Back to America

Wow, Back to reality.

I can not believe that the trip is over. I am home. I am at my desk at work. I am filtering through IB fun list emails. (I forgot how much time I spend doing that!) I am doing tech escalations. I am going to Wed. night Karaoke. I am performing with Mainstage. I am going to get coffee at Flour. I am doing all of the things I do. In Boston. At home.

This trip was possibly the greatest thing that I have set out to do for myself - besides maybe doing study abroad in Israel. Traveling is so rewarding. It is not only fun - but educational, exciting, eye-opening... it is waking up and not knowing what you will be doing or where you will be going next - and loving it. It is not predictable. It is not 9 - 5.
Let's see... yup - It is freaking awesome.

Since I have been back, a few people have asked me if I just love other countries so much now that I have become Anti-American. And, as you can imagine from previous emails (although I don't think I ever blogged about it?) the answer for me is clearly no. I have, in fact, experienced a different revelation. I'm not Ms. USA or anything, but I do recognize the importance of being proud of your roots and of your country. I know patriotism is not something that happens over night. But, with a new prospect of hope due to a new president-elect, I think that greater Patriotism is a possibility for me - and for other Americans - in the future.

Now, that being said...all I can think about is where I want to travel next! At this point in time, I could go anywhere in Europe and have friends to visit! We met so many wonderfully awesome people throughout our travels. In Europe, I am definitely interested in Italy and Germany. My family is all from Germany...and researching my roots could be really cool. Of course, though, I want to see Australia, New Zealand, South America...more of Japan.
The predictability of routine is already getting me down. I have caught the travel bug.



I keep having conversations with people who say they can't travel because they have kids, responsibilities, or whatever... And yes, I know these walls exist. But, I also think they are climbable. Now that I'm back, and have gotten my year of "Independent Raero" out of my system, I would love to meet someone and possibly settle down. But, by no means does that mean I'm going to stop doing these things that intrigue me! I'm not going to stop traveling. I won't so don't try to make me!

Some random thoughts and observations:
- A lot of foreigners hadn't heard the phrase "Fair enough." And they quite enjoyed it.
- Australian and British people often say "I reckon" and "quite." I always thought those words sounded so formal...but now, I reckon I'm going to try to fit them into conversation quite often and whenever possible.
- The American election was followed by everyone EVERYWHERE. And, the results of a new President will affect everyone everywhere.
- I reckon (there it is!) American education needs to expand its lessons on the foreign world. For a generally smart person, I felt dumb sometimes in conversations with others. I realize how much other countries educate their people on American geography, history, and politics - and how much we do NOT educate our people on the rest of the world. Granted, as my friend from Norway replied, my life isn't much affected by the politics of Norway... but still.
I should know some stuff.
Just some stuff.
More stuff than I know at least.
Luckily, in the Metro this morning, I read that Massachusetts is thinking the same thing and are looking to update the curriculums to include more global education! The Metro must have been reading my blog. In the future.



And, for anyone who doesn't already know: I got home to a very special surprise in my apt. If you have read this blog, you will know that I mentioned there are no napkins in Asia. Because of that one comment, two of my girlfriends surprised me and completely decorated (dare I say vandalized?) my place with red, white, and blue napkins - literally covering my walls, drawers and closets from head to toe! Napkins were taped together into flags; streamers draped my doorways and walls, and red white and blue star shaped lights decorated my kitchen walls. Megan and Cuddy - thank you! It was amazing. Best welcome home ever. :)

Snapshots

Can't you read?
MBK Mall in Bangkok

Bangkok

In the market, you can buy anything from flip flops and t-shirts, to pineapples, to puppies.
"Don't be around the dog lick your hand." Seriously.
Bangkok

This last one is actually from Vietnam...but it's just such a classic, I had to include it.
When your child is being difficult...do what I do - give him some cash.
Hanoi, Vietnam Airport

Almost over

In the blink of an eye, this trip passed me by. I can't even believe it.

Mcgorty, Wendy, and I made it to Koh Samet on Monday (an island off of Bangkok) after a few unforgettable days in the beautiful land of Pai. Pai has got to be my favorite place in Thailand. The major highlight of the weekend, I would say, was riding motorbikes through the mountains! That's right - I actually rode on my own motorbike for the first time in my life. It was very scary at first, but Wendy and I eventually got the hang of it (with the guidance of one very skilled Matthew Mcgorty.) Driving all through the mountains and through tiny villages, I felt like I was seeing the REAL Thailand. No tourism. No stores. No signs in English... just straight up beautiful Thailand. We ate lunch over looking the mountains in something that resembled a tree house. It was perfect.

One of the funny things about Pai was that the third most popular language after English and Thai - was Hebrew! Hebrew was everywhere - as were traveling Israelis! I loved it.

We arrived in Koh Samet last night just for a quick stay on the beach. I was absolutely thrilled last night when we bumped into Sara and Mike - mine and Tucker's friends who we met in Mt Fuji, Japan - almost 2 months ago! We have been hanging out with them ever since and it's just been a perfect ending to this trip.

