Thailand Part 2: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Koh Phi Phi

I decided to spend the last month of my trip in Thailand because I wanted to enjoy the beautiful beaches before I went back to the cold weather in the U.S. My friend Keith from Chicago met me in Bangkok to spend 2 of my 4 remaining wks. This is what we have been up to these past 13 days....

Bangkok - Keith and I enjoyed the city life in Bangkok. Bangkok is like any other major city in the world: great nightlife, delicious food, high energy, tons of shopping, and lots of people. We went to a few bars and a club. When we were at the club we noticed so many older Western men with these young 20 yr old "girlfriends". It was so gross because these men could be my grandfather! Then it hit me that people thought I was Keith's "thai girlfriend". This has been assumed everywhere we go. We spent one night in Bangkok before we flew to Chiang Mai the next morning.


Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai is located north of Bangkok and it is known for its many temples and
and its beautiful natural surroundings. Keith and I are both beach people but our friend Jill told us that Chiang Mai was a MUST SEE in Thailand so we took her advice. Keith and I loved Chiang Mai because it had the great offerings of a city with a quaint small town feel. We spent 2 days in Chiang Mai before we went further north to a small village that was about an hour away.

We decided to do a 2 day hike to this village and stay overnight to really experience this village life. The hike was a lot of fun but definitely challenging because the path was steep and rocky, PLUS it was close to 100 degrees. When we reached the top we landed at our destination: a small village with a bunch of huts and dirt roads. These huts were the size of a typical condo in Chicago or DC. They all had roofs made of straw and the huts didn't have any windows or doors so you can see right through them. Keith and I stayed in one of the huts that was organized through our tour group. Our group consisted of 10 people and we all slept in one room on top of a thin mat. Our shower was just a hose w/cold water. There was no electricty in these huts so they had to cook our food over a fire and use flashlights to walk around. There was obviously no plumbing either so no toilets. Instead, just a hole in the ground. We were definitely roughing it in this village. After dinner, we walked outside and looked up in the sky to see so many bright stars shining since we were so far away from the city lights. It was definitely breathtaking!

We only spent one night here but it was definitely an experience I will never forget. Before we had dinner in our hut, Keith and I walked around to check out the area. As I mentioned earlier, there are no sidewalks or grass. The ground is just plain brown dirt everywhere. There are families that live in these huts with their little children. Keith and I saw several kids and adults kicking a ball around in the dirt. There was no goal to kick the ball into. They were just kicking the ball to each other. I'll never forget the smiles on the faces of these kids and adults. They seem to be having the time of their lives laughing and enjoying this game of kicking the ball. At that moment I wondererd if there was anything in this world that could make them happier than that moment of kicking the ball? I couldn't ask them because they didn't speak English. This scene really opened my eyes because these people only have the clothes on their backs and that's pretty much it. I didn't see any funiture or any appliances/electronics in their see-through huts yet they seem to be extremely happy and fulfilled. This image has been on my mind since we left the village.

After our time in the village, we started our hike down and went to an elephant camp. Once we arrived at the camp, we took an elephant ride through the forest. It was fun for the first 15 mins and then Keith and I got bored since it went on for about an hour! After our hike and time in the village, we spent one more night in Chiang Mai before we went to southern Thailand for BEACH TIME!!!!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in Phuket which is Thailand's largest island. We both heard great things about Phuket so we were excited to spend time here. Phuket is definitely NOT a hidden secret because it felt like everyone in the world was there. Phuket is a beautiful island but it's extremely touristy and very commercialized. You don't feel like you're in a foreign country...instead you feel like you're in L.A. (not that L.A. is a bad thing).

After two days in Phuket, we took the ferry over to Koh Phi Phi island to spend the next 4 days. Once we arrived in Koh Phi Phi, we absolutely loved it! Even though it is a much smaller island, there is plenty to do and everyone on this island seeemed like a bunch of young professionals so you don't run into many riff raff characters. This island is filled with many tourists from Sweden. We quickly learned that this is the #1 Vacation spot for Sweden. Keith and I weren't complaining because the Swedish men and women are gorgeous....all tall, blonde, bright blue eyes, great bodies, etc....now I can see how Tiger Woods' wife fits in to Sweden. The beaches in Koh Phi Phi are very beautiful and more relaxing because it's not as crowded as Phuket. The nightlife in Koh Phi Phi reminds me and Keith of Chicago in the SUMMER! Anyone who has been to Chicago in the summer knows that there is no better place in the world than Chi-town during the months of May through Sept. Koh Phi Phi is this way but all year round....now you can see why we love it so much! Aside from laying out everyday, I went diving again and enjoyed the underwater life. I wish fish could talk because I wonder what they think of us when we hover over them.

Originally, Keith and I were planning on going back to Phuket for New Year's because Steve and Christy were flying into Phuket on Dec 30th. We have now changed our plans and we are all spending New Year's in Koh Phi Phi. I can't think of a better place to ring in 2009! Christy and Steve arrived early this morning and we are having a great time! Today was his birthday....Happy Birthday Steve!!!! Happy New Year everyone!!!!

Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Saigon

After my time in Hanoi and Halong Bay, I worked my way down to the center of Vietnam and went to Hoi An, Nha Trang, and now I'm in Saigon. The train ride to Hoi An was beautiful because you get to see the coastline of Vietnam. Prior to arriving in Vietnam, I knew that Vietnam was in Asia and that was about it. I had no idea Vietnam was situated on the coast and their coastline is longer than the coast line of California. It was definitely a beautiful sight!

Hoi An is a very quaint town known for having the best tailors in Vietnam. There are close to 500 tailors in Hoi An. Hoi An is the size of Lincoln Park in Chicago so that is a lot of Tailors in one area! Since these tailors mostly cater to tourists, their turnaround time is very quick....24 hours or less. I ended up getting 6 dresses made and they were all done in 8 hours. Amazing! The customer service in Asia is top notch too. The business owners and anyone in the service related industry will go above and beyond for your business. I told the tailor that my flight was leaving at 9 am the next day for Nha Trang so I wasn't sure if that would leave her enough time to make the dresses because I was in her store at 6:30 pm (15 hrs before flight). She told me she would be finished by 11:30 pm and she will bring the dresses to my hotel. Sure enough, 5 hours later she showed up with my dresses and had me try them on. She needed to go back to her shop for final adjusments and left them with the hotel receptionist when she was done. Aside from enjoying the tailors in the area, I really loved the nice small town feel of Hoi An. My time there was very relaxing and a great place to wander around and check out cafes and restaurants.

After 3 days in Hoi An, I made my way further south to Nha Trang. The guide books mentioned that Nha Trang has the best beach town in Vietnam and they were certainly right! It was so great to just lay out at the beach and catch up on books and write in my journal. I experienced a major FIRST when I was in Nha Trang. For the first time in my life, I actually just layed out at the beach ALL DAY LONG for four days. Usually when I'm at a beach or by the pool, I get restless after an hour so I go for walks or go shopping. NOT THIS TIME. During my 4 days in Nha Trang I loved just laying around and enjoyed the down time. WELL, I should be more specific about the down time....the down time consisted of massages, manicures, pedicures, fresh fruit, and reading and writing in my journal. Back to the customer service...it's seriously top notch. I just had to lay there and they would come around and do everything for me. The prices are even more unbelievable. In both Thailand and Vietnam, things are extremely cheap. DIRT CHEAP. Massages are about $10 - $15 for an entire hour. Mani/Pedi is about $12 TOTAL FOR BOTH. I gave my masseuse a $15 tip because she was really good and she insisted on giving me a mani/pedi for free. I told her I didn't need one because I already had a mani/pedi the day before but she wanted to change the color for me because of the tip that I gave her. Once again, this is a perfect example of how generous and kind the Vietnamese and Thai people are. They really don't have much but they are still very giving. I'll never forget what a Thai woman said to me after I went in for a wax (which was $35/for basically everything from head to toe including a 20% tip). I told her how expensive waxing was back in the U.S. and she asked, "WHY SO EXPENSIVE? WAXING YOU HAVE TO DO. NO CHOICE." I love it. Why should necessities cost so much???

I spent my time in Nha Trang with Corrine and Stephane. Corrine and I met at a restaurant by the beach. She was sitting at the table next to me and we just started talking and realized we had a lot in common. Corrine is from Switzerland and she is taking 6 weeks off to travel in Vietnam and Thailand. She is planning to meet up with me, Christy, and Steve in Thailand. She is going to Koh Tao to get her diving license before she meets up with us. I told her to go to Jesper of course. Stephane and I met each other in Bangkok and he and I both went to Koh Tao together to get our diving license. After Koh Tao we went our separate ways...He went to Laos and I came to Vietnam. We finally met up in Nha Trang so it was great to see him again. He may also be meeting up with me, Christy, and Steve for the Full Moon party in Thailand.

Spending this much time in Asia has been very interesting. When I was in Hong Kong people thought I was chinese. When I was inThailand people thought I was Thai. Now I'm in Vietnam and people think I'm Vietnamese. When I say I'm none of these they ask if I'm Mexican or from Spain. I think I get Mexican a lot because I'm dark right now and most Asians don't prefer to be tan. They love the porcelain pale look. I went to buy moisturizer for my face today and everything is "Whitening Formula" or "Best Whitening Moiosturizer". No sunless tanning moisturizers in this neck of the woods.

Aside from being seen as a Mexican, I have unfortunately been viewed as a prostitute in two different occassions. Once in Thailand and once in Vietnam.

