I’ve gotten a lot of questions lately along the lines of “What’s next?” and “What’s happening to the blog now that the trip is over?” As far as what’s next for me, I’m still figuring that out day by day.
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Giving Thanks for This Year
As an American, I love Thanksgiving. It’s the most quintessentially American holiday – we started it, and I like that we make it a priority, as a nation, to set time aside to give thanks for all we have. And this year, I can’t help but think of all that I’m thankful for. It’s been a hell of a year (with a month still to go!), but I know I’ll look back on this year as a pivotal year in my life. So, without further ado, here’s what I’m thankful for (not in priority order – more in the order of the year):
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Plot Twist: Twist Two
I mentioned a while ago that I decided not to go trekking in Nepal, and thus had a spare block of time from August through mid-October. Well, I have finally decided what to do with it! Originally, for Europe, I had two weeks in Greece, a week in Germany, and a week in Italy scheduled. As of right now, I’m sitting on a train in Bulgaria, after spending a week in Greece! My new itinerary is focused on the Balkans – they really are incredible, and the transit has been excellent. I can tell I’ll be able to get a lot in! I came from Greece to Bulgaria, and then…
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My Round the World Reading List
I decided for the most part to try to get books that are set in the areas where I’m going for my trip. There’s something fun about having a fictional account of a place and then seeing it in person! For me, it adds a lot more context. And then I’ve been reading books about other people traveling, and catching up on some recent stuff I haven’t read. Thank goodness for the invention of the Kindle. And the part where you can rent Kindle books from the library! I’ve got about 15 books with me at any given time, so there’s lots of reading to do! Here are the books…
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Plot Twist: The Magic of One-Way Tickets
So the blog right now is about a week to ten days behind where I am (just a heads up… and sorry – it gives me a bit of time to get the posts put together! And some days have more than one story!). This week, I’m in India – you’ll get to see posts soon! However, I thought this would be a good time to mention that my itinerary has changed. Originally, I was going to go trekking in Nepal for three weeks and enjoy the Himalayas, rainy season be damned. Then I got over here, and one too many people used the word “leeches” and alas, I will…
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I Hate Tuk-Tuks (And Other Cambodia Stories)
Oh Cambodia… coming straight after the Philippines, it was a bit of a culture shock. In the Philippines, almost everyone speaks English, and the areas I went were touristy but laid-back. Then I landed in Siem Reap. One of my friends here referred to it as “Siem Reap You Off” due to how expensive everything is and how aggressive the vendors are. A Soapbox on Tuk-Tuks Like the tuk-tuk drivers. What is a tuk-tuk, you ask? It’s this: Each one is essentially a “chariot” on the back of a motorbike. And each carriage is constructed to be quite functional. But that’s not to be confused with comfortable. These things are…
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The Good News is I Survived
And luckily there’s really not bad news! I feel like I need to start this post off with a brief history of my interactions with motorized vehicles – just for added context. Once we went as a family to Breckenridge, CO and decided to take some time to go snow-mobiling. Sounds fun, but alas, I almost flipped the snowmobile with my mom and I on it more than a few times, and I think we both ended up more than a little stressed. Whoops. And then there were driving lessons… apparently, the way to start is not to ask “Which is the brake and which is the accelerator?” because I…
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Backpacker Moments: Adventure Outtakes Part 1
There are so many times I have to sit down, throw my head back, and laugh at what my life has become. There’s something about traveling for a decent amount of time that just brings out the funny parts of life. Also, I think you might have the impression that this is a very glamorous life. And it is, for the most part. It’s a crazy blessing to be able to do it, and it’s been such a fun adventure. But it’s not all islands, sunsets, and adventures. Sometimes there are moments that don’t make the highlight reel… but here they are anyway. (With some random photos thrown in just…
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Oh, The Places You’ll Go
The Dr. Seuss quote has been ringing in my ears for the past couple of days “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!” The last two days before leaving were so incredibly busy! From buying last minute supplies to making sure everything was ready with my house, I feel like I barely had a spare moment. But I also was so blessed by being able to spend some time with close friends before leaving – I got to go to lunch with them, dinner with them, and all in all – I had a fantastic send-off. However, I also decided I wanted my house…
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30 Before 30: The List
As I’m writing this, I’ve got about 50 weeks until I turn 30. My twenties have been amazing – I have no regrets, I’m happy, and I feel no need to “find myself.” But I do feel a need for fun and adventure. So I’m dedicating my 30 before 30 to having more fun and appreciating how amazing life is. 1. Cultivate an opinion on which region of the world has the best wine I’m excited to pursue this one. I think it means drinking plenty of wine. 2. Jump off a cliff (literally) Because why not?
