Welcome back to the land of gorgeous temples! Ahhh Cambodia. How I miss you. It's been weird adjusting to life back in America: cars, what is this nonsense?! Not having to sweat incessantly in humidity? THANK GOODNESS! Although my sleep schedule, or lack thereof, has been pretty rough. It is a 14 hour time difference between Southeast Asia and California so I'm essentially opposite to when I was going to bed and waking up. Not fun. 

But let's look back to what was my favorite city on my grand tour: Siem Reap, Cambodia. We left off with my minor setback of a nasty case of conjunctivitis after spending a glorious day out and about in the Angkor Wat complex. For my second full day in Cambodia I took a day off from temples to give my poor eyes a rest from the dust and sun. I spent the day inside at the Angkor National Museum (such a party animal, this one!). The museum was actually really really informative, almost to an overwhelming effect! The various exhibits covered the religious, political, and geographical influences on the architecture of the temple complexes of Cambodia and gave me a great overview of what to look for in terms of differences in architecture and style among each of the Wats. I was an Art History nerd both in high school and college so I highly enjoyed the exhibits and vast amount of historical artifacts on display. I couldn't take pictures but trust me, it was awesome! 

After leaving the museum I ate lunch at a quaint and relaxing vegan restaurant that also functions as a fair trade shop, job training center, cooking school, and yoga center. Basically all good things in the world come out of the Peace Cafe in Siem Reap. The food was absolutely delicious and ridiculously cheap ($3.75 for a salad and fresh spring rolls, all made with organic and locally sourced ingredients? YES. PLEASE!) and the atmosphere was, for lack of a better word, very peaceful. I closed out my day by walking around the shops in the center of town, relaxing in the hostel, and catching up on my reading and emails. Oh the exciting life I lead! ;) 

My third day in Cambodia was arguably one of my luckiest and most enjoyable days I had on the duration of my trip. I signed up for a group tour of the larger circuit of temples with a local company, one that would take me to the further out temples I mentioned previously as well as Bantey Srei, a temple claimed to be built by women due to its extremely detailed carvings. I stood waiting outside of my hostel promptly at 7:30am and waited for a good while- ignoring the constant thrum of tuk-tuk drivers trying to get me to rent them for the day. The car finally arrived after 8:00am and my driver hopped out, telling me that although I had purchased a group tour it was the slow season and therefore no one else had signed up. 

This sounded like a major bummer at first but then I realized I would be getting a private guided tour in an air conditioned CAR (SCORE! Both for my eyes and my heat-weary self!) with a tour guide that had received his Master's degree in Cambodian History. Jackpot!!! 


We headed out to the temples with our driver and my awesome guide who told me his life story along the way. And what a story it was! He had grown up in a small village in Cambodia and after finishing school went into the army before becoming a monk and then finally going to school for Cambodian History and teaching in local high schools. What a guy! Extremely smart and knowledgeable about everything and anything having to do with Cambodia. 

Our first stop on the grand temple tour was the Pre Rup Temple. We pulled up to the temple and I was quite surprised by the amount of children and people milling about the temple. To the right of the temple itself there was a large tent with a ton of monks and people cooking and with pots and pots of food. I asked my guide what in the world was going on and turns out it was a National Holiday and all the children had the day off school. The monks were awaiting the meals prepared by the people who would in turn get a blessing.   

All the monks waiting for some delicious food! 

My guide also told me that Cambodia has a ton of national holidays- must be nice! 

It was quite noisy with people drumming and playing music and the children playing tag and screaming as children generally do so we quickly headed into the temple where my guide began telling me extensive information about the temple and generally the history of Cambodia. I had no idea that Cambodia used to be HUGE (encompassing most of Laos, Thailand, and Southern Vietnam!) but I did know that over time Cambodia transitioned from being predominantly Hindu to Buddhist. This resulted in major shifts in architecture and temple structure and statues- a lot of Hindu statues were destroyed and replaced with Buddhist carvings and statues. All fascinating stuff! 

But on to the temple itself. ;) Just look at it: 

No matter how many temples I saw each one was so impressive and awe-inspiring! It was really hard to suppress the urge to snap a billion photos. Who am I kidding, I did that anyways! 

After walking around and up to the top of Pre Rup we climbed back in our nicely air conditioned vehicle and drove to our second temple, Ta Som. Ta Som was built in the 12th Century and is similar in style to the Ta Prohm temple (AKA the Tomb Raider temple) in that it has a really spectacular tree growing through the temple: 

I just love these trees; they don't care about such menial things as ancient temples! They just grow where they want, when they want. ;) 

Our third temple of the day was Preah Kanh, which was probably my favorite temple from the day. We walked up to the main entrance and over the moat (which I mean, anything with a moat is automatically cool right?!), snapping pictures along the way: 

Being that it was the middle of the dry season the moat was *ahem* a little low.... but gorgeous  nonetheless! We walked further and further into the complex and I couldn't stop saying how beautiful it was. Can you blame me?!

I mean, how?! How is this a real place!? 