Thailand: I was hanging out with this guy Ely (from Canada, traveling to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) at a bar in Bangkok. He told me he read this book about a prison in Bangkok and I remembered Jason telling me about this book so I told him that I wanted to read it. He said he was finished with it so I could go back to his hotel with him and he would get me the book. I waited for him in the lobby of the hotel when he went to get the book. As I was waiting, I noticed a sign in the lobby that said, "THAI FRIENDS WELCOME. 300 BAHT PLEASE". I read the sign and thought, "Oh how nice. They really want the guests to have a true Thai experience so the hotel is encouraging the natives of Thailand to hang out at the hotel so the guests can really immerse. That's nice the hotel will pay the natives 300 baht to hang out at the hotel." 300 baht is about $9. When Ely came back with the book, the hotel receptionist tells him that he can bring his Thai friend (ME) upstairs for 300 baht. I told the receptionist, "Oh it's okay. I'm korean but thank you." Ely takes me outside and starts cracking up. He says that Thai Friends are prostitutes and the guests that bring one of these friends up to their rooms have to pay 300 baht.

Vietnam: On my first day at Nha Trang Beach, I was talking to this British guy James who was in the lounge chair next to me. We pretty much spent the first half of the day talking together and we had lunch too before he had to leave for the airport. After lunch, I came back to my seat and this guy named Guy comes over and sits in James's chair next to me. Guy is pretty attractive and he is probably in his late 30s. He seems pretty nice and we're having a good time. Guy says he is a recruiter from Denmark so I tell him about me and my job before I came on this trip. Guy asked me to dinner and during dinner he basically comes out and tells me that he is recruiter for entertainers. I still don't get it. I respond with, "WOW, that's great. I'm sure your job must be so fun and interesting. I bet a lot of people envy your job." He tells me more about it and it turns out he is a glorified Pimp and he was trying to get me to work for him and pimp me out. I told him that I wasn't interested obviously and asked him what gave him that idea. He responded with, "You're the only Asian girl hanging out at Nha Trang beach with a bunch of Europeans and Australians. Generally, the Asian girls in this type of setting are prostitutes and I thought you marketed yourself on the Internet when you told me you did Internet advertising." We both got a pretty good laugh out of it and then he had to leave after dinner to go "recruiting".

Both instances were harmless so I can laugh about it now. I arrived in Saigon early this morning and I will be here until Friday. On Friday I will fly back to Thailand and spend the last 4 weeks of my trip there. Keith will be waiting for me when I get to Bangkok on Friday and Christy & Steve will be joining us on Dec. 30. As for my Vietnam bike ride?!?!??! I was originally supposed to get to Vietnam on Dec 2 and my bike ride was suppossed to start on Dec 3. As most of the world knows, the Bangkok Airport was shut down for a week due to protestors so I was unable to leave for Vietnam until Dec 4. I missed the bike ride but I had the option to do a 2 day bike ride in Saigon. I had every intention of doing it but I kept on extending my stay in Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, and Nha Trang by an extra day at each location because I really liked the cities. Now, it just left me with 3 days in Saigon so the bike ride was not possible. I was really looking forward to it but I'm glad that I was able to be flexible with my stay in the other cities. I definitely plan on doing the bike ride in the future. My 2 weeks in Vietnam have been amazing and I definitely plan to come back here again to do the bike ride and explore other parts of Vietnam. For the rest of my time in Saigon, I'm going to enjoy this busy city and also check out an orphanage. Let's hope no one there thinks I'm a "Thai Friend".

Hanoi and Halong Bay

I spent my first week of Vietnam in Hanoi and Halong Bay. Prior to arriving in Hanoi, I was advised by Mai (a native of Vietnam who has been living in Japan for the last 10 yrs...we met in Venice) "Beware of the traffic." I thanked Mai for the advice but I started to wonder why I would need to be warned of traffic. After all, every U.S. metro area has REALLY bad traffic. I'm sure I can handle this. Besides, I'm not driving anywhere so traffic won't be an issue for me. When I landed in Hanoi, I quickly realized what type of traffic she was referring to: The Motorbike Traffic aka the Scooters running through town. These scooters are EVERYWHERE. I'm guessing that there are 50 scooters to every 1 car. Once I saw all these scooters zip by everywhere in Hanoi, I began to realize that I did indeed need to BEWARE OF THE TRAFFIC.

Crossing the street in Hanoi is not an easy task since you generally have HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of scooters buzzing by. There are traffic lights at certain intersections but not for the majority of intersections. I made the mistake of running across the street the first time and tried to dodge the the scooters as they were all heading towards me....BIG MISTAKE. I almost caused a few accidents because I was jumping in front of scooters so fast they didn't see me coming out of nowhere. A really nice Vietnamese man on the other side of the street saw this happen and he advised me that the safest way is to walk at a normal pace and just look straight ahead of you. He told me not to look at the scooters heading my way and just walk straight ahead and I will be fine. He also told me if I followed his instructions, I could even walk with a blindfold and I wouldn't have any problems because these motorist know what they are doing. He was right. I didn't do the blindfold test but I got the hang of it and I found it fun crossing the street.

Once I got the street crossing part down, I started to explore Hanoi. I enjoyed Hanoi very much because it is a very quaint and warm city. I loved the nice lakes and parks around the city and I also loved seeing the contrast in areas where you could see the French influence. I also did the toursity things like checking out the Ho Chih Minh museum, the Ho Chih Minh masoleum, and the Presidential Palace. Hanoi has such an interesting history with not just the Vietnam War but their deep past under China and France. Again, another list of things for me to read further when I get back.

After 4 days in Hanoi, I went up north to Halong Bay for 3 days. Halong Bay is one of the most breathtaking places that I've ever seen. It definitely rivals the Greek Islands. Halong Bay is one of the contendors of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and it was also the setting for James Bonds' film Tomorrow Never Dies. Halong Bay consists of almost 2000 islands all lined up along the northeastern part of Vietnam. Our group took a boat cruise through the area for 3 days so we were able to hike through a few of the islands, visit a remote village, and explore through a cave. (I will post all pics when I get back to the U.S.)

During the time that we were at Halong Bay, we also spent a few hours kayaking. Out of our group of 10, there were 2 kids (brother and sister from Australia). Indy, the 6 yrs old girl, insisted on kayaking with me. I felt like throwing up because I've never kayaked before and now I was responsible for this little girl. If I knew how to kayak, I would have been gung ho about this but I was completely clueless. I told Dee and Andrew (Indy's parents) that I didn't know what I was doing but they were totally fine with it. They said Indy was a good swimmer so it won't be a problem. Indy and I got into the kayak and wait for the others to get in their kayaks. Our guide is in his own kayak and he leads us down the bay. Well, Indy and I have problems because I steered us in the wrong direction and now we are about 200 yards away from everyone else. We are trying our best to turn the kayak around and it's not moving the way we want it to. Instead we keep on moving futher and further away and now we're about 500 yards away and our group looks smaller and smaller in the distance. Indy get feisty and says, "I'm going to jump in the water and turn this kayak around for us." I told her not to. She then gets feistier and says, "NANCY, WE NEED TO TURN THIS AROUND. DON'T WORRY I'LL JUMP IN THE WATER AND TURN IT FOR US." I'm now in disbelief. I'm thinking to myself, "This 6 year old is about to save the day." I couldn't let this happen. I did not want to jump in the water but I had no choice. What would her parents think if a 30 year old just sat in the kayak and let this kid fix the problem? I jumped in the water and started turning the kayak around when our guide showed up minutes later and tied our kayaks together so that we could be rejoined with our group. Once our kayaks were joined together, I realized kayaking was fun...I just had to sit there and enjoy the scenery.

The kayaking story is not over....after kayaking for 2 hours, we were now back at the dock to return our kayaks. Indy gets out of the kayak first and then it was my turn. As I put one foot on the dock, the other foot is in the kayak and the kayak starts drifting away. I tried my best to put pressure on my foot so that the kayak comes back towards the dock but it was not happening. Half my weight is on the dock and the other half is in the kayak. You can guess what happened next....the kayak drifted away and I fell into the water because I couldn't get my other foot the dock. Our guide hurries over to grab the kayak and then he gets me. I seriously felt like Jack Tripper. This is something that would have happened to him if he went camping with Janet and Chrissy.

After two cities in Vietnam, I can honestly say that I really love this place. It is definitely near the top of my list of favorite cities and countires. Not only is this country beautiful, the Vietnamese people are wonderful. They are so warm and genuine. Even though the majority of these people do not have a lot of money, they still manage to be giving and generous. A good example was when I was in Hanoi, I was craving a snack (Big Schocker) and I saw this street vendor selling baguettes (French influence). The sign said 5000 VD which is about 30 cents. I gave him my 5000 VD, grabbed my baguette, and walked away. About 20 feet away, I saw the baguette vendor running towards me with a baguette. I immediately freaked out thinking that I must not have given him enough money and now he is chasing after me. I looked around me and all these people are staring at me so it looks I stole the 30 cent baguette. When the vendor catches up to me he tells me in broken english that the 5000 VD is for two baguettes. I told him it was no big deal and I'll just take one (I know I could eat two but why go there). He insisted on giving me the other one and I told him that he could have it. He smiled and we said goodbye. TWO DAYS LATER I'm walking down the same street and this guy sees me again. He remembers me and insists on giving me the baguette. I told him I would give him 5000 VD again for the baguette but he would not accept. We go back and forth, over and over again, and finally HE WON unfortunately.

More Incredible People!

I've been in Hanoi and Halong Bay these past 6 days and I cannot say enough great things about Vietnam! I absolutey love this place and it is quickly rising to the top of my favorite places in the world. I plan to write more about Vietnam in my next few blogs but I want to catch up on a few incredible people that I have met in the last 10 days....

