My love affair with Asia

China...Tibet...Nepal...India...Malaysia...Thailand...Laos.

These are the countries that I have called home for the last ten months. These are the places where I have explored, gotten lost, puked my guts out, loved, and left in the whirlwind amount of time that has lapsed since leaving the comforts of home on December 27 of last year. It was in these foreign places that new relationships blossomed, and my limits were tested.

In less than 24 hours I will be leaving the Asia that I have come to know and love behind, and heading back to America. I will forgo my backpacker ways, learn to adjust to the concept of spending more than five dollars a day on food, and eventually get sucked back into a society that I don't always agree with.

Once I get home, everything will change. My idyllic concept of time will be shattered, the familiarity of my home country will become mundane, and the friends that I left behind abroad will become figures of a past, unrecognizable life. Pictures will replace memories, and memories will fade.

But I refuse to forget the countries I traveled through and the amazing people I met along the way.

This is my last blog in Asia. This is the last of my rambling thoughts about life on the road. This is a last tribute to everything I experienced along the way.

*CHINA*
It is here that my journey began. It is in this country that I gave up the perfect life I had in Portland and dove head first into the uncertainty that moving overseas brings. I arrived alone, fresh, unknowing about what the next six months would bring.

Six months cannot be summarized in a few short sentences, or a photo album of pictures. Six months of adjusting to a new culture, a new way of living, and a new language so unlike my own cannot be described to it's fullest extent in words. The amount of time that I spent living in the industrial city of Shenyang, a city with a population of 7 million people, located in Northeastern China, has forever changed the person that I once was.

I became an English teacher. I learned as much Mandarin as I could absorb, taught by the most gentlest and greatest of teachers. I learned the public bus system, and only shopped at the local market for food. I lived in the best apartment of my life, surrounded by three of the most amazing roommates I could ask for. I lived amongst bugs, and didn't get mad when the bathroom flooded and insects invaded our homemade cookies. I spent my days with the youth of Shenyang, the smartest and most hardworking students that I have encountered anywhere. I had meaningful conversations with countless people from all different walks of life.

I spent my time getting to know my wonderful fellow American teachers, enjoying hilarious dinner parties and movie nights at each others' apartments. I celebrated my 24th birthday in great company, with the most delicious dinner and dessert, and the best present I have received in a long time. I traveled alone through China for one month, encountering numerous different cities with all new histories and ideas. I visited too many temples to count, spent whole days wandering alone and with new friends, and ate food that in my younger years I would have ran from. I spent countless hours on long train rides, and crammed in with the locals everywhere I went.

I could go on forever. China has become like a second home to me. Leaving was one of the hardest things I have done, but I know I will be back. I have a lot more of the massive country to explore, and more of the language to learn. I know I can't stay away for long.

*TIBET*
Although Tibet is not it's own country, it's hard to think of it as a part of China.

It is a place of contradictions. It is a place with such extreme beauty that is changing too fast for it's own good. It's a place full of mystery and tension, and a long line of history.

Arriving by train from Xining is the best way to enter the once forbidden city of Lhasa. This 24-hour train ride has been, by far, one of the best experiences of my life. The landscape is indescribable, the excitement floating in the air contagious, and the people amazing. I spent my time speaking only in my broken Chinese to the locals on board, and acclimating to the highest altitude that a train can reach.

My ten days in Tibet, although short, are full of great memories. The first sight of the Potala Palace (former residence of the Dali Lama), is breathtaking, and the square at night surrounding it is surreal. The German couple I traveled with were great, and our 102km ride on the bumpiest and craziest road to Mt. Everest Base Camp was a truly unforgettable experience. Waking up in the morning, your breath catching in the chilly air, to the overwhelming and cloud-less view of Mt. Everest looming right in front of you is not something that I will ever forget.

*NEPAL*
I arrived at the overland border crossing of Tibet to Nepal alone, the only single white girl not in a tour group. I had no prearranged transportation to Kathmandu, and had no idea where I would be staying once arriving. It is during this part of my travels that I realized that things always work out in Asia.

Kathmandu is a land of chaos. There are no rules of the road, the animals roam with the people, and the "modern" city is dusty and falling apart. The public transportation is hilarious. The "buses" are crammed with people, from the working class to the poorest of the poor, and no one complains when you are packed in so tight that you can't distinguish your arm from your neighbors.

It is amazing. It is surreal. It is like nothing I had experienced before. And I loved every second of it.

Apart from getting terribly sick too many times to count, my experience at Sonrisa Orphanage was amazing. The kids were great, the day trips were memorable, and the goodbye tear-jerking. I will never forget the look on the kids faces as I drove away in a taxi, and I will forever have the cards and letters they made for me on my day of my departure.

The time I spent in the touristy district of Thamel made the ending to my Nepal trip even better. Prabhat, where ever you are out there, THANK YOU. Thank for you everything. Nepal wouldn't have been the same without you. From riding on the back of your motorbike (and even falling off that one time!), to listening to your music, to meeting your friends, I can't wait till I can see you again! Miss you.

*INDIA*
India is literally a world of its own. The bustling humanity that seeps out of its pores is indescribable, and the 3 weeks that I spent there were only a glimpse into a way of life so unlike my own.

From getting ripped off in Varanasi by a conniving Indian man, to getting horribly sick in the shittiest hotel ever, the start of my trip was rough, but the ending was amazing.

The view of the Ganges River at sunrise will forever be in my mind, and the smell of cow shit forever in my nose. The adventures that I had with various travel partners are too complicated and amazing to describe, and the view of the Taj Mahal at sunset absolutely breathtaking. The train rides were interesting, especially as a single white girl traveling alone, and the rickshaw rides were entertaining (besides the one I fell off of in Delhi!) The meditation capital of Rishikesh was the highlight of the trip, and the week I spent there in the great company of Kelly and Edden was the most fun I had in India.

Except for the couple of days in Delhi with Mike.

MIKE: My dear Canadian friend, I can't wait to see you again. Our time was short, but you made an everlasting impression. I hope we will be together again soon. MISS YOU.

*MALAYSIA*
Arriving by plane into Kuala Lumpur was like being instantly transported back into a Westernized country and a modern way of living. So I did what any Asia-fiend would do: found Chinatown and tried to stay away from modernization.

The train from KL to Butterworth was the nicest I have been on yet, and the ferry ride to the island of Penang relaxing. It was in the city of Georgetown that I fell in love with Malaysia and the laid back life that the locals lead. From motorbike riding around the island, to exploring national parks, beaches, and Penang Hill with truly memorable people, Malaysia was a stopover on the way to Thailand that I am truly grateful for taking.

*THAILAND*
When one mentions the city of Bangkok, most travelers immediately think of Khao San Road, the backpackers haven. A place where you can get anything you want, from clothes and crafts, to food and alcohol. From drugs and "ping pong shows." to Thai prostitutes. The countless number of hotels and run down guesthouses attracts a very interesting range of weirdos, and people watching has kept me entertained for many hours. I have been in Bangkok now 3 times, as it is a main hub for getting around SE Asia.

The islands of Koh Tao and Koh Samui were enjoyed with the great company of my sister. Having her there with me was a blessing, and I will be forever grateful (and indebted) to her for her generosity and (mostly!) positive attitude about her first trip abroad!

Traveling in Thailand is easy, and travelers are catered to like kindergartners. Everything you could possibly need is never far out of reach, and getting around the country is easy and convenient. The time I spent in Chiang Mai was amazing, and it is there that I met some colorful characters who made my time there (and in Laos), unforgettable.

Thailand feels like an old friend. A place where you can always go back to, and you know just what to expect. I have seen so many people in Bangkok from other parts of my trip, and it has been great to catch up with old friends from China and new friends from various countries.

It is out of the Bangkok airport that I will be leaving tomorrow morning. It is here that my journey will end.

*LAOS*
Before deciding to head to Laos, I didn't really know much about the country and its inhabitants. But I am so glad I got to experience it, for it is truly a wonderful and laid back country, and so unlike the other areas in Asia that I have been to.

The whole trip from Chiang Mai to the city of Luang Prabang was one of the better overland trips I have done. The two day slow boat ride was great fun, and the company of my fellow travelers kept me entertained for hours (BREE, this is for you!)

The sleepy town of Luang Prabang, with its amazing baguette sandwiches and night market was one of my favorite places, and the tubing in Vang Vieng was out of this world. The kayaking trip down to Vientiene was exciting, and many thanks go out to Aaron for being such a wonderful traveling partner, and for keeping my thoughts positive and emotions in check. (Can't wait to see you again). Leaving Laos on the overnight train, on Halloween, signified the end of my trip.

And now I am back in Bangkok, on the very familiar Khao San Rd, staying in one of the shitty guesthouses that I stayed at last time I was here. The rooms are small, the beds lumpy, and the water cold, but at least its cheap.

And in less than 24 hours I will be taking the bus to the airport. Soon I will be enjoying my half day in Portland with Mollie and Shaun, and Mollie's family (whom I can't wait to finally meet!). Thanks in advance, Mollie, for your hospitality!

Although I have tried to briefly sum up the last 10 months of my life, none of these words are enough to give credit to everywhere I have been, everything I have seen, and everyone I have met along the way. Some things just can't be described in words.

And lastly, a huge thanks goes out to my family and friends back home. If it wasn't for their never-ending support, words of wisdom, and generous ways, this trip would not have been possible.

