Walking Circles in Amsterdam

Amsterdam was exactly the break I needed after our jam packed days in London. Arriving at Rose's apartment I finally felt like I was home, even if only for 6 days. It was amazing to be able to rest and not feel guilty that I wasn't out seeing every inch of the city. Sometimes you have to accept the fact that you can't see everything and although you have a hunger to explore, your body and mind both need a rest from time to time. Our days in Amsterdam were the perfect balance. We toured the city for hours, ate all the quintessential Dutch foods, sipped coffee next to canals, stepped back in time in the Van Gogh museum, and went clubbing until sunrise. But we also laid around the apartment, sat outside in the park, and wasted hours doing absolutely nothing. It was perfect.

I had been dying to get to Amsterdam for months after meeting so many Dutch people in Asia. I developed a mini obsession with Dutch culture and find them to be the most laid back and at the same time forward thinking country. I'm not sure exactly what it is but I just love the Dutch! That love has grown since visiting the country firsthand and I found myself wondering how I could feasibly move to Amsterdam. It was cool to feel like I lived in the city, learning the back roads to and from the apartment. Although once in the city center we found ourselves constantly walking in circles. I'm usually a very capable little navigator but Amsterdam quite literally threw me for a loop. I let Meghan take the reigns one day and after one too many right turns we realized we were standing in the same exact place we had just tried to leave. I resumed my leadership role shortly afterwards but can't say I was much better at it.

Our last full day in the city was spent eating. We had a list of essential foods to tick off of our list, mainly French fries, cheese, and chocolate. Amsterdam supposedly has the best French fries in the world behind Belgium. We googled the best fry shop in the city which can be found down an inconspicuous alley with a line around the corner and practically bulldozed through the crowds to get there. They offer an array of condiments and toppings; we went with mustard, pickles, and onions. Genius? Maybe.

The Dutch do not mess around when it comes to cheese. You can find a cheese shop on practically every corner in Amsterdam and they have everything from herbed goat cheese to lavender flavored smoked Gouda. We got ourselves a nice brick of smoked goat cheese to take with us on the train to Berlin. Three days later and we still have cheese left over. I wish I could bring myself to give it away to someone so that I'd stop eating it but it is way too good. And have I mentioned stroopwafels?! They just might be the most delicious cookies I've ever had. They are more or less mini waffles filled with syrup. They are what I imagine heaven must taste like.

Sadly, our time in the Venice of the north had to come an end and Monday morning saw Meghan and I on a train from Amsterdam Centraal headed to Berlin..... With a block of cheese, a bottle of wine, crackers, chocolate, and Dutch cookies. Why not travel in style right?

London Living

My first time in London and I was not disappointed. I love big metropolitan cities where you can feel the energy buzzing around you. London reminded me a lot of NYC, one of my favorite cities on earth, but with the added draw of foreign accents, rich history, and beautiful architecture. Plus bright red double decker busses and a subway system that could not be any easier to navigate (can't say that about NYC)

We didn't have much down time in the city as there is SO much to see and do and we had only 5 days to tick all of the sights off of our list. I also have quite a few friends in the city that I met during my time backpacking through Asia. It was so nice to reunite with familiar faces and recount all of our Asian travel memories. I have to say, it made me really want to go back to the Far East.

My friend Jenna was gracious enough to let us crash at her apartment right in central London for the week. We couldn't have asked for a better location or a nicer place to stay. We did have an issue with our air mattress which must have had a hole in it because we both woke up in the middle of the night with our backs touching the ground and our feet in the air. Every time we moved we felt like we were on a water bed. It made for a pretty hilarious scene in the morning:

Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, art museums, Abbey road, you name it we saw it. We even managed to get to a show with a friend of mine who is a music agent. It was in a big warehouse in a more underground part of the city that we certainly wouldn't have gotten out to if it weren't for her inviting us to check out the band with her.

The food in London is delicious. Being such a melting pot of different ethnicities, you can find every type of cuisine in the city and it is all authentic. While I felt like I might have shed a few pounds in Ireland, I definitely gained them in London. I lost count of all the falafels we ate and times we went out for Indian food. And it doesn't feel right to be in Britain and not have tea and cake. 

