other day after school, I witnessed the 2^nd and 3^rd graders practicing their dance for our upcoming Sport Day in January (these girls can dance, by the way, wow! Danger...haha). They are SO adorable shakin' their “thangs”, clapping and sweating as their braids bounce up and down, that I got teary-eyed at the thought of leaving them. Already they've taught me the importance of patience and not taking life too seriously (no one likes an angry teachahhh!). Let loose, have fun, and smile. I will miss them so when my five months are up.

Each week here flies by. If time here were the equivalent of an animal, it'd be a hummingbird, for it zooms about and pauses for a brief few moments – suspended in time as it forces you to think and reflect, as traveling/living by yourself often makes you do – but then it's moving, moving, moving once again. The past few weekends have been some of the most exciting of my life; the constant traveling and seeing new things with just one other (cool) person (Linnea) is liberating, exciting, eye-opening, refreshing, introspective, and fun. I get a high from it. On a Saturday/Sunday at home, I might read three chapters of a book, run, go to church, eat a good meal, watch a movie, spend time with friends and family (which is always awesome), and sleep in. Nothing special, nothing too boring, nothing too exciting.

But consider this: I write this post on a Sunday night back at my apartment in Phra Padaeng. Yesterday morning I woke up in this same apartment, left for Kanchanaburi (3 hours away), arrived, rode bikes in the countryside, visited a museum and war cemeteries, explored a cave, hiked to 7 different waterfalls, came back to Bangkok, and then sat in on a Swedish Lucia/Christmas festival. All within two days, one night. Brother Time must be impressed with how Linnea and I have made use of him during our travels.

There's still so much that I want to do while I'm here and I'm getting nervous at the thought of how little time I have left. In the meantime, I will continue to let myself fall in love with Thailand and all its natural wonder, historical stupor, personable charm, and culinary surprises. I'll continue to get lost in appreciative reflection during long bus rides overlooking Thailand's majestic mountains, greenery, and snaking rivers. I'll gladly continue to contentedly nap – full with fresh mango juice and papaya – under palm trees and the blanket of the sun, on Thailand's breathtaking beaches. Everything's awesome. Any foolish doubt that I may have had when entering this program and choosing Thailand over, say, a country in South America (I still really want to go there, though!), has been erased. I'm so glad I chose to teach, for it has been one of the most enriching parts of my experience here.

I fall asleep many nights thinking to myself, “if I died right now, I would die happy.” I'm blessed to have a supportive family and this fortunate opportunity. Not everyone can afford to do this, but I wish they could. Traveling with an open mind is the best education and the easiest way to fall in love with life.

Uncomfortable is Good: Rehearsing for Life's Improvisation

It's hard for me to put into words the #1 reason why I love traveling other than its most obvious gifts of cultural, historical, artistic, linguistic, and relational expansion: it's a personal journey.

I'm at a vital time in life. I'm young, and the decisions I make now, for the most part, determine how my future will turn out. I've learned from my older relatives and friends, as well as reflections read in blogs and books, that the life worth living is one without regret. Which is why I have adopted a mentality to dream what I want to dream; go where I want to go; be what I want to be; because I only have one life to live, and one chance to do all the things I want to do. Have no regrets, believe that I can do anything, and don't let anyone hold me down. My dad calls me idealistic, and that is probably true, but I'd rather be a happy and hopeful idealist than force myself to be something otherwise because I'm too scared to be who I really am. I also recognize that I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity for such freedom.

Anyway, I'm going to Thailand in October for five months. I'm going through a teaching agency/program called CIEE but for the most part, I consider myself to be alone in this journey. I know of no one on the program and will be placed in a small town south of Bangkok where there are few Westerners or tourists. A lot of people, when they hear what I'm doing, ask me if I'm scared or proclaim that they'd never be able to do what I'm doing. But, I don't know, I'm stoked to be going by myself and to meet all these new people; I can't wait to immerse myself in the unknown languages and the cultures, and really allow time for self-reflection without external voices interrupting my internal thoughts. I embrace the challenge of never having taught before, or traveled alone.

I'm reading a book by Po Bronson called What Should I Do With My Life? The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question. It's not a self-help book. It's a compilation of stories from people who were forced to answer "The Question" and the outcomes from their decisions. Some stories are great, others dull, but overall a pretty enriching book.