Mom and Dad, I can't thank you enough, and I can't wait to be back at home with you in Pylesville. I have never been so excited to come home before! Without you, nothing would be the same.

Sari, thanks again for everything. I can't wait to see you and live with you in NYC!

Chris and Katie, my best and longest friends in the world. Sorry I haven't been in touch like I should. You know me. But I'll be home soon, and the phone calls will be poring in.

And one more thanks to everyone I met along the way. Everyone who has helped me, guided me, and taken care of me in one way or another. I will never forget the people who have made this trip truly memorable.

I will be home soon. Love and miss you all.

A world of its own...

As I sit here in the town of Vang Vieng, on the side of the main road, in a small restaurant drinking the best lemon shake in Laos, I can't help but ponder the workings of this small town, and the craziness that goes on here every day.

Let me paint you a picture of it.

First, take a small, and at one time sleepy town, add busloads of eager foreigners, tons of small restaurants playing reruns of Friends and Family Guy, the usual tourist shops and guesthouses, and a beautiful river in the middle of this landlocked country.

This is what you see when you first arrive in this dusty little town, and then you go tubing, and your whole idea of this peaceful little slice of heaven is shattered in seconds.

The calm river has been taken over by makeshift bars that line the banks, and hundreds of drunk foreigners cram on wooden decks, with drinks in hand, swaying to the loud music. There are rope and bungee swings, mud wrestling, and a huge slide. It is one big party, and it goes on everyday from around noon to 6pm. Even now, as I sit here writing this, I can see the tubers getting back from a big day of drinking and drifting down the river. Skinny girls in bikinis (which would look out of place in this small town if it were not for the hundreds of Westerners wearing the same outfit), drunk tattooed guys trying to look sober, and tired tuk tuk drivers dropping them all off back in town. Mixed in with this odd sight is the locals of Laos; grandmothers with babies in their arms, young girls on bicycles, food stall owners yelling at passing tourists for their business, and a few stray dogs here and there to remind you that you really are still in Asia.

As one of the few sober people in this whole town, my day of tubing was drastically different than most. I went with a big group, and came back with the only other sober guy at the party. After a couple hours of enduring the bars and laughing with my drunk friends, I got tired of it all and spent an hour and a half tubing down the peaceful, calm river. The scenery was beautiful, the sun was setting, and the drunks were far away.

I have been here now for about four days, having come down from Luang Prabang on a car-sick inducing five hour ride in a crowded minivan, through the windy and hilly roads of Laos. And as much as I don't really fit in with the partying vibe here, I still love it. The people (locals and foreigners alike) are super friendly, and you can't help but get sucked in to the happiness that is apparant every day.

The food is delicious and cheap, the guesthouse is only dollars a day, and the town is small enough to explore by foot.

Yesterday me and a guy I have been hanging out with since leaving Thailand, (Aaron, a New Zealander), rented a motorbike and road out to some caves not far from town. There in the pitch black, with the only light shining from our small flashlights, we explored the empty and beautiful (if not a bit creepy) caves. It was great fun, until I fell down a mudslide in one of the smaller parts of the cave. Only after regaining my footing, laughing hysterically, and finally getting pulled out by Aaron, I climbed out of the cave covered in sticky mud. Luckily I escaped unharmed.

Tomorrow me and Aaron are leaving this small town, and have chosen not to take another annoying minivan ride to the next city. Instead, we are going on a kayaking trip that will start at 9am and end at around 4pm. We will be kayaking from Vang Vieng to the capital city of Vientiene, and will have the opportunity to kayak through some small rapids, and will be able to stop for lunch and a small swim along the way. Although this option is a bit more expensive than the bus, it is definitely going to be much more fun and exciting!

We plan on staying in the capital for one night, and then taking an overnight bus back to Bangkok. It is here that my trip will end.

In less than one week I will be boarding the plane that will eventually take me back to Maryland. And as sad as I am for it all to be ending, I guess I am ready to come home, in some small way. My body sure is ready for some normalcy. My legs are covered in bug bits (one of them having become infected and disgusting in the last two days), and my eating habits change from day to day.

Adjusting to life back home will be hard though, as I have come to thoroughly enjoy the lifestyle of a backpacker. The newness that each day brings will be one of the things that I miss the most, and the new friends that I've met along the way have been amazing.

But, I'm looking forward to seeing the familiar faces of my friends and family back home, and can't wait until the second I land safely at BWI airport, where my parents and sister will be eagerly waiting for me!

For now, I'm going to enjoy my last night and the next 2 days in Laos, and the remaining time in the now familiar city of Bangkok. I will be home soon...can't wait to see you all. Miss you. Much love.

Along the Mekong...

As I sat on the side of the boat, my feet hanging off the edge and my hands gripping the handrail, I shared a quiet moment with two newly acquired friends of the mighty Mekong River and the lush green rolling hills surrounding it. If I reached down far enough, my bare foot could just barely skim the surface of the brown, muddy river, and that combined with the cool breeze was enough to make the most talkative girl speechless.

A couple days ago, I boarded an open-backed truck in the city of Chiang Mai (Thailand), and now, almost 3 days later, I am in the small city of Luang Prabang, Laos. A lot has happened in those 72 hours.

After a rather uncomfortable overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, I found myself in an over-booked, Lonely Planet-recommended guesthouse. So I walked about five minutes in the opposite direction and stayed in "Same Same Guesthouse," in a dorm room for about $3 a night. I ended up meeting some colorful, interesting characters who I spent all of my time with, and had a blast. We rented motorbikes, got stuck in a horrible rain storm, and eventually made our way out to a beautiful waterfall area and wandered around in the jungle-like woods for hours. We ate good Thai food, and gave in to our Western-food cravings two nights in a row (burgers and fries!)

But after a couple of days in the laid back city, I knew it was time to cross another border and explore another country. So me and Bree (my new Irish friend), bought a package ticket to Laos. For just under $45, the package included a 6 hour bus ride to the border of Thailand and Laos, accommodation in a hotel overnight, breakfast, and a 2-day boat ride to the city of Luang Prabang.

Soon we found ourselves in an open backed truck with 2 other travelers, and after a half hour ride, we arrived in a gas station and waited for the bus (actually a minivan) to pick us up and drive us the rest of the way to the border. The minivan was full, and as usual, pretty uncomfortable. We didn't get into the border town till about 3am, and were quickly taken to our 4-bed rooms to get some sleep. The morning started early, at 7am, with a quick breakfast at the hotel.

The next couple of hours were filled with the usual border-crossing hassles. But, after a lot of waiting, a bit of money being exchanged, and a new visa to go along with all the others in my passport, we were finally allowed to enter the "slow boat" that was to be our transport for the next two, long days. The boat sits low to the water, is open on both sides, and is full of uncomfortable, wobbly wooden benches. There are a few nice, airplane-like seats in the back, but by the time we got on the boat they were already full. So we spent the next six hours with sore butts and a lot of good laughs.

At around 6pm, the boat docked at a small town, and about seventy foreigners shuffled off the boat into the waiting hands of the hotel and shop-owners, who were practically begging for our business. After getting settled into a small, family owned hotel (a double room that I shared with Bree), our newly formed group of 9 went off in search of food and ended up getting a delicious meal at an Indian restaurant. The company was great, the food was satisfying, and the day felt complete.

We soon found ourselves back on the boat, and after arriving super early, were happily settled into the nice seats in the back in preparation for another seven hour day of traveling. The day went fairly quickly; I was able to finish an amazing book, talk to some cool people, and actually sit on the railing on the outside of the boat (something that would be forbidden in most Western countries for safety reasons).

I could tell immediately that Luang Prabang is going to be a city that I am going to thoroughly enjoy. After getting off the boat and facing the usual overwhelming amount of people trying to sell us their hotels, 7 of us headed off in search of a room for the night.

We found a great little hotel, and all 7 of us (4 British guys, 1 British girl,1 Irish girl, and me), are all sharing one big, awesome room. We have our own bathroom, and it is one of the nicer places I have stayed at on my trip (it costs about $2.50 a night, per person). The evening was spent wandering around the amazing night market, eating good (and very cheap) street food, and hanging out in a relaxing bar right on the Mekong River.

I am not sure yet how long I will stay here, but I am excited to explore more of the city during the day, and see just what this town has to offer. Then I'll head down south and visit two other cities, and will eventually re-cross the border (probably by bus) back into Thailand.

It's hard to believe, but in just under two weeks, I'll be back in Bangkok, boarding the plane that will eventually take me back to MD. After ten months of travel, ten months of the best moments of my life, it will all come to an end. Luckily, I have the best family in the world waiting for me, and good friends that I haven't seen in ages.

I've had trouble lately describing the amazing amount of feelings that are running throughout my body, and at any moment I want to either burst into tears or laugh uncontrollably. It's odd to me how I can feel so sad at something ending, and so terribly excited at the thought of what's to come.

But, that's life, I suppose.

Either way, the last couple of days have been amazing, and I know the next two weeks will be just as good. I hope everyone back home is doing well, and I miss you all. But...I'll see you soon! Much love.

The beginning of the end...