 After 5 days of non stop walking around the city, sightseeing, and meeting friends, Meg and I were pretty exhausted and ready to get to Amsterdam and chill for a few days. We were sad to leave London though as we had such a great time in the city. I will definitely be back!

A surprisingly easy 10 hour bus ride took us across the channel to France and up through Belgium into the Netherlands where we are currently relaxing at my friend Rose's apartment. I've just come back from a 90 minute hot yoga class and am feeling relaxed. Traveling is the most amazing experience but it's so necessary to find order in the chaos. I'm grateful for my yoga practice and daily runs that keep me sane and grounded during a time when nothing is consistent. 

Touchdown Europe, One Week on the Emerald Isle

Five months at home flew by and suddenly I've packed up my backpack and hit the road again. This time I'm taking on Europe and I've got one of my best friends who decided to come along for the adventure. Sometimes I question my sanity, leaving my comfortable life at home for one of constant travel, in and out of hostels or sleeping on couches, on and off of busses, planes, and trains but the second I arrive in a new destination I'm filled with the same sense of excitement and wonder as a child on Christmas morning and I remember why it is that I've chosen this gypsy lifestyle.

The first country on our trip is Ireland. Having found a ridiculously cheap flight from Boston to Dublin we figured it made sense to start here. I have a bunch of distant cousins scattered around Dublin and Cork and we were fortunate enough to have them take us in. Our landing couldn't have been softer as the two of us were completely spoiled this past week. Wendy, who is my second cousin once removed(?), and her husband Frank, took us into their home and we basically became their pseudo children for 6 days. We ate like queens and enjoyed every minute of it, knowing soon enough we'd be on our own and the meals on our budget wouldn't be quite as nice (or filling).

A day trip to the Cliffs of Moher was our first chance to see the stunning scenery this country has to offer. I always say that my photos don't do these places any justice; there is no comparison to seeing them with your own eyes. 

We had a great time in Dublin visiting my family, catching up with a few old friends, and drinking our fair share of Guinness. After 6 days in the city we hopped on a bus and headed south to Cork. We were greeted off the bus by another cousin of mine and showed all around West Cork. The uncharacteristically beautiful weather made for the perfect sightseeing day. The landscape in this country is breathtaking. We drove along the Wild Atlantic Way which is miles of windy roads passing by glowing green hills set against the backdrop of a calm and sparkling ocean. It is absolutely gorgeous. I was happy to get to the tiny town of Glandore and be able to see where my great grandfather grew up. It's always hard for me to comprehend how people can live in towns with a population of less than 100. It is beautiful to visit but I for sure would go crazy.

Today was our last full day on the Emerald Isle, tomorrow we fly to London for some bright lights and big city livin. We couldn't leave without taking a trip to the Jameson distillery this afternoon which was actually cooler than I expected. Meg and I have been very conscious of our wallets especially with overly expensive London in our near future and we are becoming quite familiar with the feeling of hunger. An empty stomach isn't the greatest thing to bring to a whiskey tasting! Needless to say we went straight to a restaurant for an early bird special after the tour.

It's been a fun 8 days and a nice relaxed start to our trip but both of us are ready for London and some city excitement. Just hoping we can afford to feed ourselves :) Time for some royal sights, late nights, and maybe a little Spice Girls. 

As the Irish say, Slainte!

Time to Go

After 3 quick weeks in northern Thailand I'm already back in Bangkok packing my bags and preparing to leave for the last time. I am flying home to America the day after tomorrow after seven months in Southeast Asia. I can't even get my head around the fact that I'm going home. I've been gone for so long it just doesn't feel real. I can't imagine myself not living out of a backpack, staying in each place for less than a week. Part of me is excited, I can't wait to see my friends and my family and I have a lot of exciting things to look forward to this summer. The other part of me is sad. The experiences of the past seven months have been life changing and I'm anticipating some major culture shock when I get back. 