Po has a chapter called "Uncomfortable is Good: Rehearsing For Life's Improvisations" that spoke directly to and for me, and completely reiterated my thoughts on travel to Thailand, as well as my growing philosophy on life. It's a long entry but I'm going to return the book to the library soon (lol), so I wanted to write it for my own remembrance but also to share with you. The second-to-last paragraph is my favorite.

"I corresponded with numerous people who were traveling in different parts of the world, hoping that while away they might figure out what to do with their life. Some returned with a new courage, and an insight into themselves that guided their decision. Many didn't, though. They had a good time, saw the world, and often wished they could keep traveling for the rest of their years. But insight into what they would do with themselves if they had to stand still? They weren't able to milk that rock.

So when it helped, how did it? What was the causal link?

I'll start with the subtlest effects, and in the following chapters describe a few more substantive ones.

For those who simply feel trapped under their responsibilities and can't summon the initiative to quit, exposing yourself to how other people live loosens the mind. "Look at how happy they are with so little money!" for instance. You comprehend how many ways there are to get by. Choosing a new way seems possible.

At home, at work, at school, there are always a ton of external inputs coaxing you in the direction you're already going. Deadlines, parents chirping in your ear, friends wanting you to go out. Your life has a momentum. Traveling can take you away from all those influences, quiet their din, and allow you a kind of silence to consider who you are as an independent entity. It can be uncomfortable if you're not used to it. You might come face to face with the fact that there's not much brainwave activity upstairs without all those influences to react to. "And when you start to think you haven't been the pilot of your life for a long, long time, you have no other choice but to hear what your soul is saying," wrote one young man who found the courage to quit business school while traveling across Asia. "Am I the person I am if nobody is there to tell me who I am?"

Being uncomfortable is good. If you remain comfortable, you remain more or less yourself. The quickest way to make yourself uncomfortable is to travel alone. I found a high correlation between traveling alone and milking the rock. It takes courage to change your life. Sometimes, doing so, you feel all alone in the world. You can get used to this scary feeling by traveling alone, being by yourself for long periods of time, having to talk to strangers, having to get yourself from one city to another. You become accustomed to it. The fear of being alone will no longer stop you.

It also helped to travel without a plan. This was particularly true for young people who've segued from high school to college to a prize job they were recruited for without ever taking any great leaps of faith. They've never been off a path. With each step, they've known where is was likely to lead, even as they pretended they might opt out. They're uncomfortable with the prospect of not being associated with a respected school or company, since they've always had that. Traveling without a plan is a way to rehearse the improvisational approach, and opens your mind to the sense of adventure. You learn to trust the laws of chance. Perhaps, when you get home, you'll be willing to do the same.

When you subdue these fears, they no longer guard the gates, and you invite the truth into your life."

My thoughts exactly, Po.

Honeymoon with my Brother

I just finished re-reading a book called Honeymoon with my Brother by Franz Wisner. I picked up the book probably two years ago at a used-bookstore, and I'm so glad I made that $1 purchase.

I recommend that everyone read this book. It's the story of Franz, a wealthy poster-child of Republicanism, deep from the conservative throes of Newport Beach, esteemed writer and government relations exec for real estate giant, The Irvine Company. He's days away from wedding a girl whom he met during his days on Capitol Hill when he gets dumped. Sucks. Newly single, feeling like crud, and in possession of an all-paid, extra honeymoon ticket to Costa Rica, he decides to take his brother, Kurt, instead. After some brotherly bonding and the all-too-expected high they got from their short traveling stint, Franz and Kurt decide to take two years off from their cookie-cutter lives and travel the world together. They sell most of their belongings and leave their microcosm of a world behind.

And they face the real world. Months spent in Europe, South America, Africa, North America, and Southeast Asia. The book is an account of their hilarious, touching, and actualizing adventures with each other, with strangers, and within themselves as they chuck four-star hotels for hostels; rides in limos for tuk tuks and scooters; swooning with socialites to cavorting with hitchikers. The book is refreshing, funny, and damnit, you become jealous of their lifestyles.