I can't seem to find the right words to describe the last two weeks and the feelings I am currently feeling. It is something between complete happiness from the amazing time that I had with my sister, to utter joy at the next 2 1/2 weeks of unexplored territory that I am about to enter, indescribable excitement at the thought of being home safe in the loving arms of my parents, and extreme sadness that in less than three weeks all of this will be over.

Me and Sarah had a truly memorable time on the islands of Ko Tao and Ko Samui over the last 2 weeks. In Ko Tao we took a snorkeling trip around the entire island, saw ladyboys perform their hilarious cabaret show (twice!), relaxed on the beach, and splurged on good food. We took a somewhat rough and seasick-causing ferry ride and ended up at an awesome hotel on the best beach in Ko Samui. We made friends with the local staff (the nicest people I have met in Thailand so far), survived the adventure of renting motorbikes (me driving with Sarah on the back), saw rocks shaped like male and female genitals (the female one was amazing -- very lifelike!), visited waterfalls that barely had any water flowing (due to lack of rain), and took a very fun ride on an awesome elephant named Leena! We spent a whole day and a half just laying on the beach and swimming in the clear, calm water just steps from our hotel, and dined at a very nice Italian restaurant that I could have never afforded on my own!

But, like all good experiences, it had to end eventually. And after what only seemed like days together, me and Sarah found ourselves in a speeding, bumpy taxi on the way to the ferry terminal in preparation for our return trip to Bangkok. The ferry ride turned out to be quite pleasant, and after a short hour and a half ride, and another bus ride of the same length, we finally reached the train station in the city of Surat Thani. After a couple of rounds of cards and a light dinner, me and Sarah went to bed early, in expectation of our scheduled 6am arrival in Bangkok.

The next day, by 11am, when we still hadn't reached Bangkok, we were both starting to get a little antsy (or, rather, Sarah started getting whiny and complaining that she wanted to get off!). But, despite the hassles, we finally made it back to our hotel in Bangkok, just in time for a very late breakfast!

So, after some last minute shopping and good food, me and Sarah boarded the public bus to the airport. And now, while sitting in an awesome restaurant with wifi that was recommended to me by a friend that I miss like crazy, I am alone again.

Luckily, I know a couple cool people here in the city of Bangkok, and my last couple days here won't be completely lonely. Plus, my good friends Mollie and Shaun are coming into town tonite and I am super excited to catch up with them and spend the day hanging around the city!

In a day or two I am going to head up north to a city called Chiang Mai (which is still in Thailand), and then will eventually cross the border into Laos. I don't have exact plans just yet, but I want to stay in Laos until right before my flight home, which is leaving from Bangkok. I'm very excited to be crossing the border of one more country before heading home in a couple of weeks.

It truly is the beginning of the end...

I can't wait to see everyone again back home, and catch up on all the lives and moments that I've been missing. See you soon, much love. Miss you all.

Oh, Thailand...

As I sit on the wooden porch of our small bungalow on the island of Ko Tao, in the country of Thailand, I can't help but wonder how I got here. It has taken me nine and a half months, a lot of hard work, a lot of money (most of which I couldn't afford to spend), and a fondness of travel that will most likely never end.

My journeys have taken me through China/Tibet, Nepal, India, Malaysia, and finally here to the traveler's paradise of Thailand. I have endured hardship, loneliness, extreme sickness, and the best, most indescribable moments of my life. I have met (and said goodbye to) the most amazing people from all corners of the globe, and now have friends all over the world. I have seen things that most people will only ever see in movies or on tv, and slept in places that some Americans would never even set foot inside. I have ate food that should have made me sick, and got sick on food that I figured would be safe.

And up until now, I have been alone. I have always been able to meet people once settled into a new city or country, but I have always arrived alone. Until now.

A couple days ago in the congested and crazy city of Bangkok, I took a public bus to the airport in preparation for my sister's arrival. As she walked by me through the exits, oblivious to my presence behind her, I jumped on her out of sheer excitement. As we laughed and hugged hello, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of relief and pure joy at her arrival. Finally I would have someone else close to me to share a little piece of my travels with.

Since Sarah's arrival on October 2nd, things have been great. We spent a couple days in Bangkok, checking out the city, and got toted around by a tuk tuk driver who took us to two separate Buddha statues and temples. We ate good food, met up with some friends of mine, and wandered over to Bangkok's huge weekend market (which is an amazingly large market full of food and shopping).

Things were nice and calm at first, and I was starting to think that maybe Sarah would be lucky enough to escape the wrath of Asia, but then the hassles started.

To make a long and very frustrating story short, we didn't find out until a half hour before our train was scheduled to leave that it got canceled due to a bad accident. So, after a half hour of struggling to have a normal conversation with a Thai lady whose English was less than perfect (and getting yelled at because she thought I was mad at her), we finally paid more money and got on a night bus that eventually took us to the ferry to get to the island of Ko Tao. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as the train, and I got super mad that we had to pay more money (we got partially refunded for the train ticket and should get the rest back in Bangkok), but I am just incredibly glad that we got here this morning.

Today, despite our sleepiness from the long and restless night, we have been enjoying this beautiful island, and wandering around on the beach and throughout the town. I am so happy to have Sarah with me to share in this beauty, and in a couple days we will take another ferry to the bigger island of Ko Samui, a little further south. Then it's back to Bangkok for Sarah's flight back to NYC, and my last two and a half weeks of my trip. Not sure yet what I'm going to do, there's plenty of time to figure it out!

For now, we are going to relax, enjoy our cozy and rustic bungalow, and take in all the sights of the islands. Tomorrow we are going on an all day snorkeling trip!

I will update again soon -- hope everyone back home is doing great, see you soon.

Miss you all, much love!

From Malaysia to Thailand...

I don't know where to begin...

The last couple weeks have been great. I have been spending my time with new friends, exploring new countries, and eating good food.

After leaving Kuala Lumpur, on the nicest train I have been on since I left America over nine months ago, I landed in a city called Butterworth, in the north of Malaysia. After lugging my bags and my tired body to the ferry terminal nearby, I eventually ended up a hostel located in the city of Georgetown, on the island of Penang. It was early, only around 6am, so I booked a dorm room, threw down my bags, and slept for hours.

My first day was similar to other first days alone in a new city, which usually consists of wandering aimlessly around with map in hand, eating all the street food I can find, and trying not to give in to the endless amount of shopping that is practically thrown in my face. I ended up meeting a cool French guy that night at the hostel, and at around noon the next day we headed over to a nearby shop to rent motorbikes for the day.

The day was awesome . We manuevered through the traffic of the city, and eventually made it out to the coast, where the view was beautiful. We stopped at a national park, wandered around, took loads of photos, and ate at small roadside food stalls. We accidentally got seperated at a congested street, got terribly lost, and after an hour or so met back at the hostel, miraculously finding our way back alone.

The French guy left that night, but I ended up meeting a couple other people at the hostel that made my week long stay in Georgetown a very memorable one.

A bunch of us went to a dancing lion festival show (a bit hard to explain, but it was a competition where guys play drums, and 2 guys are dressed like a big lion and they dance and run around on these tall stilt things...you just had to be there in person for it to make sense!) After the show we got on a public bus and made our way over to Penang Hill, which takes about half an hour on an old railroad that goes straight into the hill at a very steep angle. It's a great ride, and the view from the top of the hill is amazing. Me and another French guy that I became friends with ended up wandering around and getting lost for an hour or two, and were able to see the view from the hill at night, when the lights of Georgetown and the surrounding areas make the view even more breathtaking. We eventually made our way down and took the public bus back to the hostel.

My last day in Georgetown was the best. Me and 3 of my new friends headed to the national park and hiked 3km each way to a quiet and empty beach. We spent most of the day wading around in a small river area, eating sandwiches that we packed with us, and lounging around on the beach enjoying each others company.

I didn't notice it until much later in the day, but I ended up with the worst sunburn on my legs that I have ever had in my whole life.

I ended up taking a train 20+ hours from the city of Butterworth all the way to Bangkok the next day, with another guy (Jason) that I met at the hostel in Georgetown. It was nice to have company, and even now, as I write this, we are sharing a small double room in a shitty little hotel just off of the famous Khao San Rd in Bangkok. The room doesn't have a bathroom, and the showers and toilets outside the room aren't the greatest (and we don't seem to have a sink anywhere), but it's cheap and in a great location, and that's all I need!

But, my wonderful sister is arriving tomorrow, and we will be moving into a nicer hotel (it even has it's own bathroom and hot water!!). It will be the nicest hotel that I will have stayed at since leaving America 9 months ago (and it only costs around $15!)

My two days in Bangkok so far have been spent wandering the streets and eating the great cheap food that is very plentiful on Khao San Rd. Me and Jason hopped on a public bus today and made our way to a huge shopping mall and saw an American movie at the cinema, it was even in English! (It was called The Proposal, not sure if that's been out for a while in America, but it was hilarious!) It was a nice change from the crazy streets of Asia.

At around this time tomorrow night I will be at the airport waiting for Sarah to land in Bangkok. I have never been more excited in my life!!

Not quite sure where we will go after Bangkok, but we have a lot of exploring to do, and I'll update again soon!

For now, I hope everyone is well, and I miss you all. I will be home in about a month and a week, I can't believe it!! LOVE YOU ALL!

Where have the cows gone?

I am in a whole new world.