This morning I checked out of the guest house where I had been staying in Chiang Mai. The lovely Thai woman behind the desk gave me a big hug and told me twice that she loved me and was going to miss me. I stayed there for 4 nights. This genuine kindness is typical throughout all of SEA and is what I love most about this part of the world. Yes the scenery is stunning and the food is delicious but the real story of Southeast Asia lies within the people. Never in my 25 years on this earth have I met more generous, warm, and friendly people. I have not once felt unsafe here, something I can't say is true even at home. There is a gentleness amongst the people here that just doesn't exist in the western world. We are too focused on work, money, and status that we have completely distracted ourselves from actually enjoying our lives. We spend our entire lives working so that if and when we make it to 65, then we can enjoy ourselves. But the purpose of life is to live. I know for me, it is not meant to be lived in one place or doing one thing. I have confirmed what I already knew, the American Dream is not my dream. I will forever value new sights, smells, and sounds over a new car or money in the bank. I appreciate the luxuries that home has to offer but I recognize that they are just that: luxuries. They are not necessities. While I am looking forward to a full wardrobe and my own bedroom, I know it won't be long before my feet are itchy and I'm ready to carry my life on my back again.

Although I don't feel ready to go home at all, I have tried unsuccessfully 3 times to refund my ticket and it looks like it isn't meant to be. So in 2 days I'm flying across the globe and settling down on Cape Cod for a few months of summer while I plan my next adventure. I'm not quite willing to give up this lifestyle and I am fortunate enough to have a home on a beautiful island where I can continue to live laid back and care free all the while making and saving enough money so that the second the temperature drops I can be on an airplane. 

I often get overwhelmed thinking about all of the places I want to go. I know that I have plenty of time to go everywhere but my western mind wants instant gratification; I want to go everywhere now! Before I left home I thought that this trip would get the travel bug out of my system and I'd be ready to return home and resume "real life"- get a job, get an apartment, etc. I didn't even plan to be gone very long, I figured 3 months would be my max. But here I am, over half a year later and still trying to come up with excuses for the airline to change my flight. It seems wanderlust is in my blood and it isn't going anywhere. The question is, where am I going?! I guess I've got a few months to figure it out..

Asia has been nothing I expected and everything I needed. I am going to miss this place so much. Reading back through all of my posts I notice a very evident theme, gratitude. Traveling to 7 different third world countries opened my eyes to a different type of living. I have been constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live a life full of opportunities and I intend to take advantage of them. I am so grateful for these past months, for all of the amazing people I have met, places I have seen, and things I have done. It has been the greatest adventure and I'm excited to see what life has in store for me next.

America, here I come!

Livin La Vida Laos (and Vietnam and Thailand)

Six weeks in Vietnam flew by. After Rose and I parted ways I reluctantly booked a tour to Sapa. I hate doing organized tours as they are never as fun as exploring a place on your own and don't allow for much spontaneity but I found an insanely cheap price and decided to take a chance. Upon arriving in Sapa at 6am after 8 hours on the bus, there were a few local guys ready to pick up passengers for their various tours. Naturally, my name was not on any of the lists they had and after sitting on the curb for an hour after the last person had departed I was starting to wonder what the hell I was going to do. I'd met a German guy on the bus the night before who was smart enough to only book the bus and instead rent a bike and explore the town on his own. So I counted my losses and joined him for 3 days of motor biking through misty muddy mountainside rice paddies. We stayed in the tiny valley village of Lao Cai and met the sweetest locals I've come across. The husband and wife at our guest house were so friendly and helpful and ended up contacting my tour company for me and getting them to fund my stay. I swear I have the best karma. We spent the 2nd night across the street at another guest house and I'm still regretting not taking a picture of the old lady who ran it. She was toothless and adorable and the only sentences she said were "tea Vietnam" when pouring our tea and "Sapa brrr" when accurately describing the weather forecast. 

After experiencing the cold in Sapa I was excited to get to Cat Ba island where it would hopefully be sunny and slightly warmer. I had no such luck, the island was chilly and foggy and more or less deserted. Once again being on my own, I found the place eerily quiet and decided to spend only one night. I made the most of my time on the island by renting a motor bike and finally after 6 months I drove one all by myself!! It was shockingly easy and I'm now contemplating buying a scooter to zip around on Cape Cod this summer. And despite the fog I still had stunning views of Halong Bay and the enormous limestone karsts.

{Ignore the selfie stick and instead focus on the crazy limestones in the water and the fact that I'm on a bike by myself}

Back in Hanoi the following night I knew that my time in Vietnam had come to an end. Saying goodbye to my favorite country wasn't easy and I was nervous that the rest of my trip wouldn't compare. With sadness and excitement I boarded a flight to Laos, deciding that the 30 hour bus journey was too much to handle, and jetted off to my 7th country of the trip. 