After Koh Tao, I went back to Bangkok for 4 days before I left for Vietnam. I met this woman named Gay who was staying in the same place as me. Gay is 82 years old from Minnesota but she has spent the last 60 years of her life in Hawaii. Gay was in Bangkok for a few days and was set to leave for Butan after Bangkok. This woman is amazing. She has traveled around the world for over 60 years. Gay does not look 82 nor does she live the life of a typical 82 year old. She has so much energy and she is ready to take on any adventure. Gay said something to me that struck a chord...."You are never running out of time. Don't ever feel like you are." A perfect example would be the fact that she went to law school when she was in her mid 40s. After she got divorced she decided to go to law school and graduated when she was 45. After a successful career as an attorney, she was apointed to be a judge in Hawaii and that was the last position she held before retiring. Gay was really cute and said that she could officiate wedding ceremonies so I should consider getting married in Hawaii so she could do the ceremony. Then she said, "You better get married in the next 10 years because I may not be around after that." It made me sad to hear her say this : (

After Bangkok, I left for Hanoi and spent a few days there (I will write about Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam in a separate blog.) before leaving for Halong Bay. My Halong Bay trip consisted of me and 9 others: 6 Australians, 1 German, 1 Irish, and 1 English. We all have diverse backgrounds and we are all different age groups. We have really enjoyed experiening Vietnam together as well as getting to know each other. Here are a few more incredible people....

The Willoughbys --- This is a family of 4 from Australia. The parents are Dee and Andrew and they have 2 kids (Indiana 6 yrs old, Levi 5 yrs old). They are all traveling together through Vietnam for five weeks since the kids have a 6 week summer break. They also went to Bali in July for 3 weeks during their winter break. I admire these parents for continuing to live out their passion for traveling after they have had kids. They definitely don't let it slow them down. They are eager to bring their kids to new places so that they can learn more about different cultures and different people. I will write more about their kids in my next blog. They are hilarious and extremely bright! Dee and Andrew definitely love a great adventure....a few years ago, they bought a school bus and remodeled it into a home with state of the art appliances and furniture. This family lived on this bus for a little over a year because they figured they didn't need too much space since the kids were really little then. Now that the kids are bigger, they live in a 4 bedroom house.

Eileen from Ireland --- Eileen was a banker for Morgan Stanely in the London office before she was laid off in June. During this time she was fixated on the U.S. election and wanted to contribute to Obama's campaign. She quickly discovered that you have to a U.S. citizen to donate so she decided to volunteer instead. Eileen flew to Columbus, OH to work at Obama's campaign HQ in Ohio for 7 weeks. I asked her why she chose Columbus and she said because it is a critical swing state and she really wanted to make a difference. After the election she traveled to Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, and now Vietnam. She is heading back to London next week. I was blown away by Eileen and her passion for U.S. politics. This is person that can't even vote in our election yet she still decided to spend her own money and time to work towards this election. Eileen also considers Obama a true Irish man because of his name...O'Bama. She plans to celebrate Inauguration Day with Democrats Abroad in London.

Barack Obama --- Obviously I haven't met him on this trip BUT he has been a critical person during my travels. Before I left for this trip I thought that everyone in the world loved the U.S. and loved Americans. WELL, this was certainly not the case. I was definitely in for a surprise when I arrived in Europe and I heard the negative opinions that the majority of people around the world had about the U.S. The main reason for the negative impressions of the U.S. is mainly due to Bush. Everyone I ran into could not stand him and they are just dumbfounded by Americans for electing him twice. I had to remind people that most Americans can't even stand Bush either so we are all in the same boat. It was also really interesting how people did not want to be recognized as an American. Example: The Canadians are great people. Every time I run into a Canadian, they always have the maple leaf emblem somewhere on their body. It may be on their hat, shirt, backpack, etc. It's usually small but it's there for everyone to see. I figured it was really nice to see that the Canadians had a lot of country pride due to this display. I learned eventually that it really doesn't have that much to do with country pride...it's their way of telling everyone that they are not from the U.S. They don't want to be mistaken for Americans. I ran into a few Americans in Italy that told me they go around telling people that they are from Canada because they don't want to deal with any negative backlash.

I have never been mistreated during my trip even though everyone knows I'm an American. HOWEVER, I have been treated like a celebrity ever since Obama was elected. When I was flying out of London to go to Hong Kong, I was reading the Audacity of Hope at Heathrow and EIGHT different people came up to me telling me that they love Obama just by looking at the cover of the book. I only read 4 pages in the airport because I was caught up in conversations with these people. The minute I told them I lived in Chicago, they would seriously let out a little scream for joy. Same thing for me in Thailand....Jesper (my diving instructor who I love) told me that people were crying when they watched the election results. Talin and I were in Croatia during the election and the next morning the hotel staff, the border control officers in Bosnia, and the retail store owners were all congratulating us. When I was in Spain, I was talking to these Spaniards on the train and they said, "Now we definitely want to travel to the U.S. because Obama is President." I met this businessman in the lobby of my hotel in Hanoi and he told me that they have noodle dishes in Japan that they named after Obama. In London, Jacqui and I saw signs for Obama cocktails. I seriously have these type of occurences on a daily basis since the election. A CNN reporter said it best...."It seems like all the negative thoughts about the U.S. have erased the minute Obama was elected." The one thing that I really missed out on during my trip would have to be the Obama victory party at Grant Park....I bet it was incredible! However, it has been VERY interesting to see the different countries react to this next chapter in America's history. I look forward to celebrating Inauguration Day in D.C.!!!

Koh Tao, Thailand

I have known Jason Cohen for 8 years. Jason was the first out of my friends to go backpacking. He backpacked through Asia in the winter of 2002. Jason was also the first out of my friends to go to Thailand. When Jason returned from his trip, he raved about his time in Asia. FAST FORWARD to 6 years later.... I'm now in Thailand. It's only natural to ask Jason for good tips on Thailand and thanks to him, he got me off to a great start!

My first stop in Thailand: Koh Tao. Prior to coming to Thailand, I knew of a few destinations that I definitely wanted to hit: Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Chiang Mai, Ko Chang, Ko Samet, and Bangkok. I wanted to make sure I covered everything so I asked Jason if there was anything I missed. He replied back with: "Koh Tao --- You have to get your diving license." I was already familiar with Koh Tao because Caroline and Ryan went diving in Koh Tao and they suggested that I go too. I totally disregarded their suggestions because I had no interest in diving. It terrified me. I don't even like to open my eyes in the 10 ft area of the swimming pool because I hate to see how deep the pool is. Therefore, I wrote off the idea of diving and Caroline and Ryan understood. Jason, on the other hand, did not give up. He was adamant that I go diving during our IM conversation last Monday. These were his reasons:

*Thailand is known as one of the best places to go diving
*If you like to swim, you'll love diving
*If you don't go diving, I'll never let you live it down

These reasons were not enough for me to say, "YES". Jason was still persistent and he kept his best cards in his back pocket. He rolled out these two last reasons to close the deal:

*You're probably going to have an Australian instructor
*The place that you will be staying in has the best bbq on the island

DONE DEAL! As soon as he stated these reasons, I started to google Buddha View Diving and signed up to leave for Koh Tao the next night. Once I decided to go diving, four other travelers from Bangkok decided to join me....

Laura (from L.A.), Audrey (from Seattle), Vinnay (from Australia), and I all stayed in the same place in Bangkok so I told them about my trip to Koh Tao and they all decided to go at the last minute. We also picked up one more person for the trip: Stephane (frome Canada). Stephane was actually in the cab heading to the airport when he realized his flight was cancelled and he wasn't sure when his flight would be taking off again. We just found him sitting in the cab as we were trying to get in the cab to go the travel agency where we were getting picked up to go to Koh Tao. We told him about our plans and 20 mins later, all five of us were on our way to Koh Tao! As I mentioned in my previous blogs....I just love the people that I meet along the way!

Koh Tao is an island on the eastern shore of Thailand. Koh Tao is known as the "Diving Island" of Thailand so all their accomodations are catered towards divers. Out of the five of us, only Audrey, Stephane, and I decided to get certified for diving. Vinnay and Laura decided to relax at the beach during the day while we were in class. I had no idea that you had to be certified to go diving. I always thought diving was a simple task once you got past the fear. I figured all you would need was a wetsuit plus an air tank that you put on your back. I also assumed some professional would teach you how to breath using the tank a few mins before you dive into the ocean. I was completely wrong. I learned quickly that you have to be certified to go diving and there is a lot more to it than I thought. My certification curriculum consisted of:

Swimming 200 meters
Floating for 10 mins
6 hours of classroom material
8 hours of underwater skills in the swimming pool
4 dives in the ocean
final exam

Learning the process was definitely eye opening. The first time I sat in the deep end of the pool for over 35 mins was a very cool feeling. I have never done anything like this before and clearly I never intended to until 24 hours before I left for Koh Tao. Our certification required us to:

Use the regulator properly so that you can breathe underwater
Take your mask on and off underwater (this is really interesting bec you learn how to put the mask back on without any water in it!)
Take your breathing piece out of your mouth underwater and put it back in (in the event that your mouth piece falls off)
Share air from another diver underwater (in the event that you run out of air)
Learn how to hover over fish and corral (so you don't just crash into fish and corral underwater)

WELL, after my 4 day course....I PASSED! It was incredible to be underwater and see the bright colored fish that I've only seen in fish tanks before. It was also neat to see a whole other life existing underwater. These past few months have taught me so much about different countries and cultures. The ocean is definitely a separate culture that I'd like to study about (noted in my Hello Kitty pad). One quick little factoid....Did you know that angel fish always travel in pairs? Yes, a male and female are always together. How sweet :)

In case you're wondering about Jason's selling points and how they matched up with the real deal.....

The BBQ was AWESOME! They had a whole medley of food: Thai, Italian, Vegetarian, and the best part was the selection of fish and meat. The fish and meat were so fresh and they would just cook it up for you once you ordered it. Delicious! This was our dinner every night, including Thanksgiving.

As for the instructor.....His name is Jesper. When we first met Jesper I noticed that he had an accent (sounded Australian but I have a hard time distingushing the difference between Australian, English, and Irish). It turns out he is from Denmark and he has been living in Thailand for 8 years. Jesper was a WONDERFUL diving instructor! He was an engaging teacher that made the course so enjoyable. Jesper shared so much knowledge and valuable information to make our diving experience fun and safe. He is passionate about diving and it shows through his teaching. I love people that are passionate so I obviously developed a crush on Jesper! The only problem is that he probably thinks I'm an idiot! Our class was just the three of us: Me, Audrey, and Stephane. Audrey and Stephane were picking up on everything really fast. I was the slowest one. It wasn't clicking for me at first but Jesper was really patient and he would work with me until I got it. However, I still couldn't escape my goofiness....