I love this book because Franz hails from Orange County, a community that is all-too-similar to my own hometown and one that prizes characteristics akin to materialism and consumerism that are evident in many students from my alma mater. Franz was immersed in that world, but his travels and encounters with others forced him to re-evaluate. Throughout his travels, we start to see his priorities change. Being in a world that is, as he describes it, plainly poor, he emotes and realizes that money is not everything. That, while people at home in California/USA obsess and complain about the most minuscule and petty things, the majority of those around the world -- those with close to nothing, without shoes, clothes, parents -- are still able to smile bigger, open their doors more quickly, give what limited food they own, and emit more happiness than any American he'd ever encountered.

There's so much more that this book shares and does to the reader. It made me re-assess my career opporunities and think about the potential for which I can use my God-given skills for a greater good. It made me become just a little more disgusted with American consumer/capitalism culture; pitiful for the people who are so focused on making money that they don't stop to smell the roses; hopeful that I can have similar Wisner-adventures in my own life. I know that I have to make money in order to afford the opportunity to travel, and I hope that I will with that goal in mind.

From this book, I've learned that I must, MUST go to Brazil one day. Rio de Janeiro. Carnival. (But I'll go with a guy...or two or three. To be safe.) That Africa is a must-see, especially the safaris, which more clearly demonstrate the order-of-life better than any movie or book we've ever grown up watching or reading. That life is unexepected and the outline I've created for my own may change in an instant, as Franz's did, and that everything, absolutely everything, will turn out alright.

Throughout the book, Franz highlights his conversations and visits with his grandmother, LaRue. She turns 100 at the end of their trip. She lives in a retirement home and when the brothers announce their world trip to her, she and the fellow residents of the Eskaton Retirement Center follow them, read their letters, pinpoint on a map their visits, and hang their pictures in the multipurpose room. They are so excited for the brothers and all say they had wished they had done something similar, gone to that place, how it's a shame it's too late. Their response is a nice change from Wisners' parents, who anxiously question what they will do for money to fund their travles, with their jobs, what they'll do when they get back, when they're going to get married (and have kids), etc. etc. Etc. Etc. Etc. Blah.

I can relate. Most people can relate. He writes, "Our parents' generation asks when we're going back to work. Eskaton asks where we're going next." True. Story. I understand why Franz includes his conversations with LaRue and her friends. It's called perspective. Because at the end of the road, what matters are not the numbers of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away. I'm glad I recognize that now.

Read the book. His newest is called How the World Makes Love...and What it Taught a Jilted Groom. Going to read it as soon as I get home.

http://www.honeymoonwithmybrother.com/

Australia: A Month in Review

I just spent a month Down Undah', and let me tell you: Australia has captured my heart.

After I graduated, I packed up my college life, shoved it in storage, and embarked on a 23 day trip along the east coast of Australia with one of my best friends, Cristina. Two C/Kristina's traveling together, both from Los Angeles, lead to some very standard responses upon introduction:

"There's TWO of you?!"
"Wait, Kris..Cris..HAHA! YOU HAVE THE SAME NAMES!"

Yes, thank you.

Moving along -- the trip was a mix of a planned tour through Contiki Holidays; the backpacking/hosteling experience; and a more personalized experience when we stayed with a friend. I enjoyed every single moment and know that this trip will forever rank as one of my tops. So many laughs and memories made with friends from all around the world. Australia has a smiling spirit to it that tints all the memories with a dash more of sunshine.

Here's the long and short of my itinerary:

I) CONTIKI

It begins...
5/29/09 - departed LAX for Australia. 22 hours later, we land in Cairns, ready to head off on our 10 day Contiki tour. We had a had to take multiple flights and endure a layover, so needless to say, we were pooped by the time we arrived (late, might I add) at our hotel. We thought we would just skip the first day of our tour, but no, we just hopped right onto the coach, where we met our tour manager, John, driver, Youngy, and um, around 43 strangers from around the world. Talk about first impressions: we were exhausted, we were hot, we were sweaty, we were LATE, we looked positively horrid, and we were in deep need of a long shower and a cat nap. But what did we do? We went straight to an Aboriginal camp where we threw spears (left, btw I was having major coordination issues), boomerangs, got pulled to dance on stage (just our luck), and got to know three Singapore boys on our Contiki trip very well.