{Flight got cancelled 10 minutes prior to departure though and I got one final night in Nam!}

Arriving in Luang Prabang I had no idea what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised. The city was quaint and quiet with a touch of a French influence. April is dry season, hot season, and the end of tourist season so the city was quieter than usual but I enjoyed a few relaxing days after being caught up in the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. I visited the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen, ate at a $1 vegetarian street food buffet every night and did yoga overlooking the river and mountains. I found myself a little bit bored after 4 days of relaxation though and booked a bus to Vang Vieng. 

4 hours in a mini van winding through mountains was slightly torturous and once I arrived in Vang Vieng I was so nauseous I had to go straight to sleep. I planned to spend 4 days in VV and ended up getting stuck for a full week as often happens on my travels. The landscape in Laos is beautiful and there is no shortage of activity in Vang Vieng. A pub crawl on tubes down a river, swimming lagoons, cycling, rock climbing, hiking there are lots of adventures to be had in that town. There's also lots of cheap street food and bars that play marathons of Friends and Family Guy all.day.long. It's a stoner's paradise so being lazy is quite easy as well. I found a nice balance of active days and lazy nights and was lucky enough to meet a group of friends in my hostel who quickly turned to family.

Two weeks came and went in Laos and before I could blink my eyes I was back in Bangkok, eating pad thai, drinking Chang, and spending hours at the spa. After 2 days in Bangkok, I reunited with a Dutch boy that I met during my travels in Vietnam and we headed north to Chiang Mai for Songkram (Thai new year) celebrations. The city shuts down for 4 days for this water festival and it turns into an all out war zone. You can't walk down the street without locals dumping buckets of water over your head and foreigners strapped with water guns spraying you down. It's really difficult to describe it, I don't know any country that has any sort of similar celebration but it is quite literally a 4 day water gun fight with an entire city. I spent every day roaming the streets armed with my hot pink Hello Kitty super soaker seeking revenge from every person that aimed in my direction. 

We just arrived in Pai and are planning to rent bikes and explore the surrounding area. I only have two weeks left on this amazing Southeast Asian journey and I plan to spend them all in Northern Thailand relaxing by a pool, doing yoga, eating delicious food, trying Muay Thai boxing, and of course spending the last of my budget on unnecessary clothing and accessories. It's going to be very difficult to leave this continent but knowing I have an excited welcome crew of friends and family will make it a bit easier.

Hoi an to Hanoi

Over a month in Vietnam and I'm still not ready to leave this place. The past two weeks have been just as wonderful and exciting as the first two, if not more so. After leaving the sandy oasis of Life's a Beach, Rose and I settled ourselves in Hoi An for a week of shopping and relaxation (a theme of my trip perhaps). I knew Hoi An would be my favorite city as everyone I've met has raved about it. It is a picturesque town with lanterns lining the streets and the friendliest locals I have met so far. With tailors on every corner of course I took full advantage and spent the majority of my days shopping. Tapping into my childhood dream of being a fashion designer, I designed some rompers and dresses and met the most lovely tailor to make them for me. I felt like I was on an episode of Project Runway, zipping around the streets looking at fabrics for my designs to come to life. Rose and I were lucky enough to meet Mie on our first day in the city. Not only did she make us beautiful clothing, she invited us to spend the day with her and her husband, taking the boat across the river to her hometown where we were invited into her mother's house and cooked a huge Vietnamese lunch. The generosity of locals never ceases to amaze me. It really is true that those who have the least give the most.

Hoi An is one of those places that I could see myself getting stuck for awhile but after a week of pretty much just shopping, eating, and going to the spa, Rose and I were itching for a little adventure again. We sent our bags to Hue, rented a motorbike, and headed North. The journey from Hoi An to Hue requires driving over a mountain range and along the Hai Van Pass, made famous by Top Gear. It is a stunning landscape to drive through and I'm happy I got to sit on the back of the bike and take it all in. As always with Rose and I, there was no shortage of excitement along the way. We stopped to fill up on gas along the mountain and after the woman already filled our tank she told us it would be 50,000VND ($2.50). We are well aware at this point that the price for 1liter is only 15-20k so we tried to argue this point and things escalated quickly. Fast forward 30 minutes and I have been pushed and slapped, Rose has been hit, bitten, and dragged off of the motorbike. This woman was an all out psychopath. I managed to stay out of the fight since I could hardly contain my laughter. In the end, the lady siphoned the gas out of the bike using her mouth and a plastic tube and we drove off.