*When we were underwater doing our skills, he would give us a high five after we performed each skill correctly. For some reason, every time he tried to give me a high five, I would miss his hand and my hand would just swing past his. The underwater factor may have affected my aim but Audrey and Stephane didn't seem to have a problem. This happened AT LEAST 5x.

*We each had to jump in the water the correct way with our gear on. He showed us the proper way of basically gliding into the water so that it's a smooth jump. Audrey and Stephane had no problems with this. Then it was my turn: Belly Flop

*After you put on your wetsuit, you have to put on your vest with the air tubes, plus the air tank on your back. This is very heavy when you're on the boat. Obviously it is light as a feather once you're in the water but until then, it's pretty awkward. Anyways, I'm standing there, getting ready to jump in the water and then suddenly I lose my balance I fall backwards on to my back in the boat. It's a loud thud on the ground!

Anyways, I asked Jesper the day before we went out for our first dive in the ocean, "Do you think I can really do this tomorrow?". He answered, "Of course. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." I LOVE HIM.

Hong Kong: East Meets West

Now I have reached the 2nd part of my trip: ASIA and SUMMER WEATHER. I purposely planned to go to Asia from Nov to Jan just so that I can avoid the winter as much as possible. I will still get a good dose of winter when I get back in Jan BUT I STILL LOVE CHICAGO!

My first stop in Asia was Hong Kong. I spent 5 days in the former British colony. My hostel was on the Hong Kong Island where I met two other travelers in my room: Tessa from England and Amanda from Ireland. Tessa, Amanda, and I explored the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and Lantau Island. Here is a list of our activities:

Lantau Island - We took cable cars up to Lantau Island. It was about a 25 min ride up to the island and there was an incredible view overlooking Hong Kong from our cable car. Lantau is famous for the Tian Tan Buddha aka Big Buddha. Tian Tan Buddha is the tallest outdoor Buddha in the world, hence the name Big Buddha. The statue symbolizes harmony between people, religion, and nature. It is also the major center of Buddhism of Hong Kong. After the Big Buddha, the girls and I took a trek up the Path of Wisdom where we found messages at the end of the path written in Chinese. I took a few pics so hopefully someone can translate the messages for us.

Kowloon - Located across from the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon has so many different markets
that draw a wide audience from all over the world. These markets sell everything from electronics, sunglasses, clothes, souvenirs, food, etc. pretty much everything. Hong Kong is a BIG shopping mecca. I have never seen so many shopping malls in my life. They have everything from the high end retail and couture shops to the low priced markets where you can always haggle and get everything really cheap. As for the retails stores --- I was blown away by how big all the major stores are...Louis Vuitton is seriously the size of a D.C. block. There are 6 of these big sized Louis Vuitton stores in Hong Kong. SIX! Hong Kong is not that big so I'm not sure why they need to have so many. Anyways, the LV pricing is still the same as the U.S. but if you want to buy anything outside of the typical brand name stuff, you can find it for almost nothing.

Hong Kong Island - We checked out Hollywood Blvd which hosts the nightlife for all the out of towners: Europeans, Australians, Candians, and Americans. We had dinner at the Hong Kong Brew House. Amanda tried a Hong Kong beer and I went for the Stella (it was good bec I haven't had it since I left the US, I usually try the native beers but I craved Stella this time). We noticed that there were so many guys everywhere. The ratio was seriously 50:1. We weren't complaining. We also went to Stanley Beach which is on the southern part of Hong Kong Island. The beach was beautiful so we enjoyed the scenery and the market alongside the water.

A big attraction in Hong Kong is the evening Light Show. Hong Kong has an incredible skyline that could rival NYC or Chicago's skyline. Every night at 8pm they have this light show where different colors light up from each building. The show is about 15 mins and they have loud music that coincides with the lights. It's a little cheezy but it's really cool at the same time. In fact, this show was recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records for the Longest Light Show. It's definitely a MUST DO in Hong Kong.

Here's a little info about my traveling mates:

Amanda (Ireland) - I'm guessing she is the same age as me based on what she told me about her life. You know you can always do the math in your head. Anyways, she is a pro traveler. She has been everywhere and most places more than once (Thailand 5x). She works as a counselor for prior offendors so she told us a few interesting stories. Anyways, she basically works to pay for her travels. She travels for big chunks of time each year. She was just home in Ireland for 6 months before she came to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong she was heading to New Zealand for a year.

Tessa (England) - She is our little youngster, such a sweetheart and has a great head on her shoulders. She just graduated from h.s. and just turned 19 last week. After graduating, she took all the money she saved and went to Australia for 2 months. She made a quick stop to Hong Kong before heading back to England. She will be in England for 10 days and then head to southern France to work at a resort for 6 months. She will attend college next Fall. She is taking a "gap" which is what a lot of the Europeans call a sabbatical. SO, I guess I'm taking a gap. Tessa told me that it is common to take a gap after h.s.,college, career, etc. She also said that no one ever questions it. It's totally acceptable to take a break and enjoy life and travel. She said, "why would any question that?". I LOVE IT.

I have mentioned many times that I have really learned so much on this trip. The best part of everyday is that there is something new that sparks my interest. I always keep a notebook with me in my purse, even back at home. It's a mini Hello Kitty notebook but I always jot random things in it so that I can research further when I get on the Internet. It can be as simple as, What started the Chicago Fire or how old is Hugh Jackman and who is this wife of his? Ever since I started this trip, I've been writing notes about historical facts so that I can read more about it. Hong Kong is interesting because it was a British colony from 1898 - 1997. The British took over in 1898 after the Opium War and basically signed a 99 year lease. This is why they say that Hong Kong is the city where East meets West. I'm now very curious about how the British treated the Chinese and how different it was back then compared to today. Definitely something I need to read up on later!

ALSO, another topic I need to research is Ireland history. I knew that English was the official language of Ireland but then I realized something new when Amanda said an Irish sentence out of the blue. I asked her, "What did you say?" She replied, "Hello, how are you?" OKAY, at that moment I felt so dumbfounded because I didn't even know the Irish had a separate language. She told me that the language has really died out now so everyone speaks English in Ireland but some regions of Ireland speak the traditional Irish langauge. Then she went on talking about the rift between Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. UMMM..HELLO? AREN'T THEY THE SAME THING? NOPE. I had no idea they were completely separate. I just know of IRELAND and how the Irish like to drink A LOT (Ex. Sully and Jamie). I quickly jotted, NORTHERN IRELAND and REPUBLIC OF IRELAND in my notebook. Once again, another thing to research.....

My Last Stop in Europe: LONDON

I am at my last stop in Europe...LONDON. I didn't have high expecations about London before I arrived here. I just figured it wouldn't be too different from the U.S. since they spoke English, plus the weather is usually cold and rainy during this time of the year. Well, after spending a week here I realized that London is definitely a unique city with so many incredible and exciting things to see and do. I was originally going to stay for 3 days but I extended it for a week because I loved it after the first day. London is definitely the NYC of Europe. When I was walking around the first day, I felt the same feeling that I get when I'm in NYC...the feeling of excitement and energy. At the same time I loved knowing that you could find anything and everything in the world all in one place, just like NYC.

I could definitely live in London. I know I've said that I have loved every place that I've been to but loving a place and wanting to live in a place are totally two different things. The Greek Islands and Italy are amazing. Who wouldn't love it, right? As much as I loved my time in these places, I could not see myself living there. I would feel so isolated living on an island in Greece and I couldn't live in the overly laid back pace of Italy. I definitely want to incorporate the lessons that I have learned from these countries to my life but I couldn't live there. LONDON on the other hand, has everything I want in a living situation...fast paced, diverse population, warm and kind people, business mecca of Europe, lively culture, high energy, and fashion oriented (this isn't a must but it's cool to have). I would seriously move here for a year or more if I could get a work visa and a job...I'm keeping my eyes opened for an opportunity!

I was very fortunate to have nice weather while I've been here. It only drizzled for half a day and the temperatures have been in the low 60s so it has been unseasonably warm for this time of the year. During the last 7 days I've done the sight seeing tours, hung out in the different neighborhoods, enjoyed my time with old friends (Doug, Diana, and Carolyn --- glad we reconnected thru Facebook and met up in London), hung out with Richard (so cute and so fun! I had a piece of Amy and Jill with me), visited the many markets, had the best fish and chips, spent half a day in Harrod's, went out for tea, saw Dirty Dancing on stage (loved it! thanks again for the tix Richard), and I'm going to see Chicago tonight. Being in London made me realize how much I missed the craziness of a big city....people all over the place, cars buzzing by, stores and restaurants on every inch of the ground...ahhhh, I love it so much!!! OH, I also love the London street signs that tell you where to look for cars since tourists aren't used to seeing cars driving on the opposite side of the streets.

A lot of my friends have asked me, "I want to go on vacation. Where should I go? Which city is your favorite?" This is a really tough question. Every place is so different, unique, and special. Each places serves a different purpose so it's really more about what you want to get out of your trip. If you're looking for a romantic place I would suggest the Greek Islands or Dubrovnvik. If you're looking to party hard then I would suggest all of the places that I've been to BUT definitely Germany, London, and Spain would be on the top of my list. If you're looking for good food, wine, and art then I would suggest Italy. If you're into history then I would say Germany. If you're looking for classical music then I would say Vienna. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck then I would suggest Budapest and Dubrovnik. I will be honest though....Paris for me was soooo OVERRATED. This is just my opinion. I'm sure I will get plenty of hate mail for this. Paris is beautiful but I just didn't think it was as great as I imagined.