A world devoid of cows, monkeys, and begging barefoot children. A world where modern amenities are at your fingertips and everyone does not seem out to get you, to rip you off for all you're worth. In just one short 3 1/2 hour plane ride I was whisked in the utmost comfort from the backwards land of India to the orderly streets of Kuala Lumpur.

I arrived early yesterday morning, hopped on a spotlessly clean and efficient train that briskly zipped me through the city and into the central train station, where I then effortlessly jumped in a cab and got dropped off in front of my hostel. No rickshaw drivers trying to convince me to go to another hotel (a ploy so they can get commission), no taxi drivers following me and fighting for my business, no half dressed begging man asking me for a couple rupees. It was all so easy.

Since yesterday I have been enjoying the easiness of this city, spending my time walking around and watching the bustling city go by, and eating a ton of good street food. My hostel is located in the Chinatown area, and I couldn't ask for a better location. Awesome and cheap food is at my fingertips, and at night a huge market comes alive with tons of people, restaurants, and every type of shopping imaginable. It's great fun to just wander around for hours with no direction or goal in mind.

Although this city is not as expensive as some, it is definitely a huge change from China, Nepal, and India. I have to be careful with my money, and am on a pretty tight budget for food. Plus, everytime I turn around there's a ton of shopping markets with goods that are begging to be bought! Today I went down to the train station and booked a ticket leaving tomorrow evening to a city 8 hours north called Butterworth. From there I'll take a short ferry across the water to an island called Penang. There is a city on this island called Georgetown that's supposed to be pretty nice, and that's where I'll spend the next couple days until I cross the border into Thailand.

Although it's a relief to be in the comfort of a more Westernized city, I definitely miss the craziness of Nepal and India, and of course I miss China more than anything. Despite the pain and hassles that cannot be avoided, there is a certain magic and unexplainable feeling that these countries bring about, and it is not something that I will ever forget.

For now, I'm counting down the days till I see my sister. I cannot wait, and I know our 2 weeks in Thailand together will be amazing!

It's hard to believe that I'm coming to the end of my trip. The end of this long, solo journey that has been more than I could have ever imagined.

I'll be home soon -- I miss you all. Much love.

"Insert witty title here..."

Sometimes traveling is not all fun and games. Sometimes traveling is all about dodging sickness, catching trains, and negotiating prices with overly eager rickshaw drivers waiting to rip off single white girls. It's all about discussing the latest routes and best hotels with fellow travelers, trying to find clean and edible food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while staying within a budget so strict it doesn't always seem possible. It's a tiring game of meeting people, getting close, and leaving all too suddenly. It's hopping from one dirty and often lonely hotel to the next, lugging a backpack through crowded city streets, sweat pouring out of every pore imaginable. It's packing, and repacking, and shopping, and spending hours in internet cafes pouring over facebook and email, the only connection to the world back home.

Today was one of those days for me. A day full of train travel, honking rickshaws bumping their way through ridiculously crowded streets, and saying goodbye to new friends who I may never see again. After a 5:30am start, a public bus, and another train ride, I am back in Delhi, spending my last night in the same hotel as before, getting ready to leave the wonderfully crazy country of India. I have found myself seeking Western comforts today, and the only food I have eaten has consisted of pizza and french fries. Luckily I am in the right place for travelers in need of Western food, but the comforts pretty much stop there. My hotel is actually quite nice, considering I'm in India, but it's hot and lonely. The plus is that is has a tv, with English HBO, and for most of the evening I have been sweating in my room, taking small naps, and watching American movies. Sometimes it's nice to avoid the world outside and just pretend to be in America, however short and fleeting the feeling may be.

But, despite all the small annoyances and hassles, the last week here has been amazing. I stayed in Rishikesh for one week, and loved every second of it. I'm glad I chose it as my last spot before heading to my next adventure, and couldn't have asked for better traveling partners than the people I met while staying at the best hotel on my trip so far. (I miss you guys like crazy already -- thanks for making my stay in Rishikesh so memorable!)

Tomorrow evening I will head to the airport in Delhi, and board an overnight flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nine months ago I had no idea I would be going to Malaysia, but that's the joy of travel, the freedom to change plans at the spur of the moment, to hop on a plane one night and wake up in another country the next morning.

I have a rough idea of where I will travel to for the nine of so days that I have in Malaysia, and eventually plan on making my way across the border to Thailand. In just under two weeks I will be meeting my sister at the airport in Bangkok, and then I only have a little over a month left of my trip. It's very hard to believe that I have been gone now for nine months, and have already traveled through China, Nepal, and India. It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that travel causes, and I sometimes have to remind myself just how lucky I am to be out here in the world, experiencing it for all it's worth, taking the good with the bad.

Overall, this trip has been the best time of my life. It has changed me in so many ways, many unexplainable. I miss home like crazy, but I'll get there eventually.

Pictures from my travels in China, Nepal and India will be posted soon, as I'm hoping to get a better internet connection once I get to the modern city of Kuala Lumpur. I'll keep you all updated.

For now, stay safe, and I miss you all like crazy. Much love, see you soon.

Excuse me, I have schizophrenia...

Rishikesh is an amazing place. It is more peaceful than Delhi, cleaner than Varanasi, and one of the best cities for people watching that I have encountered in quite a while. You can stroll along the Ganges River, cross a pedestrian bridge at two different places, wander around the many temples, and choose from a dazzling array of restaurants and road stalls for dinner. You can get fresh pomegranate juice in the morning, watch the obnoxious monkeys and cows meander their way through the city, and stay up late at Mama's Cottage Guesthouse having late night talks with other world travelers.

I have been here now for about four days, and have no desire to leave anytime soon. Leaving the overly crowded, rainy, and dirty city of Delhi was hard enough after spending my time in the company of some great people who made my experience in the chaotic city one of the most memorable so far.

I arrived in the city of Haridwar a couple days ago, in the late evening, in the pouring rain. My five hour train was pleasant enough, but I was tired and a bit lonely, and immediately took a rickshaw to a hotel that was recommended in Lonely Planet. It was a typical Indian hotel room, 300 rupees a night, dirty sheets on a sagging bed, and a bathroom that hasn't seen any sort of cleaning in far too long. I went to sleep in hopes that the morning would bring a better experience. After checking out of the hotel and aimlessly walking in the direction of the train station, I eventually found myself on a noisy and cheap public bus surrounded by Indian tourists on our way to Rishikesh.

The rest has been great. I found an awesome little guesthouse ran by the sweetest little lady known to everyone as Mama, which has better rooms for half the price than in the other cities I've been in. I spent a quiet, independent day walking around the various different parts of the city, taking photos with the many curious Indian tourists who are brave enough to approach the solo white girl, and just enjoying watching the people and sights of this amazing city.

Over Mama's delicious Indian dinner of thali (which is basically vegetable curry of some sort, dhal, rice, and chapati), I met some very interesting characters that I have now been spending a lot of time with. A couple of us went hiking to a waterfall outside of town yesterday, which turned out to be a long, incredibly hot walk through winding dusty roads with trucks honking and careening at us every five seconds. But it was so worth it. After a long uphill walk through the woods we came to a swimming area, full of people, with refreshing water and a beautiful waterfall. I went in fully clothed and came out refreshed and dripping wet.

I spent an entire day with an Israeli guy (Israeli tourists flock to India, and it's not uncommon to be surrounded by them at any given moment in any city in India), walking around the entire city and having a great time. We splurged on a great meal of Mexican and Italian food (always a risk in India), that actually turned out to be quite good. We sat for hours and watched the people and the monkeys, we took silly pictures, and went shopping for Indian inspired clothing. We got approached by an odd man whose only words were "Excuse me, I have schizophrenia," and we almost suffered from an Indian Helicopter Related Injury (little flying helicopters that are shot into the air and fall randomly onto unknowing tourists heads). We walked back to our guesthouse after a full day of Indian greatness, and spent hours talking to the other travelers, eventually being told my Mama to go to bed by midnight and to be quiet.

Overall, my time here has been relaxing and exciting. I think I am going to stay where I am until Sept 18, when I will either take a train or bus back to Delhi, to catch my flight to Malaysia on Sept 20. It's hard to believe that my time in India is almost up, and it will be weird to get to the more Westernized city of Kuala Lumpur. But, I am excited to be starting a new leg of my journey, and soon I will be making my way from Malaysia up to Bangkok, where I will meet my sister on Oct 1! Words can not express how excited I am to get to see her and travel with her for two weeks!

For now though, I am going to thoroughly enjoy my last couple days in the mind-blowing country of India, and the relaxing, peaceful city of Rishikesh.

I hope everyone back home is doing well, and I will see you all very soon. Miss you and love you.

The amazing Taj Mahal...

Past the cows, the scam artists, the hassling rickshaw drivers, the congestion, the dirt, and the beautiful Indian people lies a building so amazing it looks like a mirage painted into the sky.

Last week I got to spend a couple hours in the presence of the great Taj Mahal, wandering around the immaculate grounds and gazing at the sparkling building against the setting sun of Agra. Amongst the Indian tourists (who paid a mere 20 rupees in comparison to the foreigner price of 750 rupees), I got lost in what an Indian poet once called "a teardrop on the face of eternity."

Me and the British guy I was traveling with, Chris, had decided to visit the Taj during sunset, after a blazing hot visit to Agra Fort (which is another popular tourist site in Agra). We had traveled to Agra on an overnight train from Varanasi, which was my first experience on a train in India. Because the train took about 13 hours, we had booked non-air conditioned sleeper class tickets, and it ended up being an uneventful, even pleasant, journey.