We spent only one night in Hue as there isn't much to do and it was just a halfway point between Hoi An and Phong Nha. There is one main attraction in Hue which is the Royal Palace (I think?) so we figured we might as well check it out. We got to the entrance and had a serious conversation about whether or not the entrance fee was worth it. If its possible, I think I'm becoming even more of a cheapskate than before I left home. We walked up to the ticket booth and Rose non-chalantly says "one adult and one child please". Apparently I can't pass for 12 anymore, the lady laughed and shook her head. We took a picture and left.

The next 2 days were spent in Phong Nha, visiting some of the largest caves in the world. Hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking, zip lining, and getting head to toe covered in mud. Mother Nature is one fascinating lady! Per usual, Rose and I ran into some issues on the day we rented a bike to drive to two of the caves. We were originally given a scooter that was so tiny, Rose was more or less sitting on my lap while she drove. It broke down on a hill so we found ourselves sitting on the side of the road for 30 mins waiting for a new bike to come. The second bike was normal size and worked much better...until the sun was setting and we tried to head back to the hostel. The bike wouldn't start and we once again were waiting on the side of the road for a new one. The third bike was another baby scooter and as we were finally driving home, enjoying the beautiful sunset, we realized that the lights didn't work. I almost had to pull out a flashlight as a make shift headlight but we managed to stay close enough to other cars and bikes that we had some light and made it back. Then we dropped off the bike and the guy showed us the switch to turn on the lights...which worked perfectly. Oops.

I am now in Hanoi, the bustling capital in the north of Vietnam. Rose and I parted ways this morning as she's off to China and starting her journey home to Amsterdam via the Trans Mongolia Express. It was sad to say goodbye but now I can look forward to Amsterdam in the fall :)

I am surprised by how much I like Hanoi. I thought it was going to be dreary and freezing but the weather is the perfect mixture of hot and cold and the city is overflowing with action. The streets are packed with cars and bikes and food stands and locals selling everything you could possibly imagine.

Tonight I head to Sapa, a northern village with famous markets and stunning rice paddies. I'll end my time in Vietnam with a cruise through the infamous Halong Bay before returning to Hanoi and boarding a 30 hour bus to Laos. I don't know that I'll ever be ready to leave this country but there are more places calling my name and for the first time in 6 months, I have a limited amount of time left. I finally bit the bullet and booked a flight home! I'll let you all wonder when it is for a little longer though :)

Life's a Beach, I'm Just Playing in the Sand

I've been in Vietnam for just over 2 weeks and I am absolutely in love with it. I had no intentions of staying longer than 2-3 weeks and now I am already planning to get my visa extended because one month is just not enough time. I thought my travel bug had subsided but it seems I have been bit again! 

The journey began with a 2 day boat ride down the Mekong River from Cambodia and into Vietnam. I was very underwhelmed by the Mekong and found it to be a bit dirty. I was happy to arrive in Ho Chi Minh and experience the craziness that characterizes Saigon. Arriving during Chinese New Year, I spent the first few nights partying with new friends and celebrating Tet. I ended up staying in the city for 5 nights which was longer than planned but I was having such a good time I decided I didn't need to be in a rush. Visiting the war museum was eye opening and emotionally scarring for me. I found myself fighting back tears the entire time as I stared into the faces of those whose lives have been destroyed by a disgusting and unnecessary war with none other than my home country. I could go on for longer about my thoughts on the war but I'll save that for another day.

