Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The beginning of the end...

One week from this very moment I will be boarding a plane and never looking back. I have been on many planes before and have countless numbers more to board, but this time is different. This trip of mine has an new goal involved: to stay gone as long as humanly possible. I am known for my “trips” and the fact that I am constantly coming and going from somewhere. Yet I ultimately return home to sort myself out and make more money for the next trip. Will this point come again? Most likely. But with this particular expedition I would like to change the overall location without transitioning through home. Do I have enough money for this? Probably not. Will I go a bit ridiculous over time? Outlook is good. But the truth is I don’t have a Magic 8 Ball so I simply have to leap into the great unknown and hope the Universe will take good care of me, as it usually does.

While I am leaving myself open to the opportunity soaked wind, I have already lined up the first few stops on the road. First I land in the Big Apple: New York City. One of my all time favorite places in the world, I can never get enough and it’s been over a year since I last visited, which means I’m experiencing withdrawals. I’m lucky enough to have amazing friends to stay and go out with while I’m there who actually serve as the foundation of these visits. If it were not for one particular friend, I would never have gotten past infatuation with New York. We’re full blown lovers now and I have her to thank for that.

After a long and what I’m sure will be entertaining weekend, I make the big leap over to Europe. First port of call is Dublin, Ireland, and I arrive less than 24 hours to St Patty’s Day. Since the theme of this year’s travels is “celebration”, this is definitely the way to kick off the trip. I am fortunate enough to have a good friend pick me up from the airport, take me in, and show me a proper good time. The length of time I stay with anyone is not usually predetermined, but generally within a week I’ll be on my way again. And post Dublin lies an array of similar adventures all over Ireland. My path will trace to anyone I know who has invited me in to crash on their couch. We will go for a drink and reminisce about good old memories while creating new ones. Whenever the debauchery in Ireland has come to end I will make my way to England for more of the same ridiculousness but with different accents. The only truly solid plan I have is to be in Germany by May for a friend’s wedding. This event is the foundation of the trip; the reason I started planning it in the first place. I intend on spending two weeks absorbing the culture and getting carted around like an unaware puppy, being that I speak no German and in this small town English speakers are hard to come by.

After my final obligation to the world is fulfilled, I will truly set sail abroad. Plans post wedding include bartending in London, living and working in Amsterdam, bumming about in general some more while making my way down to Morocco, or getting on a plane and landing in somewhere in Asia. The dollar goes a lot further there and the experiences get weirder. I have never been to any part of Asia yet and find myself having dreams about it more often. June is a far away place right now and I have not a clue what my money situation will be or how much longer I will want to stay in Europe. Luckily I don’t have to make these decisions now. They will unfold themselves for me as time goes by and it is a beautiful process navigating through the unknown.

This blog’s purpose is simply to outline my intentions and starting path to all my friends, family, and readers. This is the jumping off platform. This is my last moment of sanity. Because the last week I’m home I get anxious, nervous, and over-focused on accomplishing tasks and seeing as many people as I can. The surrealness of leaving hasn’t sunk in, yet the packing overwhelms and consumes me. This blog is merely an introduction to my world and I hope you follow along as I discover where I’m going and what I’m doing. Updates will be made (hopefully) regularly and frequently. The intention is not to be wordy, but simply to outline my experiences and observations as I make them. (I promise nothing about the length of these updates.) Ideally they will come in handy if you’re stuck in a cubicle and the desktop background just isn’t cutting it. Maybe I can provide the escape we all need at least a little bit of in our lives, even if only for a day. I hope everyone reading this goes out and discovers adventures of your own. A new restaurant, joining a fun club or class, getting out of town for the weekend; we all must make the effort to seek variety and excitement in our lives and I implore all you reading right now to do this for yourselves. And when you don’t have the time, read my postcards. Welcome to the world from my absurd point of view. Enjoy.

7 comments:

  1. BRAVO! I am so happy you finally started a blog. Now, the question is will you maintain it? I hope you do as I love hearing all the exciting adventures you seem to find yourself into. Travel safe, write many many of your life experiences, and I wish you all the best with your exploring in this new path.

    -Fara

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  2. I love how adventurous you are!! Be safe and HAVE A BLAST!!!!!!!! Of course you will, because wherever you go you create fun and excitement! I am excited to read about your journeys to come! I want to go to Amsterdam, that is AMAZING that you are going to be working there!!! Bye lady!!! xoxo

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  3. Have fun, sisterbear. If you haven't already come & gone from NYC, call me (508-241-9627) as I currently live there.

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  4. I cant wait to read more....
    COME TO SYDNDEY AT SOME POINT!!!

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  5. i love it when you get "deep." haha :) love ya. i wish i could make it to the wedding...its too expensive!!!

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  6. CALI GIRL!!! I'm so excited for you and this new phase of your life - you'll have the time of your life!!! You're awesome for doing this - traveling can be the best education! I am also a bit jealous and I really hope to meet you somewhere along this journey :) I'm still planning my trip to Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia, so maybe I'll meet you there? Currently looking into One World tickets, so I'll keep you posted. You will always have a place to stay if you ever decide to return to BA. Lots of love!!!! Muchos besos y abrazos!! Oh, I went back to FB only to see your pics from your BUHO collection...so great!!! I really liked them :) Congratulations!!!! xoxo Miriam

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  7. I am so excited for you!!! I'm going to live vicariously through you!!! HAve fun!!!!

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