This blog is all over the place because my mind is thinking about a lot of things. Forgive me for lacking continuity from one paragraph to the next. I want to write about my friend Jacqui Ahn now. I've been staying with my friend Jacqui in London. Jacqui and I are practically family. We grew up together because our parents are good friends. Jacqui is a do gooder with a bleeding heart. She is always making efforts to save the environment and she is always helping people in need. Just the other day, we were walking down the streets of London and I had some trash in my hand that I wanted to get rid of. Instead of letting me throw it away in the trash can, she took it from me and held on to it until we found a recycling site. She is always donating her time and energy to work with poor people in her community or overseas. The best thing about her efforts is that she is not high and mighty about it. You would never know about her giving efforts because she just takes action and never says anything about it. She doesn't judge me or anyone who doesn't live like this either.

Jacqui moved to London a month ago because she is pursuing her passion in Art. She just finished her 2 year art program in Switzerland and she is now working as a Stained Glass Artist in a London studio. Jacqui is also Korean so we come from very similar backgrounds. In between all the fun that we've been having in London, Jacqui and I have also been able to vent about our parents, laughed about our cultural and generation gaps between us and our families, and talked about our hopes and dreams without being critcized by our parents. Let me set the record straight....I love my parents and I will forever be grateful to my parents for all the amazing things in my life. HOWEVER, my parents and I differ on so many levels. My parents do not think this trip is "the trip of a lifetime". They have no choice in the matter so they support my decision. However, they are not gung ho about it like I am. My parents are a tough sell. They need to see the end result before responding to a scenario. Therefore, my parents will be happy that I went on this trip AFTER I get home safely and AFTER I find a good job. THEN they will see that everything worked out perfectly. Until then, they really have no opinion about the matter. I understand the drill and I'm so used to it. This is how they were when I wanted to go into sales after college. No law school or medical school for me, JUST SALES. They were anti for awhile until I moved up at YB and THEN they thought it was worthwhile. Jacqui understands this all too well.....her parents think she gave up her illustrious business background and her MBA for Art....it doesn't make sense to them either and they are disappointed. This may all sound really harsh and cruel but it's really not. Our parents are a like any other parent out there. They only want the best for us but they just feel like there is only one path that leads us to the very best in life. This just makes me want to work harder and never give up because I have to prove to my parents that these alternative paths are also valuable. This is my edge and this is what burns the fuel in my fire. SO, it's been great talking to Jacqui about this because we are in the same boat right now...her art path, my traveling path. Our parents think we are nuts. Only time will tell............ The only thing I know right now is that I'm leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow and the Dolphins are 6-4!!!!

Paella + Tapas + Flan + Bocadillos = Espana

I really wasn't sure I was going to have time for Spain. I already spent a semester abroad in Spain back in 1998 so I was able to spend a good amount of time visiting all the major cities. I loved my past experiences in Spain. Spain was my first trip to Europe and Spain was also the main reason why I wanted to live in a big city after college. I loved the fact that everyone walked everywhere and I loved the incredible energy of the people and the culture. To top it all off, I loved the food! The food is the reason why I decided to go back to Spain earlier this week. My trip was only 40 hours and 4 of those hours were spent in the aiport. I already spent a week in Croatia so I had almost 2 days in between Croatia and London. I could have extended my time in Croatia or gone to London earlier but why would I do that when I have the world's best paella waiting for me? The obvious choice was to fly to Madrid and indulge myself in the best Spanish food.

My biggest concern when I arrived: I only had 36 hours outside of the airport! 12 of those hours would be for sleeping if I slept 6 hrs each night. That left me with only 24 hours for eating which adds up to 5 meals. FIVE MEALS...that's it?!?!?! I listed all my favorite dishes prior to arriving in Madrid and it included 10 different entrees. How was I suppossed to choose 5 out of the 10? Well, I always believe that you can have everything in life. Maybe not all at once but you can have everything over time. You may have to compromise in certain areas and work really hard to get what you want but in the end, you can have it all. I found the solution to the "you can have it all" scenario....I must pull an ALL NIGHTER. No sleeping for 36 hours. I would have to eat every 4 hours and then buy a meal to go for the plan ride. This is exactly what I did and I got all 10 meals in!!!!

What did I eat? Paella twice (I had to try the meat paella and seafood paella separately), endless amount of different tapas, 3 different bocadillos (which are sub sandwiches), plenty of pastries, and of course flan. Was it worth the trip? ABSOLUTELY. The food in Spain actually ranks as high as Italy on my list. I like tapas in the U.S. too but it does not compare to Spain. People have been asking me if I have put on weight because of all the food I am eating or if I have lost weight because I'm walking around so much. The answer is: I have lost 5 pounds which is a result of running 5x a week and walking around all day. I probably could lose more because I am on my feet all the time but I eat wayyyyyy too much. Every time I'm in these countries I seriously act and think that I'm never going to eat again when I see all these different types of food. It's sort of true in a way...I will be eating those certain dishes only during that short period so why hold back?

Aside from all the eating, I did take a day trip to Salamanca while I was in Spain. Salamanca was the city that I lived in while I was studying abroad and it is a 2.5 hour train ride from Madrid. So if you are doing the math right now, a combined 5 hours of my time in Spain was on a train. This did not hinder my eating schedule because I always grabbed a bocadillo for the train ride so that I can check off my itemized food list. Anyways, as soon as I stepped foot in Salamanca, so many wonderful memories came back to me. I revisited the university, our favorite hang out spots, the warm and cozy cafes, the tasty restaurants, and the street that I lived on. Even though it had been 10 years, I still remembered where everything was and it was so wonderful to see how somethings have not changed at all. At the same time, it was neat to see the subtle modern changes in the city.

I mentioned in the first paragraph that the only reason I went back to Spain was for the food. This is true BUT I'm so glad I made it back because my short time there made me realize how much I loved Spain and how much I missed it! My dear friend Jill has been back 3 times since we left 10 years ago and she still can't get enough of it! I always figured I would go see other places first before going back again but this visit to Spain was just as great as my first. It was wonderful being able to communicate in Spanish and understand the language. I definitely hope to use my Spanish more when I get back to the U.S. If I'm not using it for my job then I definitely want to use it in a volunteering position. I hope my next trip back to Spain will be much sooner than this last one. I left Spain yesterday morning and I am now in London. This will be my last stop in Europe. I fly out of here next Tue the 18th for Hong Kong. I will write about London later this week. So far it's been great! I was only planning on staying here for 3 or 4 days but I extended it for a week since there is so much to do and see!!! P.S. Thanks for the pep talk Jilly. I called my friend Jill the first night I was in Spain and I told her about my food dilemma. She started giving me a pep talk that would have been suitable for a Super Bowl team..."You can do it, Nancy! I know you and what you're capable of!"

Dubrovnik, Croatia

My friend Talin and I just wrapped up a wonderful 7 day trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Before I go into the details of our trip, here is a brief bio about Talin. Talin and I have been friends since May 1998 when we were both bridesmaids in our friend Natalie's wedding. Talin is always introducing me to wonderful things like opera, traveling ideas, and new restaurants. It was great to spend a full week together in the beautiful city of Dubrovnik. We enjoyed exploring the area and learning about the history and the cutlure. In addition to all the sight seeing, our week was filled with great conversations, laughter, and delicious food! We had the world's best seafood ever....everything was so fresh since we were right off the Coast. This food definitely rivaled the food of Italy.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I didn't know much about Dubrovnik before this trip. I'm so glad Talin and I decide to take this trip because Dubrovnik is absoultely beautiful. We had incredible weather...temps were in the low 70s so it was perfect for us to walk around and take in the incredible coastal scenery. The best way to describe Dubrovnik is that it is a combination of the Greek Islands and Ancient Greece all in one spot. Dubrovnik is not an island, but its beaches remind me of the Greek Islands. You also have the Old City of Dubrovnik which has the ancient walls lining up against the coast. I always love seeing two contrasting things put together....ancient history plus modern beaches combine for an intriguing destination!

During our week together, we took a day trip to Bosnia. We had no intention of going to Bosnia but we saw these pics of a beautiful town and we wanted to see this place called Mostar. We figured it was next to Dubrovnik but our guide told us that Mostar was in Bosnia and it was a 2.5 hour drive there. We figured it was worth seeing so we signed up for the tour and spent a day there. When I heard that we were going to Bosnia I just pictured a war torn area that was really grey and depressing. We were wrong. Bosnia has beautiful coast lines like Dubrovnik. The beaches of Bosnia were like the ones we would see in the Carribean. The town of Mostar was beautiful and so quaint. It reminded me of a Medieval village in Germany. Bosnia still has a few buildings that have not been rebuilt since they were damaged from World War II and the war in the early 90s. Our trip taught us a lot about the war and the struggles that these countries went through. It also taught me not to judge a book by its cover. I'm so caught up in going to countries that have the glamourous appeal like Italy, Greece, Spain, etc. There is so much to see in the world and every country has a story to tell. A real story that I can learn from and grow from.

During this week I also had a major turning point where I gained perspective. My friends and family know me as a passionate person. My passion is expressed in two different ways....I exude positive emotion when I love something and I can't contain my enthusiasm and love. I also express my frustration and anger in a passionate lunatic way too. This type of behaviour is commonly expressed to Customer Service agents. I'm sure I am on The Most Hated List of United Airlines, Comcast, YB Customer Service, etc. My philosophy is simple...Just do what you're suppossed to do. I don't expect anything more and I don't expect you to roll out the red carpet for me. Just do your job. Ex. United needs make sure my luggage gets to my destinatin on time...That's all!