After that, I went on a skyrail trip above the Cairns rainforest, which was stunning, got to know more of my Contiki friends, and then danced the night away at the infamous Woolshed bar. Phew. Day one of our Contiki pretty much encompassed the Contiki leg of my trip en masse: whirlwind-like, lots of dancing, meeting new people, anticipation, trying new things, and continually asking yourself, "am I seriously here?!". Definitely hit the ground sprinting.

Cavorting around Cairns (left 6/1/09)

Cairns is pretty sweet. We spent 2 days there, went on lots of adventures and met loads of cool travelers, including an Australian rugby team. On Day Two, we snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. The boat ride there was pretty hellish, but the company that led the tour really amazed me at how kind, helpful, and responsible they were in tending to our needs (read: seasickness).

What can I say about the reef itself? Well, the water was warm; the coral was...not that colorful (murky; I forgot the scientific name for this phenomenon though); the fish weren't nearly as vivid as those in "Finding Nemo"; I did see a reef shark; I did take a picture with a huge fish named Wall-E (left, and yes, he's real and not as big as he seems); I could not scuba because I couldn't equalize my ears; and I found out that wet suits are incredibly frustrating to wear. AND I found out that motion sickness pills do NOT always work...(ewww).


Day Three of our trip afforded me the opportunity to go white water rafting down the Tully River. This will mark as one of the best days in my life, hands down. I know it seems like an exaggeration to say this, but I fell asleep thinking to myself, "If I died today, I would die happy!" Life needs to be filled with more of these moments.

Cristina and I got to raft with an awesome guide from New Zealand, and our fellow rafters were none other than our favorite Singapore boys and our friend from Canada (who happens to be in the army. Yeah, talk about an intense crew right here, left). The rain was pouring and pelting in our faces as we battled our way down Class 3 and sometimes 4 - oh yes, 4 - rapids. We flipped over once (actually, our guide flipped us, but still it was frightening because it was so unexpected! Plus, we were by a ton of rocks), literally held onto each other as we backflipped off a waterfall, had water fights with the other rafts, and basically had the adventure of a lifetime. I loved it. I loved, loved, loved it. I went to bed that night exhausted, but feeling the happiest I think I've ever felt - or at least the happiest I've felt in a long time.

My fave picture because you can tell how loudly I'm screaming. Haha.



































What else did I do in Cairns? Other than dance my nights away with travelers from all over the world (i.e. UK, Scotland, Canada, France) at Woolshed to the techno/house music that DEFINITELY came to grow on me, I also ate kangaroo, emu, and croc. Delicious!




It was a Daydream (Island)
(left Daydream Island 6/5/09)

Next big stop was Daydream Island, which is part of the Whitsundays. The resort we stayed at was the only property on the island itself, so you can only imagine how secluded and unreal it was. They definitely named the resort/island right because the whole time I was there I felt like I was well, dreaming. We went sailing around the Whitsundays (left, yes, very glam bam) on one of the days, which also topped my most favorite Aussie moments, because the service on the catamaran was impeccable; the food was delicious; the VIEWS -- ohh, the views! They were spectacular; and we got to spend a good few hours at Whitehavens beach, where the sand is so fine and white that it's illegal to transport it away from the island.

Daydream Island was the first place I saw wild wallabies and cockatoos, by the way. They roamed around everywhere.














Ugh. Did I mention that I tried Vegemite for the first time here? Observe my disgust below. Never again.

Roughin' it - Rockhampton & Fraser Island (left Fraser 6/7/09)
I call this segment of the trip "roughin' it" because in Rockhampton, we went to a rodeo. How much more rough-n-tough and dusty can one get? Then on Fraser Island we took a 4WD tour around the island. The 4WD was very. necessary. The rainforest was EVERYWHERE, so therefore, trees and branches and ROOTS, ROOTS, ROOTS were everywhere. It was bumpy, to say the least. But after the forest cleared, we got to drive on the beach (1)! Cool sites, such as the Mahoni shipwreck (2), Eli Creek, & Lake Mackenzie (3).



















Other things to note: Cristina got a leech stuck on her foot during our 4WD tour, and later that night, we made t-shirts for a dancing party, which was full of screamin' rock classics (cheers to Bon Jovi, and hello, Kings of Leon) and dancin' the night away. Viva la vida.