The city of Agra was well prepared for the massive amount of tourists it receives each year, and our hotel was within walking distance of the Taj Mahal, with a view of it from the rooftop restaurant (and it only cost 5 bucks a night!) I was told before arriving in Agra to be prepared for an obnoxious amount of hassling, and the warnings were definitely true. You could not walk down the street as a white person without rickshaw drivers and store owners following you and practically begging you for their business. After getting ripped off by a taxi driver in Varanasi, I was ready for this, and made sure not to get scammed by anybody. Although the city was disgustingly hot and the hassling was unusually annoying, I quite enjoyed the day and a half that I spent in Agra, and was even a little sad to be leaving so early.

Chris and I had booked a train ticket leaving at 3:30pm in the afternoon, which we were told would be a quick, 3 hour journey to the capital city of Delhi. Unfortunately, it ended up being a marathon seven hours before I would finally arrive in Delhi, alone.

After arriving at the train station a little after 3pm, we were told that our train would be late, maybe by an hour or so. It ended up not coming until 6:30, and instead of taking 3 hours it took 4. Chris had booked a plane ticket that night to another city, and, worried about missing the flight, had left the train station early to find another mode of transportation to Delhi. So, after a couple of days with an awesome traveling partner I found myself alone again, surrounded by Indians, on a train to Delhi. Luckily there were a couple of really nice locals on the train who seemed to be worried about the solo white girl, and made sure that I was comfortable the whole ride.

So I've been in Delhi now for a couple days, and am staying in a very bustling, crazy touristy area surrounded by restaurants, shops, internet cafes, and more foreigners than I'm comfortable with. I have a train ticket booked for Sept 11 to a city 4 hours North called Haridwar, where I'll spend one night, before retreating to the popular yoga and meditation city of Rishikesh. I'll probably stay there for about a week, depending on how much I like it and how cheap it is! After that its back to Delhi for a couple days before taking a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (which I just booked last night!) Then, on Oct 1 I'll be meeting my sister in Bangkok, Thailand! I can't wait!

Anyway, as usual, I don't have the time or the patience to upload pictures right now, but I have a ton of great ones from the last couple months, and hope to be able to upload them soon.

For now, I hope everyone's doing well back home, and I miss you all. See you soon -- much love.

Adventures in Varanasi

I don't know where to begin. I have been in Varanasi, India for 5 days now, and so much has happened in this short amount of time. The flight over from Kathmandu was only an hour long and the views below of Nepal and India were beautiful. After the usual hassle and annoyances of getting through customs in a new country, I eventually landed at a little guesthouse hidden in a mind boggling array of alleyways, situated right on the Ganges River. The alleyways are littered with trash, cow shit, cows, stray dogs, and random people milling around, and are easy to get lost in. The city feels ancient and holy, and I can't help but feel like I have been transported back in time. The streets are full of barefooted Indian men, bicycle rickshaws that serve as taxis (with the most annoying drivers that hassle you nonstop), old women wandering around in tattered saris on the way to the Ganges River for a daily bath, and tons of kids.

My first full day here I awoke early at 5:30am and took a river boat tour of the Ganges River and the ghats that line the rivers edge. My boat driver was a cute fifteen year old Indian boy who loved to talk and paddled me around the river for about two a half hours. I saw people bathing, praying, brushing their teeth, doing laundry, and just lounging by the holy Ganges River. I saw the cremation ghats where dead bodies are cremated while families and tourists watch, and I saw holy men flailing around and screaming prayers at the top of their lungs. I saw this great city at it's finest, with the beautiful sun rising in the background and the local people going about their day unfazed by anything at all. It was serene, it was surreal, it was amazing.

After the boat ride I visited some temples and eventually made my way back to the guesthouse for breakfast. After eating eggs and toast, I was feeling tired and decided to lay down for a little bit, only to be awoken an hour later with the unmistakable heavy feeling in my stomach, one that I came to know all too well in Nepal. I spent the rest of the day switching between sitting on the toilet and hovering over it, feeling miserable and lonely in my room. The next day I walked around a little but didn't go too far in fear of the sickness coming back to me.

Luckily, I have been feeling better for the last day and a half. Not 100% yet, but well enough to wander the crazy streets of Varanasi. Yesterday was a particularly memorable day, as I met a cool English guy and we decided to brave the city together. After a short walk down by the ghats and a quick lunch in a little cafe, we got the crazy idea to head over to an expensive hotel a bit outside of the city to indulge in it's swimming pool. On the ride over, our rickshaw driver, a cute Indian man named Poopa with the worst stained teeth I have ever seen, sung us Indian songs and tried to talk to us in his broken English (which mostly consisted of "no problem! and yes! yes!") The hotel was about 4 or 5km outside of the city, which is quite a long way on a bicycle rickshaw, and on the way, it started to rain. And then it started to pour. And the whole time, little old Poopa just kept singing along and smiling at us with his dirty teeth, seeming to be the happiest man in the world. Soon the streets were flooded, some parts a couple inches deep, and the city was a mess. But life went on, people splashed through the puddles and kids ran next to our rickshaw screaming in delight. It was super fun and a bit unreal. We saw a lot of the city on the ride, and eventually switched to a motorized rickshaw to get there faster. Eventually we arrived at the beautiful and overly priced hotel, paid a little bit of money, and swam in their pool for a couple hours, some of the time spent in the rain. After we had our share of swimming we splurged on a good meal at the restaurant (one that hasn't made me sick yet!), and eventually wandered outside in search of a rickshaw to take us back to our humble guesthouses, far away from the expensive hotels and rich white tourists.

Either today or tomorrow me and the English guy will be heading by train for the city of Agra, to see the famed Taj Mahal. About a year ago it would have bothered me immensely that at 10:30am I still don't know whether I'm taking the evening train today or tomorrow, but after eight months in Asia it doesn't faze me anymore. I hope to take it today, but if not, tomorrow will be fine. I'll get there eventually. I have no set plans between now and October 1, when I will meet my wonderful sister in Thailand. I can't wait!! Soon after that I will be making the long journey back to America, to the waiting arms of my family and friends!

Although the last couple days have been filled with puking, diarrhea and intense lonliness, they have also been filled with new friends, a new city, and another amazing experience that can hardly be described in words.

I'll try to update again soon, probably after I witness the wonder that is the Taj Mahal. I miss everyone like crazy, and I can't wait to see you all again. I hope everyone is well...much love.

Fake Elton and Thamel...

Thamel, the touristy area of Kathmandu, is a crazy place. A place filled with tourists and shops and restaurants and trekking places and anything else anyone could possibly ever need in a lifetime. The streets are chaotic, a horrible mess of people and rickshaws and taxis and motorbikes all competing for space on streets no wider than small allies. It is loud all night, music coming from all corners and people out at all hours.

It is crazy, but I can't help but love it. It is annoying, but I can't help but grin at the irony of it all, a place where you only have to walk two feet to find a hotel, or a restaurant, or a bookstore. There are white tourists everywhere, but mixed in with it all are the locals, and the beggars, and the street hawkers, and although it's all pretty exhausting, the energy sinks into your skin whether you want it to or not.

I arrived yesterday, after leaving the orphanage at around 5pm. My last day there was filled with packing and saying goodbye to the children that I have come to love over the last month. The older ones wrote me cards and some drew me pictures (things like: My dear sister, how are you? You like flower? I am happy all day today but I am sad). None of the cards made much sense, but it was super sweet, and I know they were sad to see me go. They kept asking me to stay longer, and although the goodbye was hard, I know it was the right time to leave. I got a ton of pictures of the kids yesterday, and even a couple good group shots. I will miss them horribly, and I am so grateful for the experience of living with them and joining in on their daily life, even if it did get tedious and annoying at times.

I checked into a hotel last night that I found from some recommendations online, but I ended up moving to another one down the street this morning. The first one was a bit overpriced for what it included (about $5/night), and the one I'm in now is much better and costs $4. Haha....traveling and living in Asia for 8 months has made my idea of cheap and expensive drastically different than what it used to be. It is going to be hard when I get back to America (especially NYC!), because everything is going to be so expensive to me. The "reverse culture shock" is going to hit me hard...I can feel it already.

Last night was spent with an awesome American guy I met in a bookstore (the bookstores here are great!), and after getting a wonderful dinner, we wandered into a reggae bar with live music. The place was really fun, and the music was pretty good, and at about 10pm a man who looked a lot like Elton John walked into the bar.He had a security man with him, and it was a very odd encounter. He was wearing weird clothes and a piano key tie and suspenders. Somebody told us that he was a "fake" Elton John, whatever that means. He stayed for about an hour, and even now, I have no idea why a fake Elton John with a fake security man would be wandering the streets of Kathmandu at night, faking out unknowing tourists. So, if anyone hears in the news that Elton John was recently spotted on vacation in Nepal, let me know!!

Today I have been wandering around by myself, checking out the surrounding areas of Thamel. I was intent on taking a bus trip to another city called Pokhara, but now that the time has come to make a decision, I don't feel like it. It costs more money than I care to spend, and the 6 hour one way bus ride on the horrible streets of Nepal doesn't sound very appealing right now. I am just going to relax and eat good food for the next 5 days in Thamel, and then on September 1st I will be heading to the airport for my flight to India!