SO back to my new gained perspective... Talin and I stayed in a nice hotel in Dubrovnik. The room was nice with a great view and great location. My issues with the hotel: they didn't clean our room one day and they didn't call us on time for our wake up call. These are basics that are a GIVEN in any hotel. Also, the hotel staff was incompetent. They were not helpful and never had an answer for any of our basic questions. Again, these are a given in any hotel. I became frustrated that I had to share my thoughts to the hotel manager in my lunatic ways of expression. I go off on this hotel manager because nothing was getting done. This hotel manager was this kind and gentle person. He was soft spoken and so compassionate. After my rant he responded in his soft voice, "Let's make peace. Let's work on this. I'm sorry about these issues. We will fix this. However, you don't need to get mad. You are on vacation. I want you to be happy. If you want to get mad, get mad about the starving children in the world. Get mad about the people dying in the war but don't worry too much about this. This can all be resolved." He didn't say this in a condescending tone but in a very nurturing and kind tone.

I actually calmed down and I felt so petty. These people have experienced war in their neighborhoods only 15 years ago and survived. Their homes were burned down and their loved ones killed and I'm complaining about my room and our wake up call?!?! Despite what has happened in the last 15 years, these Croatians and Bosnians are so resilient and so warm and so friendly. They don't hold bitterness about their past. Instead they look forward to rebuilding a brighter future. These people have been through hell. I hear about the war in Iraq almost everyday but I don't see the buildings being blown up everyday and dead bodies lying in the streets. Living in the U.S. we are so fortunate to not have to physically witness what is going on in Iraq. We are safe (to a certain extent). I feel far removed from this war and I feel so guilty for being glad that I am far removed from this situation. I don't even give the war too much thought anymore since it's been going on for over 5 years now. I'm ashamed to admit all this but it's true. I obviously do not want innocent people dying. I'm just fortunate that we have brave people fighting for us and hopefully this will all end soon. As for my change in handling customer service situations....I hope I can maintain my cool in the future because I realize now that I should not be sweating the small stuff. The true test will be when I move back to Chicago and I have to deal with Comcast and my movers all over again. AMY GAURI...I still have your back!

Vienna, Austria

My friend Talin and I landed in Dubrovnik, Croatia yesterday and we are not sure if we will ever leave this place! I heard that Dubrovnik was the French Riviera of the Mediterranean and now I believe it! The temperature has been in the mid 70s so it's perfect beach weather. It's definitely warmer than it should be since it's usually in the low 60s this time of the year....we are not complaining. I will write more about Dubrovnik this week. Now, I'll just recap Austria...

I spent four days in Vienna prior to arriving in Dubrovnik. Vienna reminds me of Paris but I think it's better because the people are so much friendlier. Vienna is also the classical music capital of the world since Beethoven, Mozart, and Strauss all started their careers here. I went to a symphony the last night I was in Vienna and it was great to hear the music of these famous composers. It made me want to play music again. I used to play the piano and violin and I stopped when I got to high school. I don't plan to play the violin again but I definitely would like to pick up piano lessons when I get back. Brad and Brandy, Steve and Christy.....can you make sure a piano will be in your homes by the time I get back? I need to practice!!!

As you know, I love all the emails that I receive from everyone. I also like to share the common questions that people have. The biggest question that I've been getting lately is, "What do you like least about the trip?" Of course my honest response is, "I miss my friends and family." OH, I also miss Italian Beef. I really truly enjoy this whole experience but my only hang up would be the communication barrier. I have had no problems getting by because most people speak English. I also don't expect people to speak English the way we do (ie. slang) . However, I am a very expressive person and I love to communicate my joy and happiness and sometimes it's not that easy to convey this to foreigners. For example, in Italy I wanted to hug and kiss all the people that prepared my food. I LOVED it that much. I wanted to say this to the server, "This food is absolutely unbelievable. It is torcher knowing this food exists in the world and I can't have it everyday. How am I going to live like this? I will be miserable eating Italian food anywhere else. I'm already depressed thinking about it. I'd like to kiss the feet of the man that made this. " My server knew how to say the items on the menu in English but the minute I started to ooh and ahh about the food he just kept smiling. Again, I don't hold it against people because they shouldn't have to know English like we do. I just want to get my point across because I love passing on my passion and enthusiasm :) This experiene has definitely taught me a lot about being a creative communicator. Ex. I started blowing kisses to my food and making a heart with my fingers to convey my love for the Italian food. I'm sure the server thought I was a moron.

Speaking of language and communication.....I love WORDS. Certains words say it all. In Vienna I was taking to these two German guys Gunthar and Stan and we were rehashing bad dates and bad relationships. I mentioned a guy that I went on a few dates with and I referred to him as a douche bag. OK, I'm sure people reading this are now thinking about which guy this is and probably coming up with a long list of possibilites. Anyways, when I said douche bag, this guy Gunthar says, "He was like a soap, very clean?" Then I had to go into the definition and these guys didn't understand why douche bag sums up these qualities. I said it was a very appropriate term to use and this word just says it all....a cocky tool that thinks he's the hottest thing when he's really not. So, they tried to use the word in the proper context and it wasn't really working out. Our bartender was pretty slow with the service all night so they asked me, "He's a douche bag, no?" or we would walk by a homeless person on the street and they would say, "DOUCHE BAG!" and I would tell them no. Finally they put it together when we were at another bar and this American guy from NJ came over and sat next to us. He started talking about how he's this big shot consultant and he owns a condo in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Philly. This was all mentioned in the first 5 minutes of our conversation. He ended up sitting with us for over an hour and when he finally left Gunthar says, "He is really a douche bag, right?" I nodded in agreement and I was so proud they got it right. Then I started thinking, "I'm really pathetic. This is my U.S. cultural contribution? I can bring so much more valuable U.S. info to the table and this is what I come up with?" I may as well be white trash.

My last day in Vienna also marked the end of my first month traveling. Europe will almost be over in 2 weeks. It has gone by so fast and I'm getting sad thinking about saying goodbye to Europe. I will leave my last words about Europe in my final Europe blog. The next place I'm heading to is Southeast Asia. I originally had plans to go to Australia for 2 weeks after Asia but now I have changed my mind because I plan on going on an 11 day bike tour through Vietnam. This tour will cover 495 kilometers (I haven't converted into miles yet) on a bike and start from the north in Hanoi and go all the way south to Ho Chih Minh. I am really looking forward to this challenge because I want to say that I accomplished something while I've been on this trip. I definitely think the trip itself is already rewarding but I would like to add this physical challenge to my journey. I will keep you posted!!!

The Three B's...Budapest, Bread, and Baths

I've been in Budapest for the past four days and it has been a very relaxing trip. Normally when I visit a new place I have a list of places to see, restaurants to check out, and bars to go to. This time I didn't have any of that done since I made my decision to go to Budapest at the train station. When I arrived here I went straight to an Internet Cafe to find a place to stay. I found a very cute hostel right in the center of Budapest.

A lot of people have asked me what these hostels are like....it's a good question because I had no idea until I started this trip. Most of the hostels that I have stayed in are like college dorms. They are mid-rise buildings with a bunch of rooms that you share with another traveler, sometimes you may have 4 or 6 people to a room. It all depends. All the good hostels have big bars on the bottom floor with a fun lounge area for the people staying in the hostel. In the beginning I had 2 bad experiences of staying in a hostel...the rooms were dirty and I really thought Justin was going to win his bet about me checking into a 5 Star hotel in the first week of my trip. I eventually figured out how to weed out the good hostels from the bad ones so now I haven't had any problems in the last 3 weeks! The great thing about hostels is that everyone is in the same boat. Most people are all traveling by themselves so it's a very easy way to meet people.

SO, back to my hostel in Budapest....this place was very small and quaint. There were only 8 people staying there but it was the cutest place that I've stayed in. There was a kitchen where everyone would hang out, eat together, and watch movies. The funny thing about this place was that all of us were on the same page. We were all really tired and exhausted from traveling from place to place. Obviously tired and exhausted in a good way but we just needed a place to chill and this place was perfect for that. During the time that I was in Budapest I did not go on any formal tours or go inside any museums. I needed a break! Budapest is a beautiful city so I walked and ran the whole area everyday. I started feeling guilty for not doing the traditional sight seeing tours but I felt better once I stopped into a tourist shop and saw all the postcards with the major landmarks. I was proud to say that I had seen all these places during my walks/jogs. I don't know the significance of every building like I did in the earlier countries but I will read up on it later.

Outside of walking and jogging, I've been eating tons of bread and taking many baths. Hungarian food has been okay. It's not as great as all the other food that I've been eating but the bread here is fantastic. I love going to the bakery and filling my backpack with bread and eating it all day. I need to stock up on my supply before I get on the train tonight for Vienna.

As for the baths......OH HOW I LOVE TURKISH BATHS. I had no idea what this was but I heard from the others in my hostel that this was a must do activity in Budapest. A Turkish Bath has several steps...First step is a spa treatment (I did the full body mud wrap), Second step varies by person but generally you sit in a pool of hot water (hot spring) for as long as you want. Then you sit in a sauna as long as you want. Finish it off by taking a cool swim in a swimming pool. These baths are great places for people to hang out and it is a big part of the social scene. You can also opt out of the spa treatment and just do the hot springs, sauna, and swimming pool. I took a bath all four days here. It was so relaxing!

A major PLUS of Budapest is that all the services are cheap. Clothes, shoes, accessories are all the same as the U.S. but going out to eat and anything service related is very affordable. Two perfect illustrations...Ladies, I got my legs and underarms waxed for $15. That included the tip. It was actually $10 but I gave her a $5 tip. Guys, it's actually cheaper to get a bottle of beer than it is to get a bottle of water. SO, if you want to save money you should just drink beer. BTW... The full on bath experience was $35 (including tip) so it is common for most people here to do this at least once a week.