Tomorrow night we have our last moments in Bangkok before flying out on Thursday morning...

I miss my friends. I miss my family. I miss burritos and American football. But...nothing could ever replace the amazing experiences I have gotten while traveling. I have so much more to see and do... and more to say about it...but only a few hours left of this trip. So, I need to go enjoy. Bye!

Chiang Mai, Pai...and only 6 days to go

The end is near. Never have those words rang so true! I can't believe that after almost 2 months of traveling, i will soon be wearing my pack for one last time and hopping on a flight back to New York. This trip, of course, flew by and although I know it isn't over yet (I have 6 more days) its hard not to think about the "real world" that awaits me on the other side.

But until then... a quick update. First off, internet hasn't been as easy to come by - and also i am trying to enjoy my last few days. So, hence no updates. Also without Tucker's computer - I can't upload photos. Sorry all!

Currently - though - I am with Mcgorty and Wendy and we are in the North of Thailand, in Pai, after spending a few days in Chiang Mai. Wed. during the day we explored the town, walked all over, and got massages! (obvi.) We also experienced the Night Bazaar one night where we got our bargaining skills down pat - and bought a ton of stuff. For someone who isn't a shopper - I can't stop! There is so much cool stuff and its all so cheap!
Wednesday night in Chiang Mai, we actually went out with some new friends we had met and celebrated our new President-elect in style - with other random Americans at a Thai bar with a Thai band that played American covers! We danced and drank and had a great time.


Yesterday we had a jam packed day trip in Mae Hong Son. We were picked up by our 73 year old tourguide/driver - who looked like he was about 93 - and went on the ride of a lifetime. Literally, i didn't think we would make it through the ride alone. We were in an open sided truck that has seen better days...off roading through potholes, mud, and mountains! It was scary. Our day, however, turned out to be a huge success. We rode elephants (!!) and then went on an amazing (at at times pretty challenging) hike up a waterfall and then to white water rafting, then bamboo rafting... the whole day was exhausting but perfect. Also, our tour guide was absolutely adorable and he so clearly LOVED his work - it was great to spend the day with someone that happy. I got a slight injury getting into the raft, since the boat was "docked" in the busiest part of the rapids and we had to just walk on these tiny slippery rocks to get into the raft... i slipped and hurt my foot but its not too bad and definitely could've been worse. I met the nicest pharmacist ever who helped get me the right stuff to take care of it. :) She could teach the people at Walgreens a thing or two.

This morning we left for Pai...which is where we are now. It is a tiny somewhat alternative scened town in the middle of the mountains with little shops, live music... A perfect spot to chill for a few days. Its really beautiful and we are staying in a bungalow with our very own hammock. Paradise.

Actually...that is the name of the hotel. Pairidise.

We are going to try to fit in one island (hopefully where Tucker is) as well before we fly out of Bangkok. I don't know where the time has gone...

There is so much in this world to see...so many people to meet, foods to try, towns to explore, cultures to learn about, hikes to venture, music to here, places to go, beautiful things to see, things to do... I hope to do a trip like this again really soon. So should you.


OBAMA!

yes we can

Hey everyone,
I writing on a computer that doesnt have all the right keys so its quite difficult to make an update but Im getting a lot of complaints about not updating. Also,the zs are ys and the ys are zs on this kezboard. It is a mess.

So reallz fast - I am in Thailand. I am with Mcgorty and Wendy and we are having a blast. We are north in Chiang Mai and Tucker is down south with some of our new friends we met in Bangkok. Hopefullz, we will all be meeting up down there in a few days. Bangkok was awesome. I doant know why i have heard so much negativity about that city. I thought it was quite nice and a cool combination of modern and ancient. We saw some amazing temples with Buddhas bigger than buildings! Also, my friend Juay lives there and he and his girfriend Ying showed us an amazing time and an amazing home cooked meal!

Since I can't write much now / I mainly just want to tell you all about this morning. We watched Obama claim the win as our next President of the United States on Cnn. It was definitely strange to be in a foreign country when something so monumental was happening in the USA. However,i can tell you..everyone inThailand was watching. Everyone. We sat at our hotel bar with another American and watched the acceptance speech. I will say, it was the first time in my life I have ever shed tears as the President elect made his first speech. I was moved. We are feeling patriotic here...and we are looking forward to the changes in the future.

The Frenchman that owns this hotel has informed us of a democratic celebration happening at a bar here in Chiang Mai so we might just stop by tonight and show our red, white and blue!
We will get into more as soon as we can..but update in summary: Thailand is awesome. We are safe. And, hopefully - so is America!

Raero, Wendy, and Matty

Updates! Da Lat, Nha trang, Hanoi, oh my.

Yes, faithful readers...it has been a while. But, that isn't because anything bad happened - Moms and Aunts, take a deep breath! We have just been having a lot of fun, and not having a lot of wireless internet. (We need the wireless internet to sync our photos, so that is why those are a week or so behind.)