Sweet Goodbyes in Surfer's Paradise (departed 6/9/09)
More adventures in Surfer's Paradise, the final city of Cristina and my Contiki trip. Here, we took surfing lessons (noble attempt on my behalf, but to no avail; Cristina, on the other hand, was a natural, as was Tim from Singapore). I rode on the back of a Harley Davidson with an Aussie dude named Bob -- whom I thought was "Boar" because I couldn't understand his bloody accent the first few times around, haha. Um, I pretty much convinced myself on that 30-minute ride that the feeling of awesomeness that I obtained from riding on that Harley completely overrode any sense of annoyance I had ever felt towards Harleys for the obnoxiously loud noises they emit, and therefore, I concluded that one day I would/will buy a Harley. Or a bike of some sort. The experience was THAT cool.















We then went to a Dracula show -- very risque, very pg13 -- as a group for our last night out. I fell asleep, they gave me free coffee (woop woop!). We then went dancing, woke up the next day, and went to the Currumbin sanctuary where alas, we got to see, hold, get pictures with/pooped on/scratched by the beloved Aussie koala (Seriously, that thing is heavy and smells. And its claws are razor sharp. Don't be duped by how cute it is!) & other animals that happen to be Aussie cuisine, such as the kangaroo and emu that Cristina and I had just devoured merely days prior (Strange, if you ask me. As Americans we don't keep pigs or cows in our zoos...).

The parting was sad because we had made such good friends with the people on the trip. My posts really did not do justice to the emotional connections we had made during our Contiki; really, we made some wonderful friends who will be our pals for life. And they're from all around the world! But in a nutshell, let's just say that Cristina, albeit the fact that she can be a basket case over any emotional situation, cried her eyes out when we had to leave the group. We got THAT close. Shouts to my Contiki peeps!
























This isn't the whole group whatsover, but to give you an idea, the nationalities of the people from from left to right are Canadian, Singaporian, German, American, Canadian, Singaporian, American. There were people from the UK, Scotland, and France on the trip, too! Contiki, you rock my socks. Had a blast.

And then we went to Sydney...

An Extension in Paris

Well, All, my Contiki trip has come to an end and I am sad. I made the best of friends in these 9 short days and it's weird to me that I will not be seeing them when I return to The States, but I'm positive we'll keep in touch.

I'm currently in Paris with my Aunt and cousin, and it's been rather wonderful. They live in a quaint town (think Chocolat) called Feucherrolles, which is right next to the town in which Johnny Depp lives. Too bad it's currently snowing and I can't go on a mission to stalk him. Shucks.

Yesterday my Aunt and I went to the Palace of Versailles, where she gave me the 411 on Napoleon and Marie Antoinette, who moved into this HUGE estate at the ripe age of 14. She even had a toy farm. Visiting Versailles makes me wish I had taken European History in high school or at least did more research; the Palace, and Paris itself, is chalk-full of history, it's often hard to wrap one's mind around all of it. Incredible. Hot chocolate, tea, and warming myself by the fireplace have been in abundance during my extension.

My last few days on the Contiki were spent in Paris, where Lara and I took off on our own little adventure. We climbed hundreds of steps at the Sacre Coure (phew, what a workout!) to see the most breathtaking view of Paris; then, took a metro ride to a flea market in the Red Light District, and finally took a stroll down the Champs Elyseesto have the MOST AMAZING HOT CHOCOLATE/DESSERTS I have ever had at Laduree, a bakery/boutique/restaurant on the Champs Elysees. Mmm.

After our stroll down the Champs Elysees and our quick peek into the massive LV (girls, I hope you know what that is), we headed to the Latin Quarter, strolled through the massive and stunning grounds of the Palais Luxembourg, then had...pizza and beer (Stellas, to be exact) at a restaurant in the Latin Quarter called, well, Stella. How fitting, and American (pizza and beer in Paris, how cultural...?)

We then made our first and only mistake on the metro that day (high five, Lara!) as we headed in the wrong direction, but then readily corrected it, and met up with our group at the Musee d'Orsay. 15 minutes late, but pretty good, no? Most of our group members were also pooped from visiting other sites, such as the Louvre, the catacombs, etc. I was fortunate to have seen these landmarks on a prior trip, which is why I didn't go to them.