My month in Nepal has been wonderful, and although I have not been a very good tourist (I always suck at being a tourist, I always miss the temples and museums, they just don't appeal to me as much as the local culture), I am going to miss this wonderfully crazy city and the people who live here.

I will try to upload some pictures of my last week in Nepal soon, but I am on a terribly slow wireless internet connection right now, and will do it as soon as I can. I hope everyone is doing well back home, and I miss you all! Much love.

Self Control

I have had absolutely no self control this past week. I have been eating a minimum of two kit kat bars a day, and devouring handfuls of a spicy snack similar to cheetos with the name "masala munch." I have been eating more grilled cheese sandwiches than is humanly possible, and have been sneaking away every hour or so to read another chapter from some awesome travel books that I bought in town the other day.

To make it all worse, I just recently returned from the store, my backpack filled with junk food and goodies, to supplement the meals I have been eating (or avoiding, I should say), at the orphanage. I can't seem to make my body consume the rice, curry, and dahl baht that the kids eat for breakfast, which is why I am eating an obscenely large amount of grilled cheese sandwiches, and lunch is usually crackers of some kind and black tea. Dinner is the same as breakfast, just with different vegetables (except on Saturday, when we have unidentifiable meat -- last week was the organs of some unknown animal, which I did actually try).

I guess I'm being a tad dramatic, but after over three weeks of these meals, I am ready for a change. I am tired of eating white rice and curry, and I know all this junk food is horrible for me (but I can't stop myself, literally!)

I am also ready to move on from the orphanage. I love it here, and I love the kids, but I'm ready to be on my own again. I am used to being on my own time, eating when (and what) I want, leaving when I want, and staying in bed all day if I feel like it. Here I feel like I am always supposed to be doing something, but I never know quite what it is. Everyone else has their own little roles, the lady who takes care of the kids and cleans, the cook who makes the WONDERFUL meals, and the other guys who pretty much run this place and can do whatever the hell they want. But then there's me, the American volunteer. The weird tattooed girl who doesn't like to eat rice for breakfast and can't speak a word of Nepali. Luckily I have gotten close to everyone because I don't care if they think I'm weird and I enjoy awkward, uncomfortable situations. The kids love me because I let them jump all over me and I run around with them like a crazy person. I will miss this place after I leave, but I am also excited to see what new adventures lie ahead.

I am supposed to be picking up my passport with my Indian visa in it tomorrow (fingers crossed that everything goes as planned and there are no problems with the visa process), and in less than 6 days I will be packing up all my stuff and leaving the orphanage. And on September 1st I am flying to India. Hard to believe that I've come this far, and have already been through China and Nepal.

As I've said before, I'm very excited to be coming home in November. Now that my good friend Mollie is back in China (I miss you Mollie and I hope you're settling in well!), I'm not sure if I am going to be spending any time in Portland on the way back home. I was originally going to spend three or four days, but now I'm considering catching a flight the same day I get in and going right home. I know I'm going to be pretty anxious to get there. It will be a long day, as I will be flying from Bangkok to Tokyo to San Francisco to Portland, and then the flight I will probably book is from Portland to Newark to Baltimore. Talk about a long day and a lot of flights! The end result will be worth it though!

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well back home, and I miss you all. I'll be home soon. Much love.

Decisions...decisions...

A couple months ago I made a decision to move back to China in January to continue teaching in Shenyang for one year.

Last night I made a decision to forget that decision.

In early November I will return to America after being gone for about ten and a half months. After months of being an outsider in countries where I never truly understand the language (if at all), and never really know the culture, I will return to my own country. My own friends, my own family, and the comfort of knowing exactly what is going on around me at any given moment. This is a luxury we take for granted when in familiar surroundings, but after being on the road for a while, you begin to realize just how hard it can be to be away from everything you have ever known. It is also freeing, and amazing, and I know, after the initial shock and enjoyment of being back in Maryland wears off, it will be something I miss dearly. This "reverse culture shock," as it has come to be known, will probably hit me hard once I get back to the quietness of Pylesville and the extremely orderly life of America.

Being able to cross a road without the constant fear of getting hit by something, or driving to a fully stocked grocery store where I can actually read all the labels and recognize all the items will be a treat at first, but after a while, I know I'll miss the craziness and chaos of the Asia that I have come to know and love.

But, I have also come to realize just how important my family is to me, and just how hard being away from them for such an extended period of time can be. I know that I will not be ready to leave America after just two months of being back. I also know that after a month or so in Pylesville I will start to go crazy. I will feel stuck in a rut and bored with life. So, I have made a very important and exciting decision. I am going to move to New York City and live with my wonderful sister and her awesome roommates in Harlem. I figure it's the closest chaotic city near Maryland where I know I won't get bored. I know if I walk far enough into Chinatown, I can pretend to be in China for a moment, however fleeting it may be. I love Little Italy, and Central Park, and the shopping in New York. It is not an unfamiliar place to me, as I have spent a good bit of time there, but I know that there is much more to be explored, and the idea of living there sends a chill of excitement up my spine. I won't need a car, and I will be close to home, while still far enough away to enjoy the independence I need in my life.

In other news, I have decided that after my days at the orphanage are over (which is on August 26), I am going to go to the city of Pokhara, which is a couple hours bus ride from Kathmandu. It's supposed to be a beautiful city a little smaller and more green than Kathmandu. I've heard it's a nice getaway for a couple days, and I think it will be a relaxing trip right before I fly to Varanasi, India on September 1st.

The next couple months are going to be a very exciting time for me, and I will keep updating as often as possible. I hope everyone is doing well, and I miss you all. Much love.

Yesterday we took the kids to the park, and as usual, I ran around with them hanging all over me, and came home exhausted and covered in sweat, dirt, and grime. I was looking forward to 15 minutes of solitude and a relaxing shower, but was told that we had no water and that I couldn't take one. So, I laughed it off and went to bed dirty.

As I'm sitting here, the next morning, with dirt still caked on my feet and ankles, I am contemplating whether or not I will get to take a shower today. Although it's a tad bit frustrating that I have to ask to take a shower, I have come to accept it as a fact of life here, and know that it's just best to go with the flow and not to dwell on it. A little dirt and sweat will never hurt anybody!

In other news, preparations are being made for the next stop on my journey: INDIA! I went to a travel agency yesterday and bought my one way ticket from Kathmandu to Varanasi (it was actually cheaper than booking online!) This flight is only about 45 minutes long, and I leave on September 1st. A couple days ago I went to the Indian Embassy here to fill out some paperwork and pay some money for my Indian visa. Turns out, Americans have to pay an extra 1500 Rupees, which they call a "penalty." Pretty funny. Either way, I should have my visa and passport back in a couple days, and am very excited to be getting things ready for the start of a new adventure in a new country.

My rough plan is to spend about 3 weeks in India and visit Varanasi, Agra (for the Taj Mahal), and Delhi. After that I have definitely decided that I will hop on a flight over to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for about a week. Then, it's off to Thailand, where I am going to meet my sister in Bangkok! She is staying for two weeks, and we will probably head down to the beaches and relax together in the South of Thailand. After she leaves, I have about 2 1/2 weeks left till I head back to America, and if my money holds out, I'm thinking about trying to visit Laos and Cambodia.

But, for right now, I still have 11 days left at the orphanage, and then a couple days just relaxing in the touristy part of Kathmandu (Thamel), before my flight on the 1st. It will be sad to leave Kathmandu, as I have come to love the people and children, and the way that life goes on despite any hardships that are faced day to day, but I am pretty excited to get to India.

India: a place with a different culture, different food, new people, and a whole new way of life. I can't wait!

By the way, after my last, and somewhat unpleasant, post, I am happy to report that I have not gotten sick again (knock on wood). I am continuing to be careful about what I eat, but have been feeling great since then!

I hope everyone's doing good back home, and I miss you all like crazy, of course. Take care, much love.

The downside of it all...

Let me paint you a picture of last night.

I awoke with a start at 1:30am, a grumbling in my stomach, a feeling of uneasiness creeping up on me quickly. I reached for my toilet paper, and to my horror, saw that I only had a tiny bit left, not nearly enough for what was to come. But, I ran to the squat pot toilet and handled the situation as best I could.

Returning to my room, I felt a now familiar feeling in the pit of my stomach, and knew that I was going to throw up, eventually. Now, keep in mind that there are some people out there who handle throwing up very well. Maybe years of drunken nights are the reason for this, or maybe some people are just better at it than I am. But, as I had not puked for years before arriving in Nepal, I have been out of practice. Instinctively, I know I am going to get sick, but it takes quite a while to happen. This is exactly how last night played out.

By 2am, I was pacing the rooftop area where my room is located. In the rain. The mosquitoes were loving every minute of my exposed arms and legs, and I was silently praying for the puke to come. And then my heart started pounding, my eyes starting watering, and the upheaval started. I coughed, I gagged, I spit, and I vomited lunch and dinner onto the wet pavement outside my room.

I waited for a few seconds afterwards, my nose running and tears steaming down my cheeks from the force of it all, to see if the dull pain in my stomach had subsided. Unfortunately, it had not. I knew there was more to come.