We are still in Vietnam - currently in the North, in Hanoi. We are really liking Vietnam a lot. The cities are CRAZY, the mountains and beaches are beautiful, and for the most part - the people are cool too. The one hassle that does start to wear on you after a few weeks is the constant pestering of people trying to sell you stuff - mainly bike rides and sightseeing tours. If you are white, you are a target. That is the general rule.

Hanoi is a crazy city with tiny windy streets in the old city, where you have people in pointy straw hats, walking around trying to sell you anything from pineapples, to phrasebooks, to motorcycle rides. I don't know how they squat on the street so low, for so long. Many families just squat the sidewalks, cooking and eating and feeding their children.

We thought crossing the street was a challenge in Saigon - we had no idea! It's insane here. Tomorrow, we are taking a boat tour for a few days, into the beautiful islands and caves of Ha Long Bay. We are on a junk boat the first day - seeing caves and islands. Then, we sleep on the boat...and the second day, we kayak all day, and then stay at a resort on Cat Ba Island. Doing a tour like this is really the only way to see Ha long Bay - so I hope the tour we chose turns out to be a good one. They are a million places selling basically the same thing for vastly different prices. It's hard to figure out when you are being scammed or not, but the one we chose was recommended to me by a traveler I met in Nha Trang, and he said it was good.

Updates...
Da Lat
The motorcycle tour with our Easy Rider guide, Dung (when he pronounces it, it's much better), was personally a real highlight for my time in Asia. I was on the back of the guide's motorbike and Tucker held his own on his own bike! Dung toured us all around amazing green mountains, scary winding roads, and into some really cool spots including a silk factory where we saw the process from start (worm) to finish (scarf). Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed being on a motorcycle! It was so fun and I felt totally safe...even though it rained a lot of the time. Also, it was cool to chat with the guide as we rode...he told me about his family, religion, politics, real estate...all sorts of stuff that you can't really get reading from a book. We took a hike down this somewhat scary and extremely muddy and slippery rock path down to the bottom of the "Elephant waterfalls." Dung actually got injured and couldn't finish the hike with us, but Matt and I tried to go as far as we could, until we were locked in by surrounding water. It was pretty cool - but I was really sore the next day! (Shock shock) After the hike, we walked around a Temple, where there were all these Vietnamese woman sharing lunch together, and I assume also praying together. On top of the mountain, there was this HUUUUUGE Buddha...pictures to come.

The next day, we took a taxi to Langbiang Mountain for some hiking. To be fair, I was sore from the day before and didn't get TOO far up the mountain, but Tucker had some cool experiences that I'm sure he'll fill us in on later.

After Da lat, Tucker and I split up for a few days - we each did our own beach thing. He went to Mui Ne, and I went to Nha Trang.

Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a little town mainly popular for it's beautiful water and beach. There are a bunch of little restaurants and hotels in the area, as well as the usual tourist shops and tailors. I thought traveling alone would be a little scary - but on the contrary, it was really fun. Also, i was hardly alone! It is so easy to meet other travelers. So, the first few days, I hung out with my "Irish boyfriend" and the next two days, my "Israeli boyfriend." If only it were this easy in the U.S. :)

It was sooo amazing to just relax for a few days and literally, just sit on the beach, read, and recharge. I did not want to leave! The beach was beautiful and the water was so warm. Also, they had a brewery there (Lousiane Brewery) that had the best beer I've tried since I got to Asia. I stayed in a nice hotel, treated myself to an amazing spa massage - and even got a dress custom made for myself! Everything is so cheap so treating yourself is so much easier to do! Tailors are everywhere and it's quite common for tourists to get clothes made.

That is the trip update as of now. More to come soon...

PS Remember to vote! Even if you are in one of those "my vote doesn't matter" states... your vote DOES matter. We are trying desperately to figure out how to vote now that we are abroad and it's harder than you would think. I believe this election to be a life-marking event as I'm sure many of you do as well. It is a little hard to be missing it.

Happy Birthday Steve and Happy almost birthday Matty Z and Patrick French!

Top Ten Reasons I know I've Been Traveling for a While

Top Ten Reasons I know I've been traveling for a while:

10. Before going to brush my teeth, I instinctively look for a bottle of water. (Man, I miss tap water.)

9. Beeping now has new meaning to me. It is not rude - it's a safety precaution. If you are on a motor bike, and people don't beep - it's very hard to hear that someone is trying to pass you! Beep for safety's sake!

8. I am lost without a bottle of Purell on me at all times. More so than chapstick!

7. I'm used to not having a clue what anyone around me is saying.

6. $4 sounds like a A LOT to pay for a beer.

5. I crave noodle soups for breakfast.

4. I drink my tea sans milk.

3. List of things to buy when I get home: 1.) rice cooker 2.) Electric water boiler.

2. Also: 3.) a motorcycle or scooter.

1. I kinda sorta want a Vietnamese baby. (Seriously, though, these kids are so cute. Can I have one?)