One last observation I want to bring up before I finish this entry...I have mentioned in earlier blogs that I really enjoy meeting the other backpackers. It's so interesting to see all walks of like in these hostels. There is a 62 year old backpacker from Australia staying my hostel and he has been traveling since August. I don't really know his whole story. We only talk about our traveling experiences. Then there is also a married couple staying in our hostel too. This is actually not the first time I've seen a married couple in a hostel with me. In fact I shared a room with a couple in Munich and we are all sleeping in our own separate bunk bed. Prior to this trip I always thought that college kids or hippies stayed in hostels. I was completely wrong. It seems like everyone outside of the U.S. stays in hostels when they travel. For me and my friends back home we would never think of a hostel as an option. We always stay in hotels but now, I see a totally different side to traveling. I guess it all comes down to what you hope to gain from your traveling experience. When I talk to these other travelers about staying in hostels they all have the same response, "Why would we want to spend the money on a hotel when we could use that money to see more countries?" It all makes sense now because these people have been to so many more places than me. Hostel life has been good to me but I'm very excited to stay in a hotel in Croatia with Talin...750 thread count sheets are waiting for me in four days!!!!

Merci Paris!

The best word to describe Paris is PRETTY. The architecture is pretty, the art work is pretty, the language sounds pretty, and the pastries look pretty. I enjoyed Paris with my friends from DC -- Risa and Rob. The three of us hit all the major tourist sites....the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, and Versailles. My favorite thing about Paris were the Gardens of Versailles. These gardens were incredible and it just shows you that Louis XIV was the King of Bling when it came to his home and his outdoor surroundings. These gardens stretched out so far and each path would lead you down another incredible landscape masterpiece. Beautiful!

It's hard to believe that I have been gone for almost a month. I'm enjoying this experience SO MUCH more than I thought I would. I figured I would like it but I never thought I would LOVE it this much. Honestly, I was freaking out the last few days before I left. EVERYONE was always asking me about my trip and telling me how great this experience is going to be. I started getting major anxiety. I did not want to talk about it so I would respond to their questions and change the subject as fast as I could. People would say, "This is going to be the best thing ever!" and I started to freak out and thought, "Whoa, what if I go and I can't hack it so I come home after a week? I will let everyone down." Well, here is how I mustered up the strength and changed my anxiety and fear into passion for this trip....

1. GIFTS --- I have the best friends in the world! I received so many wonderful gifts and kind wishes before I left. I brought every single email and card with me and I looked at them when I had doubts in the beginning. I also loved all my bon voyage gifts and thought, "damn, if i go home early I would have to give these back." I definitely didn't want to do that :)

2. SMALL VICTORIES --- This trip has taught me so much about appreciating the little things. You have no idea how happy I am when I find my hostel on the first try or when I successfully transfer train lines. I seriously want to start dancing and screaming for joy! These little things fire me up and tell me, "Yeah, you're so awesome and no one can do this like you." I am a bit dillusional but it makes me feel good.

3. LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT --- My favorite part of the trip is walking out of the train station in every new city and seeing it for the first time. It leaves me speechless. I walk out and I see new buildings, signs in a new language, hear a different language, see differnet people, smell a new scent, and take in new scenery. This makes me want to see more!

4. GAME TIME DECISION --- I knew I wanted to stay in Europe for 6 weeks before I went to Asia. The only European countries I knew I was going to were Greece, Italy, France, and Croatia. Everything else has been a spur of the moment decision. There have been times when I go to bed knowing where I am going the next day but then during breakfast I will completely change my mind and go elsewhere. This is how I ended up at Budapest...I was going to go to Spain and then I changed my mind at the train station. I love making these last minute decisions because this is so NOT like me. This trip has bought my uptight level down to a 6.75 out of a 10 point scale. It was originally at an 11.

5. INSPIRATION. This trip inspires me everyday. It has taught me so much about history, culture, and life. It makes me want to read and learn more about world history. I am ashamed when I meet people here and they want to discuss American history and I really don't have much to say. I'm a college graduate and I can't give you the cause and effect of every historical event in U.S. history. It's embarrassing! Then people start asking me about Korean history and I'm again clueless...It makes me want to cringe. One guy from Switzerland asked me what my last name meant and I said, "UH, I don't know." I have a long list of things I want to read up on when I get back. If I have time to watch Gossip Girls and the Hills, I definitely can make time to read for an hour each day. I love learning and this trip has taught me so much...I'm craving to learn more!

I just got to Budapest this morning and so far it's been great. I just had lunch so you know I'm a happy camper after every meal. I look forward to writing about my Budapest experience later this week!

AMSTERDAM

I have always heard interesting things about Amsterdam so it was nice to finally see what everyone was talking about! I arrived early in the morning at 7:45 am. I was exhausted because I didn't really sleep on the overnight train and I hardly slept in Munich so I was looking forward to dropping off my things at the hostel and wandering around the city by myself. I needed alone time because I had not been alone since I started this trip. As soon as I got to the hostel, I saw four guys hanging out in the lobby and they asked me if I wanted to go to a cafe with them. I was not in the mood to socialize but I said to myself, 'Just go!' so I followed them to a cafe where we picked up crossiants and orange juice. I thought we were hanging out there but they said we were taking our treats elsewhere. We ended up at another cafe as these guys start rolling a joint after joint. I didn't smoke.

Here's my background on drugs...I don't do drugs. I have a few friends that do drugs. I don't care if you do drugs. I'm not passing judgement. I've tried pot 2x back in college and it did nothing for me. I don't even know the typical drug lingo so I'm pretty clueless. Do people even say joint anymore? I knew pot was legal in Amsterdam so this was not a surprise to me. The only thing that I found humourous about this whole situation was seeing these 4 European guys smoking pot and eating chocolate filled croissants and sipping on OJ at 9am.

Three of the guys were from Italy and one guy was from Spain so we talked about our traveling experiences. I really wish I could tape record the conversations that I have with people...It is so interesting to hear different opinions and cultural views! After hanging out with them for a few hours I left to go to Anne Frank's house and the Van Gogh exhibit. Both were great sites! I ended up grabbing a sandwich at a cafe when I came across this Smart Zone. There are a lot of Smart Zones throughout Amsterdam so I was curious to see what they sold inside. I walked in and saw a few souvenirs but they mainly sold drugs...Marijuana and Mushrooms. I had no idea mushrooms were legal here too. Of course the curious person that I am started to ask the owner questions about the drugs and the affects. I sounded like a reporter jotting notes in my head. I walked away from the store with more awareness of these drugs and the purpose that it served in Amsterdam. It seems like these Smart Zones are really targeted for tourists. One question I forgot to ask the owner was this...Why are these placed called Smart Zones? Isn't this a misleading name for what they sell?

Next Stop...RED LIGHT DISTRICT. I'm not going to lie. I was really excited to see the Red Light District.....Prostitutes in the window displays....Very interesting. As I was walking through the area I couldn't help but check out all the girls. In fact I started thinking, "Man, I wish I could talk to one of these girls because I have so many questions." SUDDENLY, I see a sign for a Red Light District tour with a former prostitute that will answer any questions. YES! COUNT ME IN! The tour started at 8pm and we all met at a Prostitute Agency and this former prostitute greeted us. She was very attractive and friendly. She stopped being a prostitute because she is married with 3 kids now. I was the youngest person in the group. There were eight older married couples. Seriously, they were at least 3o years older than me. When it came down to the Q and A part no one was asking questions so I started to fire away....

How many people would you see in a day? 10 on a slow day, 40 on busy day
How long do you meet with each client? 15 minutes for anywhere around $50 to $70
Do you have to get tested for diseases? It's voluntary
What are the rules? The men cannot touch the girls
Are you going to tell your kids? Yes, when they are older

Afterwards we started to walk around the district to view the windows. The older couples in my group thanked me for asking the questions because they were curious too. As we were walking around I discovered something that no one else has ever mentioned about Amsterdam...Live Sex Shows. I thought we had everything in America. I asked my guide if this was indeed a live sex show and she said yes. She kind of gave me the look like, "can't you read the sign?" Unbelievable. It was about $75 dollars. BTW, I did not check it out.

Amsterdam definitely lived up to everything I heard before coming here but there is so much more. It is beautiful and reminds me of Venice with all the canals running throughout the city. The Dutch are incredibly friendly. Any time I would ask for directions, they would either print up the directions from google maps or walk me to the destination.

Amsterdam is also known for their many bicyclists.....Thank God Jaclyn told me to watch out for the bikers because they are everywhere. You have a better chance of getting hit by a bicyclist than a car. Ahhh...it makes me miss my bike! Prior to starting my trip, I said that I was drawing a blank right now about my future but I'm eager to embrace whatever comes my way. I finally had an image come to me...I saw this older woman who had to be at least 75 years old. She was riding a bike and she was wearing a turquoise blue wool hat, with a matching turquoise blue sweater, black pleated skirt that hit below her knees, black tights, and black shoes.....she looked so happy riding her bike. I have no idea where she was going...I'm going to say that she was meeting her girlfriends at lunch. Anyways, that image locked into my head and I said, "I want to be her when I'm 75." So this is all I know so far about my future....

German Beer and Australians

Here is a brief conclusion of my trip to Italia.....

Eight days and 32 scoops of gelato later, it was time to say goodbye to Italia. I spent the last 3.5 days in Florence and Venice and enjoyed every minute of it. Florence is beauitful and it has the warmth of a small town combined with the great offerings of a big city. Venice is breathtaking and intriguing....the mere fact that it is a city in water makes you wonder how they have managed to function this way for so long! I kept thinking of the Italian Job while I was there.

As I mentioned before, I definitely like to reflect on my experiences in each country and think about my biggest takeaways. Italy taught me to indulge and enjoy every minute of life. Here are a few examples..

I bought a pair of yoga pants while I was in Venice. They were a bit long so I took them to a tailor shop a few blocks away from the store. I told the seamstress that I hated to rush her but I needed the pants in 4 hrs because I had a train to catch. I wasn´t too worried about asking her to hurry because I offered to pay double what she charged AND she wasn´t busy when I walked in. She said she couldn´t do it in time because it was time for her to have lunch and relax for the next 3 hours. I knew Spain had siesta but it turned out certain places in Italy did too. I offered her 30 Euros to do it for me. This was 3x times more than her rate but I didn´t care because I really needed the pants. I figured this offer would be a no brainer. She turned me down and said this was now HER time to enjoy life and that money can´t buy time. She wasn´t going to budge. End Result: I asked her for a pair of scissors and I cut the extra length off and we were both happy. She then told me to take the 30 Euros and use it to enjoy my life.