So, I got out a book, started reading, and waited for the feeling to come again. This time, I had to make another mad dash for the toilet, but, to my horror, I was toilet paper-less. In a country like Nepal, this is no problem. I have never seen a single piece of toilet paper at the orphanage, and I know the kids don't use it. I assume they use their hands and water. Too gross for me to think about, as I hold those grubby little hands every day. But, this system, however effective it might be in this country, is not what I am accustomed to. So, I used the next best thing I could scrounge up: plain white paper. And not nice, soft notebook paper, but a hard, stiff piece of white paper that I found in my room. It was not pleasant, but that was to be the trend of the night.

To make a long, drawn out, and disgusting, story short, I stayed up puking and running to the toilet until about 5am, when the pain finally went away and I could lay down without feeling like a ton of bricks were crushing my insides.

I have been in Nepal for two weeks now and this was the third night that I have gotten sick. This one was the worst and most drawn out night, but I can't seem to figure out the root of the problem. The guys who work here at the orphanage have offered to take me to the doctor, but I am giving it one more night. Tonight is an important night. If I get sick, I give in and go to the doctors, and if I sleep through the night, than I chalk it up to bad food.

I had an easy relaxing day today, as I was rightfully excused from doing anything with the kids, and stayed in bed most of the day. I caught up on sleep, finished the book I started last night, and silently begged my body to stop treating me like shit.

I have eaten carefully today, measuring everything I put in my mouth and wondering if it will come pouring out over the next couple of hours. I am hesitant to go to sleep, for a slight fear of waking up with that dreadful feeling once again. But, only time will tell.

For now, as dramatic as my night was, and as much of a hassle as being sick can be, everything else is still going great in Kathmandu. I am making arrangements to get my visa and flight for India, and am excited for the next of couple weeks to come.

Don't worry about me -- sickness is a part of traveling (especially in this part of the world). And sorry for the details of this blog, just thought I'd share my experience with you as vividly as possible! Hope everyone is doing well back home. Miss you all. As always, much love.

...Nepal...

Some mornings I wake up and forget that I am in Kathmandu, Nepal. Then I walk outside, take one look at the cows fighting for space on the "main" roads, the stray dogs wandering aimlessly about in search of food, and the bustling mess of humanity and everything else you can think of crowded into one big valley, and then it hits me just how far away from home I am. And just how different life out here really is.

I have been here now for exactly 2 weeks. And, as usual, the time has flown by.

The first 12 days were spent with the fifteen children who reside at Sonrisa Orphanage, the organization I have been volunteering with since I arrived. They had a small break from school, so our days were spent playing endless games that only children find entertaining (luckily I can be childish sometimes and quite enjoyed the coloring and puzzles that were their favorite choices to while away the days). The last couple days they have been back in school, so I have much more free time to myself. And more time to help around the orphanage, cleaning and doing whatever else needs to be done. I suck at domesticated chores, but I try as best I can, and it seems to be enough for the most part. Because I've been in countries where English is not the first language spoken, I have found my own English getting worse and worse as the months go on. I am continually saying things like, "I no eat. I do. We go? This okay?" I sound like a small child most of the time, but at least I fit in around the other kids!

So, I have two more weeks here, and I already know that it is going to be hard to leave these kids. As mischievous and annoying as they can be sometimes, they are also so clever and kind-hearted, and despite whatever their life was like before coming to the orphanage, they seem unbelievably happy. This place is awesome, and I'm so glad that I'm able to be a part of it, to help out in any small way possible.

I've been thinking a lot lately about traveling, and have realized that it has changed the person I once thought I was. And, it has made me truly realize who I really am, and what this life can be like if one has the willpower to actually experience it for all it's worth. It's not all easy and pleasant, and can be terribly lonely at times, but traveling alone and relying on only yourself is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced. Along with all of the things I have seen and the places I have been, I also have a new deep appreciation of my home and the people who are there waiting for my return. It's not until you leave everything and everyone behind that you realize just how important they are in your life, and how much you can't wait to see them again.

The road may be hard sometimes, and it's bound to get harder in a couple weeks when I leave Nepal and head for India, but I know the hardships will lead to happiness. Happiness for the fulfillment of my dreams, and following them no matter how hard it has been, or how many tears have been shed, or how many people I've had to leave behind.

But, I'll be back soon. Every journey has to end eventually, and although I'll be extremely sad when this one is over, I know I will also be overly excited to get back to the loving arms of my family, to our comfortable home in Maryland. I don't know yet how long I'll stay, or where my next journey will take me, but for now, home sounds like a great place to be after being gone for so long.

So, until then, I'll keep updating my blog (now that it's no longer blocked!), and I'll keep everyone updated on my latest adventures.

I miss you all like crazy, and I can't wait to see you again. Be safe and take care. Much love.

Home sweet Shenyang...

I am happy to say that I have safely made it back to Shenyang. After 10 days, 2 train rides, 2 bus rides, a 7-hour ferry, and some seriously cheap hotels, my trip has come to an end. Crazy how quickly it came and went. After my amazing time in Qingdao, I made my way to Yantai by bus, where I was quickly "kidnapped" by a taxi that took me to a "hostel" about a half hour outside of the city. The place was actually fairly nice, but it was empty and in the middle of nowhere. Luckily I was only staying for 1 night. So, I didn't really get to see Yantai, but I did have help at the hotel booking my ferry for the next day leaving around noon.

The ferry was interesting and a bit long. Luckily, I met an awesome Canadian couple who had recently arrived in China and hung out with them for the whole 7 hours. When I finally arrived in Dalian, an old student of mine (Murphy) that goes to university there met me at the train station to help me find a hotel for the 4 nights. The first two places (very cheap places) didn't allow foreigners to stay, so after a bit of a struggle we managed to hike up to the fifth floor of a small hotel that gave me a room for 60 kuai (about $9) a night. It was a private room with 2 small beds, which was nice, and I was happy to see that I even had my own bathroom. The only catch was that the shower didn't work, but the man who worked there assured me that it would work tomorrow (something I heard everyday until the day I checked out). Needless to say, I went without a shower the whole time I was in Dalian. Only 4 days, it could have been worse.

Dalian was awesome. My hotel was about a 5 minute walk from the train station, which is a chaotic bustling mess of people and markets and food and blankets laid out on the ground with random shit for sale. It was always dirty, full of people, crowded, loud, and a lot of fun. I spent the first day just wandering around on my own and checking out the city and some seaside areas. It was a good intro to the city, but the second day was the best.

Murphy and I got up very early and hopped on a bus to DiscoveryLand, an amusement park type place about an hour outside of the city. The tickets and transportation both ways only cost 135 kuai (23 bucks), and all day we rode rides, watched a ridiculously tacky parade, saw a couple shows, and got wet on an awesome water ride. The park was a bit smaller than the ones we are used to in the U.S. but it was still a great day. The rest of my time in Dalian was spent visiting a very peaceful and beautiful park, going to a very cool seaside area that had bungee jumping and random crazy rides, strolling along a Russian street which was really just a long street selling cheap Chinese/Russian crap, and wandering around by myself in random parts of the city. At times I have to admit that it got a bit lonely, since I am used to staying at hostels and meeting people, but I made the best of it anyway.

My last stop was Dandong, which I arrived at by bus around noon, on my birthday. Luckily, Murphy had made me a reservation at a hotel that was in a great location, and a nice old man walked me to the hotel since he could tell I had no idea where I was going, and even waited till I checked in to leave. Sometimes the random helpfullness and kindness of Chinese people really blows me away. This was the seond time I was walked to my accommodation, and this time it was raining. I think the old man felt bad for the stupid lost American without an umbrella who has the Chinese skills of a four year old.

Dandong is located right across the river from North Korea, and there is an entire park area that you can walk along to see the city. The weather wasn't that great and it was actually a bit depressing. The bridge that connects China to North Korea is located right next to the bridge that ths U.S. bombed during the Korean War, and you can walk on the bridge halfway between the two countries. I walked around this area for a while and noticed the stark difference between the Chinese side and the North Korean side (which seems desolate and empty).

I did manage to find this cool little restaurant that Mollie had recommended to me (and also gave me some money to go and treat myself to some nice American food/drink!), and had an awesome American style breakfast. It was a nice treat on my birthday.

After one night in Dandong, I made my way to the train station for a 5 hour ride back to Shenyang. I got home around 6:30pm, and it was so nice to catch up with my awesome roommates and just relax at home.

It was nice to get back to school and see all the students and other teachers, but the highlight of being home happened last night. We had a small party to celebrate my birthday, and Mollie and everyone else cooked spaghetti and garlic bread. It was a great meal, and afterwards I was told to go to my room while a surprise was prepared for me. When I came out, there was a cake waiting for me, and everyone sung happy birthday. We all circled around the cake with forks and spoons and devoured the delicious cake within minutes. It was awesome.

But, the best part was my present. Mollie put together a photo album full of the pictures of our time so far in China, and everyone wrote a nice note to me inside. It was very surprising and such a great idea (Mollie, you're awesome!)

Anyway, I have a ton of pictures of the last 2 weeks, and hope to have them loaded online soon.

I hope everyone's doing well back home, and I miss you all.

Much love.

Qingdao!!

It is 8:30am in beautiful Qingdao, and in a couple hours I will be piling onto a bus and heading off to Yantai, about 3 hours North. I was going to wait till I was back in Shenyang to write a new blog, but things have been so great lately and I have some quiet time right now so I figured I'd update real quick!