At night, our group had dinner at a fun French restaurant in the Artists' Corner by the Sacre Coure )(double Stair Master workout!), where I tasted some delicious French Onion Soup and was serenaded by a cross-dressing man, who also tried to take pictures of me on his camera phone for about 5 minutes, no joke. The view was so amazing. Our group was quite a sight as well, as we were dressed up to go to the Moulin Rouge afterwards. Ooh la la, sexy sexy.

The night before, my Contiki tour manager had arranged for us to go to the top of the Eiffel tower. This was my second time at the tower but first time there at night and during winter. It was certainly freezing and windy up there, so bring a coat if you during the winter, but be prepared to have your heart warmed: as Paris is the city of love, it's no surprise that our Contiki group witnessed two proposals during our visit. Precious!

It's been a whirlwind of a trip but I've had the time of my life. I cannot find enough adjectives to describe how changing this experience has been for me. Please, don't live vicariously through me -- get out there and travel yourself. You won't regret it.

Off to watch Amelie...in Paris. :)

Au Revoir!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM FLORENCE!

Today is December 31, 2008.

I just explored Florence.
And now I am going to get ready to eat dinner in the romantic Tuscan countryside.

Sigh.

And then,
clubbing to ring in 2009.

in Florence. Lets say that again.


HAPPY NEW YEAR! CONTIKI IS FAWESOME!

Hello from Europa!

Greetings from Europe. After almost a full day of traveling, I have safely arrived. Yesterday was a whirlwind of a jet-lagged day as the 21 other young, American travelers and myself were whisked around Munich, later to enjoy a private dinner seating at an exciting and warm (!!) Hofbrauhaus at night. Beer was sloshed, cups were clanked, songs were sung. It was a great and welcoming first night.

Today we are in Ahhhnold's home, Austria, where we rode swift gondolas up snow-capped mountains. Unfortunately we don't have enough time for me to strap on some skis and join the locals, but I'm taking a break from strolling through the quiant city to write this post in an internet cafe, which coincidentally is a cafe I've visited in 2006 with friends (it's next to the Magic Pizza Shop where we got in trouble for bringing the pizza onto the bus, haha!).

It's positively freezing, but I'm glad to have brought my thickest coat (it's still not enough though!). I'm off to Venice and Florence in a bit, then Switzerland and finally Paris. Updates soon and huge hugs from me to you!

The Gift of Travel (I'm off to Europe with Contiki!)

Happy Holidays, everyone.

I've been truly blessed this year with an incredible opportunity to go on a trip with Contiki Holidays, a travel-vacation company for 18-35 year-olds with tours to Europe (Greek Island Hopping included!), Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, and Asia. Phew!

As I'm taking a break from helping my family with Christmas feast preparations, I wanted to update and let ya'll know where I'll be from 12/26-1/7 with Contiki.

I depart from LAX for Munich on 12/26 on a 6am flight (mmm, what an hour).

Sat 12/27 - Arrive Munich. Explore & check out the Hofbrauhaus beerhall for dinner. Yo ho.

Sun 12/28 - Munich to Innsbruck via Hopfgarten (Austria). We'll visit the ski village of Hopfgarten for lunch and then a trip to the top of the ALPS! Then we'll go to Innsbruck and wander this adorable town & soak in the snow-capped Alps that will surround us. I hope it'll be just like "The Holiday" - cute & quaint & warm (ya, I know. "Aww!").

Mon 12/29 - Munich to Venice. Gondola rides, St. Mark's square, delicious pizza & even better wine, and a little Italian romance, perhaps? Hah.

Tues 12/30 - Venice to Florence. Ah, Tuscany. Good thing my friends and I just watched "Under the Tuscan Sun"! Although it'll be a bit colder, we'll enjoy our cobble-stone strolls and reminiscings of the Renaissance.

Wed 12/31 - Florence. A full day! With my fellow Contiki go-ers, we will have a tour of this beautiful city, including the Piazza della Signoria. I'll have to watch my wallet as we'll have tons of free time to shop. Oh, and did I mention...

NEW YEAR'S IN FLORENCE, ITALY! It's pretty sweet, no? I'll be counting down 2009 in a very...bella..city...oh man do I need to start learning some Italian.