My friend Rose who I traveled through Burma with met up with me on the second day in Saigon and we have been traveling up the coast together. Our adventures have been endless and we aren't even half way up the country yet. Our first destination after HCMC was Dalat. We took the overnight bus from Ho Chi Minh expecting to arrive around 8am forgetting that the Vietnamese have no concept of time and instead we arrived at 5am, half asleep and freezing cold. We got the worst seats on the bus and while the 20 other passengers were comfortably sleeping, I felt like a popcorn kernel in the microwave bouncing and rolling around for 5 hours straight. We went to our hostel hoping they would have an open bed we could crawl into for a few hours...no such luck. Instead we found a lobby with 3 others already sleeping on a mattress on the floor and when we asked kindly if the boy could also fetch us a mattress or atleast some blankets and pillows we were met with a blank stare and shown the time repeatedly. Yes sir, we are very aware that it is now 5:30 in the morning, we have not slept and would like you to please provide us with a pillow. Communicating with Asians who don't speak English is like trying to use sign language with a blind person, it just doesn't work. We finally managed to clear off a wooden bench and secure ourselves a blanket and curled up in the fetal position for 2 hours before the entire hostel woke up and the day began.

Within 15 minutes of waking up from my 2 hours of sleep on a wooden plank, I was tying my sneakers and heading out for an action packed day of abseiling down rock cliffs and waterfalls. I was not entirely sure what I signed up for and once I saw the demonstration I had a mini panic attack. "I have no coordination when I'm this tired, I am totally going to be the one that falls and cracks their head open" was one of the thoughts going through my head. Good thing I have travel insurance! Knowing that it's all a mental game, I gave myself a little pep talk and stepped up to the plate. I successfully rappelled down an 18m rock wall into some frigid mountain water. It was so much fun! Once I did that, I was awake and ready for the rest of them. We slid down waterfalls like slides, jumped into white water pools and floated with the current through the mountains and up to a 25m waterfall. This time the fear got to me again as I watched the group in front of me hesitantly descend down with water plunging into their faces. A little Asian girl slipped within her first few steps and instead of trying to recover and stand up she sat there crying and yelling for help as the waterfall slammed into her head. I can not let this happen to me! I had to really hype myself up for this one, I considered skipping it but that would just be lame, I had to do it! My turn finally came and I am happy to report that I made it down without a hitch. I was actually surprised at how much easier I found it. I also had such a blast that I wanted to do it again! Instead I jumped 7m off of the next waterfall and floated down to the last 15m cliff. I had so much fun all day, I may have found myself a new hobby for the future.

A big family dinner with the hostel and quite a few bottles of wine called for a fun night and a not so fun morning and bus ride the next day. The road from Dalat to Mui Ne looks something like this: pothole, 5 feet, pothole, 3 feet, pothole...you get the idea. For FIVE HOURS. It was miserable. Anyways we made it to Mui Ne, a small beach town overcome by Russians with a beautiful coastline and sand dunes to marvel at. It's a main destination for kite surfers which was our reason for going since Rose is into that. I spent my days lounging by the pool or riding a quad along the sand dunes. Another favorite new hobby! Vietnam is becoming my little playground and I'm just having so much fun.

From Mui Ne to Hoi An is about 16 hours on the bus so we thought we would stop at some other coastal towns along the way to break up the journey. We spent a night in Nha Trang, another Russian beach town that is actually much nicer than Mui Ne but was desolate and therefore quite boring. Yesterday we left Nha Trang for Quy Nhon, another rather quiet and boring beach town. I have been pleasantly surprised by the parks in Vietnam. Almost every town we have been to has had a wonderfully landscaped park on the waterfront and has made the chore of going for a run much easier. Our main destination is the tiny village of Bai Xep 10km south of Quy Nhon and we were very eager to finally get there this morning after 2 nights in uneventful places. After a nice morning run we got on what we thought was the correct bus only to realize 45 minutes later that we were going in the wrong direction and were now 40km away instead of 10. I can't help but laugh in these situations. They are frustrating but with the right attitude, they are just another part of the adventure. After 2 hours on the bus we finally made it to Life's a Beach, a quaint little guesthouse right on the water. It is absolutely magical and I fell in love the second I walked through the gates. Worth the 2 days of traveling? Yes. The ocean is the most magnificent shade of blue and there are cliffs and rocks and fishing boats and smiling children and I'm just so happy to be here! For $6 including breakfast tomorrow morning, we are spending the night in hammocks. I am so excited! Right now I am sitting on a bamboo bed in the sand, looking out over the ocean at hundreds of tiny sparkling lights dotting the horizon and listening to the waves crash on the shore with an almost full moon in the sky above me. My mermaid heart is full! Life is just so perfect sometimes I can't do anything but smile.