My 4 days in Qingdao have been amazing. China continues to amaze and surprise me by its contradictions and beauty, and just going outside can be an adventure in itself. I arrived in Qingdao 4 days ago after a 20-hour train ride a bit confused and overwhelmed by the train station. But, as always, luck was on my side and a nice Chinese couple who spoke some English offered to help me find my hostel. They actually ended up walking me to the door of my hostel, which was super nice because I am staying in a building that used to be an old observatory, so it's quite a walk to get to the top. It's also quite a view from the outside roof lounge. The hostel is awesome and clean and turned out to be a great way to meet other travelers (always a plus of traveling alone!)

My first night was spent eating a big Western meal at the hostel's restaurant because I was too tired to attempt the hike back down the steps into the city in search of food. It was great, and quite cheap compared to the price of Western food in Shenyang. I ended up meeting Greta this night, an 18-year old English girl from London who I ended up spending a lot of time with.

I awoke early the next morning and headed out on my own to explore the old town of Qingdao. The hostel is in a great location, and I soon found myself wandering around a cool market square filled with people. Not long after, I somehow ended up in a big, bustling fresh meat, vegetable, and fish market. These markets are always a pleasure to walk through in China because they are always full of people and interesting food items. After enjoying some random Chinese street food, I wandered back to the hostel for a quick rest, and ran into Greta. We decided to go exploring together, and jumped on the first bus we saw in search of some outside shopping markets. We actually found this weird, indoor market shopping area with random restaurants and people playing cool Chinese instruments. This place is hard to describe in words, but the ceiling was painted like a beautiful blue clouded sky, but it was dark and there were cool lights everywhere. It was odd because it was in the middle of the city and completely out of place. For dinner we decided to head back to the fresh market that I had been to earlier that day, and ate cheap delicious street food that consisted of some garlic-tasting bread, some unidentified fried green veggie balls that were delicious, and a "burrito" (which was actually a ton of vegetables with spicy seasoning stuffed inside what looks like a tortilla). Soo good, and so cheap. Later that evening back at the hostel, we met Isle, an awesome Chinese girl who speaks near perfect English, and ended up hanging out with her, playing cards and talking. It was a great first evening.

The next morning, the 3 of us decided to get up super early (5:45am), so that we could head about an hour and a half outside of the city to Lao Shan (which is a mountain). This day was amazing. The weather turned out to be great, and the scenery was beautiful. The mountain, which doesn't really look like a normal mountain, is right next to the sea, and hiking up to the top offered breathtaking views and a lot of funny moments. This mountain is famous because it is one of the places where Taoism was started, so we got to walk around a beautiful temple before climbing up hundreds of steps with thousands of Chinese tourists. There were many pictures taken (mostly of the two white girls with random Chinese people), and the start of a lot of inside jokes between me, Greta, and Isle. We ended up getting the bus back at around 3:00pm, completely exhausted. We treated outselves to a big Western meal at the hostel (which was a second for me!), and actually ended up going to bed pretty early this night.

Yesterday was our last full day together in Qingdao, and we decided to check out some local areas and see if we could find a good beach to hang out on. We ended up taking a ferry about 20 minutes to a place called Huang Dao. The beach that we were looking for ended up being a weird, really dirty rocky area overlooking the sea and a lot of industrial buildings. Not exactly what we expected, but this is China, and sometimes that happens! We still had a great time though, and found a nice little restaurant to eat lunch in. Our chicken and potato soup had chicken feet, weird organs, and even the whole head and neck of the chicken in it! It was awesome (don't worry, I didn't eat it, just played with it!) Last night was a great ending to my short time in Qingdao. We headed over to the business side of Qingdao (so different than the old town side), and went to this square with a cool red building that has some significant meanging that I still don't know (I should brush up on Chinese history, haha). This place overlooked the sea, and had a huge row of little seaside junk shops selling random jewelry and overpriced gifts. So great! The square was pretty crowded, and beautiful at night. They even had cotton candy, which was a nice treat for me! After walking a lot, we decided to head back to the hostel for our last night and had dinner at around 10:30pm. A good ending to a nice day.

So, now it's almost time to leave. Isle is already gone, and both me and Greta leave in a couple hours. I still have 3 more cities to see, and 6 more days to go before heading back to Shenyang (which I actually really miss!) This short trip is a good preview of the months to come when I start my real traveling through the Southern part of China, into Tibet, Nepal, India, and Thailand (if all goes as planned!)

I have been taking a ton of pictures, and shortly after I get back my new laptop should be arrving (yay!!) and I should be able to actually load the pictures onto my computer and post them online.

For now, I hope everyone is doing well, and I miss you all. I probably won't post again till I get back to Shenyang, so stay tuned for more!

To my Qingdao girls: I'm so glad I got to meet you both, and I wish you luck with everything you do! I know we'll see each other again eventually. Thanks for all the great memories packed in such a short amount of time! Keep in touch...Love you!

Random stuff...

The past couple weeks have been flying by here in Shenyang, and without me even realizing it, it is already the end of April. I am leaving on my week and a half long vacation on April 29, and will be coming back a day after my birthday (which is May 9 for those of you that do not know/remember!) I have decided to stay in China for my vacation, and will have the opportunity to visit 4 different cities. I can't wait!

In other news, Langston is turning 3 years old this year, so all of the American teachers here are planning parties for the next two weeks. Me and the new teacher, Josh (he doesn't seem like a new teacher anymore, since he fits in so well with all of us), are having a tie-dye party. The actual party is not until next week, but a couple days ago me and my roommates decided to have a practice run since we weren't sure how well the dye would turn out. So, we decided we would just dye 1 or 2 shirts, but it ended up being so fun and working out so well that we actually tie-dyed 8 pieces of clothing. Mollie and I wore our shirts to school today and the Chinese teachers were so excited about the way they looked, so we think that our party next week will be a big hit!

Besides that, things are continuing to go well here, and the weather is constantly changing. Spring has brought warm weather, rain, and a ton of wind. You never really know what you're gonna get here in Shenyang.

It was weird being here for Easter and Passover, since it is obviously not celebrated in China, but I did have the opportunity to talk to both sides of my family for both holidays. I woke up at 4:00am for Easter, but seeing and talking to my family on Skype was worth it!

I will update in a couple weeks after the parties are over and I get back from vacation, but for now, enjoy a couple pictures below!

By the way, for those that haven't noticed, I am finally on facebook. I gave in and joined after being hassled by my very good friend Katie.

I love and miss you all, and I hope everyone is doing well.


We even tie-dyed socks...


Some of our shirts...


What a fun night...

A quick update and some pics...

The last couple days in China have been full of interesting activities and good company. I am no longer sick, and the weather in Shenyang has been getting warmer and nicer every day.

About a week ago a bunch of us from Langston went to the local McDonald's near our school in the hopes of getting free food (which is all the details we were given when we were told about the opportunity). But, as it turns out, nothing is quite that simple in China. We ended up getting a tour of the entire back part of McDonald's, and actually had the opportunity to make our own breakfast sandwiches, which we later ate along with free coffee. We still don't know exactly why this experience was handed to us, but a lot of pictures were taken (both by us and the McDonald's staff), and it ended up being a very fun and interesting morning.


Chelsey, Frank, me, and Josh putting on our aprons and gloves


Jensen, Josh, me, and Chelsey taking a break from making sandwiches


This is the second time I have found myself behind a McDonald's counter in China...weird

In other news, since the weather has been so nice this past week (around 50-mid 60's!), me and my roommates have been walking to school a lot, and I have found myself spending more time outside than I have in quite a while. A couple days ago, Mollie and I had an awesome time wandering around the creepy and cool amusement park that is located right next to our apartment building. In the winter, all the rides were closed down and the place looked like something out of a little kid's nightmare, but now it's all up and running, and crowded with people all the time. It doesn't cost anything to wander around, since it's located inside a public park, but it costs money to get on the rides, which varied from the big ferris wheel that we can see from our living room window to creaky old rides which had to be built many years ago. Mollie and I decided to splurge a little (haha, splurging in China equals about 3 US dollars), and bought tacky little pictures that we painted while sitting on tiny stools surrounded by Chinese people who were also painting tacky Chinese pictures. The scenerio is a little hard to describe, but it was definitely a fun and different experience.

I have pictures of this day and our completed paintings on my camera, but I am not able to load them onto this computer right now, and hope to have them up for viewing in the next couple weeks.

Besides the awesome weather that is now overtaking our city, I have found myself eating very good food these past couple days. We had a hamburger night at our apartment about a week ago, and it ended up being a nice reminder of American food.


Sitting around the table at our apartment about to enjoy hamburgers and fries


Haha -- I'll give you one guess as to which drink I was consuming...

So now that it is officially April, I can sadly say that I am halfway through my teaching contract here at Langston. I don't even want to think about the day it's all over, because I know it will be a sad experience leaving all of this behind. Even if I come back to China, things will never be quite like they are now.

As I've said before, the students at Langston are amazing, and everything is going great here. I hope everyone back home is also doing well, and I miss you all and can't wait to see everyone when I finally make it home in November. Here are a few more random pictures below. Enjoy!


Sophia (she works at Langston), Veronica, me, and Steven


Eating ice cream while shopping with some students at the craziest and biggest underground mall in Shenyang


YAY for China