Thurs 1/1 - Florence to Lucerne, Switzerland - an absolutely BREATHTAKING place. Serene, medieval, LOVELY. I can't use any other words to describe it. I've been to Lucerne before, but never during the winter, and I'm tantilized by the opportunity to warm myself up with some Swiss hot chocolate. Mmm =)

Fri 1/2 - Lucern to Paris. We'll drive past vineyards and arrive to a sparkling Eiffel Tower. Sigh :)

Sat 1/3 - Paris. Another free day to explore! Perhaps I'll visit the Louvre, Notre Dame, or maybe stroll down the Champs Elysees? Dinner in the Montmarter district with my fellow Contiki go-ers.

Sun 1/4 - Au revoir a Contiki. But...

1/4 - 1/7 - Family time with my cousins in Paris!



Contact Info:
-I will not have a phone, but will use phone cards.
-I will be mostly communicating via email from the many Internet cafes available in Europe
-Email me at kristinaxlee@gmail.com!

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On the preparation note, my 44 lb. suitcase is packed with lots of layerable clothes to keep me *hopefully* warm and toasty in the foggy/rainy/snowy streets of Europe. Not sure if I'm prepared for this kind of cold, as the "California cold" is to be scoffed at by others, but hey - gotta live it up and experience new things, right?

The next time you'll hear from me, I'll be across the world. Look forward to new posts!

Merry Christmas.

Ciao,
Kristina

Less than a month 'til Europe!

First of all, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I surely am happy to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends and LOVE. I'm also very blessed to have the opportunity to travel. On that note, I'm going on a Contiki trip this winter break from December 26, 2008 - January 4, 2009 (2009? oh my!). I'm going with some friends and am excited to make some new ones as well.

Places I'm going to hit up - Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris, Austria, Switzerland...and more to come. All will be covered with wintery/snowy/beautiful goodness. Or so I hope. Here's a map of my past and future travels - enjoy, and let me know if you're tempted to go on a similar trip!

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A dose of travel inspiration...

The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

2. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine

3. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

4. “The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” - Samuel Johnson

5. “All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” - Paul Fussell

6. “Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” - Jack Kerouac

7. “He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” - Moorish proverb

8. “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” - Dagobert D. Runes

9. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck

10. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” - Lin Yutang

11. “Your true traveler finds boredom rather agreeable than painful. It is the symbol of his liberty-his excessive freedom. He accepts his boredom, when it comes, not merely philosophically, but almost with pleasure.” - Aldous Huxley

12. “All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” - Samuel Johnson

13. “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

14. “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese

15. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

16″A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” - Moslih Eddin Saadi

17. “When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” - D. H. Lawrence

18. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” - Freya Stark

19. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

20. “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard

21. “All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” - Martin Buber

22. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” - Jawaharial Nehru

23. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” - Paul Theroux

24. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” - Bill Bryson

25. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

26. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by.” - Robert Frost

27. “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tzu

28. “There is no moment of delight in any pilgrimage like the beginning of it.” - Charles Dudley Warner

29. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

30. “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener

31. “The journey not the arrival matters.” - T. S. Eliot

32. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” - Tim Cahill

33. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” - Mark Twain

34. “Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quiestest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” - Pat Conroy

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” - Lao Tzu

35. “Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

36. “Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.” - Benjamin Disraeli

37. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou

38. “Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” - Elizabeth Drew

39. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”……Anatole France

40. “Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” - Seneca

41. “What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do - especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” - William Least Heat Moon

42. “I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” - Lillian Smith

43. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley

44. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” - Freya Stark

45. “The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” - Rudyard Kipling

46. “Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” - Paul Theroux

47. “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” - G. K. Chesterton

48. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” - Clifton Fadiman

49. “A wise traveler never despises his own country.” - Carlo Goldoni

50. “Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” - Mark Jenkins

bring on the world

Hey.

Let's start with the basics: a current student at the University of Southern California, native of Los Angeles area, loves the beach & other watery things, photography, children, reading, good conversation, chocolate.

But most importantly...
I like to travel, meet new people, experience new cultures, foods, scents, dances, drinks, sights. If all goes as planned, I'll be traveling the world in the near future, and I made this blog so you can come with me. Meet my new friends, take walks with me through still pictures, share my thoughts.

The world is your playground, and no matter what age you are, you deserve to explore it. Why not start while you're young?

I leave you with this:

"Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled."
-Mohammed