Another example...When people give directions in Italy, they are very vague because they don´t offer exact distance (miles, feet, zards, blocks, etc.) Instead they say something like, "Walk down for 4 minutes, turn right, then walk for another 6 minutes and turn left." I´m a fast walker so how do I know what pace these times are based on? I wanted to go to the Duermo in Florence and I knew it was somewhere near my hostel because I read it online. I asked the owner of my hostel for directions and he gave me the Minute by Minute directions so I followed them. He said 5 minutes down the street, turn left, and walk for 2 minutes and it will be on my left. I timed everything and I was nowhere near the Duermo. I walked back to the hostel and told the owner I was lost. He gently grabbed my hand and he started to take me to the Duermo himself. We walked out of the hostel and he pointed to his watch....It was 8:25am. We started walking, we stopped for an esspresso, he pointed to a few things in different stores that he liked, etc. We got to a corner and he pointed to his watch. 5 mins had passed so we then turned left like he had instructed me to. We started walking again and he is talking to me about his wife, his kids, etc and then we stop. He points to his watch. 2 mins had passed and we are now at the Duermo. He told me that I walk too fast and I need to slow down and see everzthing around me and take it all in. BTW, the Duermo was actually on the other side of my block. I had walked 12 blocks away during the first 5 mins which explains why I couldn´t find it. It only took me 43 seconds to walk back to my hostel after I finished up at the Duermo.

Grazie Italia for the great life lessons and all the delicious food!

GERMANY....I´ve been in Munich for the past 4 days and I can´t say enough great things about it. I´m sure everyone is really sick of hearing me say this because I say it so often but I really feel this way about everything I see. The funny thing is that I had no intention of coming to Germany because I didn´t know if I would have enough time. I planned to do Germany another time. Enter Paula and John Hunsche. They invited me over and showed me all their great pics of Munich and said that I had to go to. They were so enthusiastic about their past trip that I made it a MUST DO in Europe. Good thing I listened to them! I was suppossed to leave on the 5am train this morning to go to Amsterdam but I decided to take the overnight train tonight instead so that I can spend another day in Munich because I liked it so much. Thank you Hunsches!

I have mixed emotions when I talk about Munich because there are two different sides to this city. There is the dark side of Munich that served as the capital of the Nazis during WWII. I went to the Dachaus Cencentration Camp to learn about the grim and horrifying details. I walked away from the tour feeling sad, angry, and disturbed. It was such an eye opener for me to see what human beings are capable of doing. This tour was on my mind all day, and the next day, and even now. There were a few of us in the tour group that went out that night and we were still disucssing it and how it affects our lives today. I know I have 3.5 months left of my trip but I can already say that the Dachaus tour will be the most significant thing that I do.

The other side of Munich: Beer Capital of the World and the home of OctoberFest. I had no idea Munich owned the Beer Capital title because I always assumed it would be Ireland. I stand corrected now. I went to a beer hall/beer garden tour to learn about the significance of beer to the Bavarians and it is clearly evident that beer is the heart and soul of Munich. I enjoyed my German beer at the famous Hofbrauhaus and learned what a beer hall was. Please bear with me....I´m sure most people know what a beer hall is but this was my first time. I LOVE beer halls now. We need to introduce these to the U.S. Brad, let´s start working on this project for Chicago. After all, I will need a job so why don´t you open one up and hire me!

The main reason why I love beer halls is because it is a great way to meet people. You walk into a bar and all you see are rows and rows of wooden tables and wooden benches all around the room. These tables are long so many groups can sit at one table. You and your friends just have to find some open space and sit in between others. Everyone at the table is so friendly and so much fun and you basically spend the whole time talking, laughing, and of course drinking. Fun times!

When I was planning for this trip, my advanced backpackers and frequent traveling friends told me, "you are going to meet SOOOOO many people." I figured I would meet people but they kept on saying, "SOOOO many people." so I figured I would wait and see. They were right. When you have environments like beer halls and hostels, it´s almost impossible to not meet SOOOO many people. The people that I have met have been incredible. They are what makes this trip amazing. I´m the rookie everywhere I go so I love learning from these other travelers who are experienced. They are resourceful, quick on their feet, and always have a good answer for all of my questions.

Example...I lost my jacket at one of the bars in Munich. The weather in Munich has been perfect fall weather so I wasn´t too worried about not having it in Munich. I really needed it for Amsterdam because it´s in the 50s and low 60s. Unfortunately all the stores close on Sunday in Munich so I couldn´t get a jacket in time. Also, timing was a bit off too because my friend Risa was going to meet me in 5 days in Paris and she was planning on bringing me a jacket. A few Aussies heard of my situation and gave me a good resolution. They said, "Don´t stress and don´t go to Amsterdam just yet. Go to Sevilla or anywhere warm in Spain so that you won´t need a jacket. Then meet your friend Risa and get your jacket from her before you go to Amsterdam." Sounds like a plan to me! Fortunately, I found the jacket the next day so now I´m go to Amsterdam after Munich, just as I had planned.

AUSSIES...I love Australians. Australian guys are so cute and I love their accents. This guy Drew who I met a few nights ago is adorable. He is 25 years old...a little puppy. Nothing will happen between us. He is so sweet, funny, and adventurous. He has been in Munich for the same time as me and he tells me yesterday that he is going to the Consulate office to apply for a work Visa. He just made up his mind out of the blue and now wants to stick around here. He said if that didn´t work out he was going to apply to work as a bartender on the cruise ships so he can travel to more places. Again, so different from what I´m used to but I love hearing about these different paths that people take. Last night Drew and I were hanging out at the bar downstairs and I was just staring at him and suddenly I said, "I´m sorry but I keep on staring at you because you remind me of someone. That´s why I keep on studying your face." I´m such a loser. I´M STUDYING YOUR FACE??? What? Why would I say that I´m studying his face? I´m not some artist who needs to study a face before I start drawing. I´m a loser. He kindly responded with, "Okay, just let me know who I resemble!". I love him. Okay, time to eat my last Brat in Munich and enjoy my last 8 hours here. I´ll write from Amsterdam soon!

Michael Jordan vs. Michelangelo

A common question people ask me and all other travelers is, "Where are you from?". In the beginning I was true to my roots and told people that I was from the DC area. My response would get interesting and negative reactions about Bush, the U.S., the economy, etc. At first it was very interesting to hear the different perceptions that other countries have of us. It would spark up great conversations and debates that were eye opening for me. After awhile, it got a little exhausting so I changed my "Where are you from?" response to, "I´m from Chicago." People began to respond with joy and excitement because of Michael Jordan. "Do you see Michael Jordan?" or "Michael Jordan is incredible!" and some have even asked "Are you friends with Michael Jordan." Yeah, he is one of my boys and I hang out with MJ at Hangge Uppes on the weekends. I always knew MJ was a superstar but it is still neat to see his star power continue so far across the world.

Obviously people are famous for good things and bad things. Everyone knows who Bin Laden is but not for good reasons. Hearing these positive responses about MJ made me think about other influential people in our lifetime and I have to put Míchelangelo on that list. NOW, I wouldn´t have put him on this list had I not been spending this time learning about him. When I toured the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and saw his David sculpture in Florence I was blown away by his many talents. This guy was the MJ of painting, sculpting, and architecture. Seriously, anyone that is clueless and indifferent to Art would walk away amazed.

I took a few Art History classes in high school and college but I didn´t really pay too much attention. I just memorized what I had to in order to get a good grade. Now at 30 yrs old, I´m the nerd that is following the tour guide around asking him to elaborate more and begging him to discuss further insights that he has about art history. Michelangelo completed a lot of his famous pieces including the Sistine Chapel in his 20s and earlz 30s. As we all know, the cieling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most recognized art frescoes in the world. The line to get in to the chapel wrapped around the Vatican twice! Fortunately I didn´t have to wait because I signed up for a guide. It was incredible to see the many different faces from all over the world standing in line to see his work. This is when I realized that Michelangelo blows away MJ in star power. Both were the greatest in their respective fields. The major differences would be the length of the star power along with the people that they have influenced and continue to influence.

Michelangelo´s influence has been going on since the late 1400s....over 600 zears! MJ´s presence has been around since the mid 80s...so about 25 zears (still very impressive). Michelangelo continues to influence and inspire all nationalities, ages, and personalities. MJ does too but in a lesser scale compared to Michelangelo. Ex. My parents would be into Michelangelo over MJ. Prior to coming to Italy I would have said MJ would be more inspiring to me. After seeing what Michelangelo has done it´s no contest. Michelangelo dominated the art world and reshaped European history and culture. He put his "A" game towards everything he attempted in his career, even if he didn´t want to. I learned that he never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel but the Pope made him so he reluctantly did. He could have half assed it but he didn´t. A masterpiece was the end result. He designed the dome of St.Peter´s Basilica when he was 71 years old. At 71 years old I thought he would lose his edge and not be in his prime...not the case for Michelangelo. The dome of the Basilica is now a defining feature of the Vatican thanks to his design. Clearly Michelangelo has left an incredible legacy that will continue for many years.

Seeing his many incredible works made me think about my life and I started to ask myself, "What will I accomplish in my lifetime? What do I want to be remembered for?" I would love to be the Michelangelo of so many things. I want to live a purpseful life that has a positive impact on me and others. I feel like these past 8 months haven´t been my best "A" game because I´ve let my job dissatisfaction get the best of me. It´s a shame because everything else in my life is wonderful. I look forward to these next few months of constantly learning new things and learning about myself. I can´t wait to come home and start the next chapter of my life. Until then, I will continue to enjoy my time abroad and start putting that "A" game on NOW.

PREVIEW...my next blog will be about the interesting people that I´ve been meeting.