Lonely Planet describes Vietnamese TET as “Christmas, New Years and everyone’s Birthday, all rolled into one.” But really, TET celebrates the beginning of the new year on the lunar calendar, and the beginning of “spring” in Vietnam. Though the actually holiday lasts only three days; for nearly nine days (with weeks of anticipation leading up) the entire city is held […]
I woke up feeling nostalgic for trees, green grass, rivers and lakes and open spaces. As much as I love the beautiful chaos of Saigon, it is a concrete jungle in the truest sense of the term. The air in the city is far from fresh; people or motobikes and buses can be found in every direction you look. While […]
For the past few weeks, I’ve struggled with what to write about Bali. For whatever reason, I left the beautiful little island with mixed feelings. While undoubtedly a lovely place, I found it to be so overwhelmingly touristy, I had difficulty feeling like I could get to know the real Bali or it’s people. However, as I suspected, my memories of […]
I’ve been in Vietnam for a little over a month now. My first few weeks were a blur of classes and getting lost in the maze that is Saigon. I spent the holidays in Thailand and Northern Vietnam and now I’m back in the city, getting settled in my new house, applying for jobs, and attending job interviews. In the […]
Deep into an episode of Louie, I barely notice my bus has stopped in a dark, ghost town. I am the last passenger. I had tried my best to take my attention away from the unpleasant 6 hour ride. Crammed between a drafty window and a young man with a small baby in his lap, I had little room for […]
It turns out in addition to earning my TEFL, I learned a few things while I was in Phnom Penh … Getting around…. In Phnom Penh, you’ll have three main options for getting around. One is obvious–walk. When you put aside the stifling heat, the chaotic traffic, and the constant nagging of tour guides and tuk-tuk drivers, the city can […]
I know I will love Cambodia before stepping foot on solid ground. I gaze out sleepily from my early bird flight from Singapore, and down on a vibrant green patchwork of farm land interrupted only by an occasional tiny village or range of craggily black almost-mountains. Even from 10,000 feet, Cambodia is charming. I land in Cambodia’s capital city, clear […]
Because, unfortunately, I’m not Elizabeth Gilbert, and did not return from my big trip with a best-seller and a hot Brazilian–but rather to my parents house, broke, carrying nothing but rotten clothes and happy memories, I decided it may be time for me to nab a job and “get a life.” I figured that job should be in a hip city like “Austin,” “New Orleans,” or “Denver,” or any city where there would be food trucks, thrift shops, moonshine distilleries; and as many quirky/eclectic attractions as possible. And that life should include lots of cool, new friends who have interesting hobbies. I could take up a few of my own new hobbies such as canning, shuffleboard, twerking; and maybe finally fitting in that “wood-working for women” class I’ve always wanted to take. And I could start dating guys who bike, or guys in bands or guys with beards; bearded guys in bands who bike! It could be fun. Maybe then, I could fulfill my overwhelming desire to constantly put myself in strange new settings. I could mimic those things I loved most about traveling–learning, meeting new people, challenging myself–right here in the USA. The new life I find doesn’t have to be one I’m not ready for (husband, babies, houses, cars). But first, I was due (and wanting) to play catch up with my wonderful family. Which worked out well, because, as mentioned above, I’d barely enough money to do anything else. So, […]
I knew all along it wouldn’t be easy. Spend a year doing anything and it can be difficult to transition into something new. Spend a year exploring exotic new places, meeting inspiring people, having the time of your life, with complete freedom from a job, house, car and most regular adult commitments–how do you cope with the end of that? In so […]
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