*Sidenote*: I went through a lot of pain for the picture above. My guide was really funny in that he always gave me tips on where to stand for the best pictures and he told me to stand in this little dirt patch and shoot in this direction of the temple. Well.....the "dirt patch" turned out to be a giant ant hill. Of red fire ants. I couldn't figure out why my feet were hot and painful and I looked down and my sandals are swarming with fire ants. It was seriously so painful and mind boggling! How can these little demons from Hell incur such fiery wrath in so short of a time?! I truly do suffer for my art *dramatic swoon* ;) 

We then walked over to what used to be the Library of the temple, which can be seen on the right in the picture below. As the daughter of a librarian I naturally love books and libraries and besides having to take a photo to capture its sheer beauty I wanted one to show my mom! 

At the very back of Preah Kanh are the grand finales- more invasive yet stunningly gorgeous trees. 

I don't know how else to describe it other than magical. I didn't even want to blink for fear that I would waste a precious second of viewing time of these glorious sites. Preah Kanh wasn't too crowded either, only adding to how special my day here was. I reluctantly dragged myself away as we got back in the car and started driving the 35km out to Bantey Srei, the final stop on the tour. 

The average visitor to the Angkor temples doesn't see Bantey Srei, mostly due to the fact that it's a good 45 minutes outside of town at least. It is out there. But a friend I had met along my travels told me it was not to be missed and it was her favorite temple for its intricate and detailed carvings. The temple is called Bantey Srei by the locals which my guide told me roughly translates to "built by women". The reason for this is that the pink limestone with which the temple is built has some of the most complex and ornate carvings out of any of the temples. They are so detailed that many argue that they could only be created by the dainty hands of women. Therefore, the temple is known as the Lady's Temple, or Bantey Srei. 

After driving quite the distance we finally arrived. It took a bit to walk over to the temple itself but once we were there I was immediately struck by how right my friend had been. This place was amazing. 

The carvings were absolutely brilliant and my guide did an excellent job of telling me all the history behind a good number of the carvings. It was really interesting and I loved being able to walk around a nearly empty temple all by myself!

As you can see in the photos the looming presence of the clouds (and the monsoon rain that they would inevitably bring!) cut our visit short a bit. Neither of us wanted to get drenched! 

On the way back my guide told me about a giant flood a few years ago at Bantey Srei that destroyed parts of the temple and stranded a bunch of tourists. It was declared an emergency because the flood also knocked out the only bridge into and out of the area and people rode buffalo, canoes, anything they could their hands on in an effort to escape before helicopters were finally sent out to help. How crazy is that?! 

Our day came to an end after I was dropped back off in Siem Reap, where I spent the rest of my day enjoying a cup of coffee and lunch at my beloved Sister Srey Cafe, hanging out with fellow travelers in the hostel, and walking around the night market area. 

The remainder of my days in Siem Reap passed fairly quickly. The day before I was set to leave I had an unforgettable experience being able to visit my favorite non-profit and the one which originally sparked my interest in Cambodia. I briefly talked about it in my last post  but on my final day in Cambodia before I left I had arranged a visit with the AIM staff in Siem Reap. On my visit I met with one of their core team members (who also happened to be from my hometown! Small world!) and we talked for hours about the situation of sex trafficking in this region and the transformative and restorative work AIM is doing to fight the evils of this issue from all sides. The level of secrecy that the organization has to maintain meant that I didn't take pictures (or even know what the address was of the various sites we visited) but I had a really great time getting to meet some of the social workers, chatting to the staff members, and learning everything I could about the sex-trafficking situation in Cambodia. It was extremely rewarding and eye-opening and I plan on visiting their main facilities when I go back to Cambodia someday. Because I do plan on going back. ;) If you want to donate to an incredibly amazing cause that does SO much good please consider visiting http://agapewebsite.org/. There are a number of ways to get involved and spread the word and every little bit helps! 

Cambodia- you stole my heart. From the warmth of the people, the beauty of the country, the rich history of the temples I couldn't stop my heart from smiling the entire time I was there. Siem Reap is a really special place for me and one that I am already making plans to re-visit. I highly recommend for everyone to visit Cambodia at least once in their life, I promise it is well well worth it. ;) 

Thanks for reading and until next time-

Happy Travels! 

-Freckles 

My whirlwind trip around Southeast Asia is coming to an end and I truly believe I saved the best for last. The last country on my list (and to be honest the one I was looking forward to the most!) was Cambodia.

Now, for those that know me I've had this strange obsession/burning desire to visit Cambodia for a couple years now. It all started when one Sunday when in high school, attending a service at my local church. The guest speaker was Clayton Butler from an organization called Agape International Missions and he shed light on something that my naive mind had no idea existed.

He talked about the horrors of child sex trafficking in Cambodia and how widespread it is not just in Cambodia itself but globally as well. My heart weeped as I listened to atrocities going on each and every day, hidden just out of plain sight but nevertheless still there.

I left that sermon feeling at once absolutely heartbroken yet passionately inspired. I knew that I wanted to educate myself and those in my community about this issue and spent years in both high school and college dedicating any papers that I could find a relevant link to to the topic. I tried unsuccessfully to organize or jump in on missions going to Cambodia only to have them fall through each and every time, leaving me devastated. But I knew that I would someday make it there, in my own time.

Flash forward to today, where I'm sitting in my newly found favorite spot in Siem Reap, the Sister Srey Cafe (owned by 2 badass Australian expats that donate a huge chunk of their profits to local charities and participate in a job training program for local Cambodian people). I'm here! And the minute I stepped foot in Siem Reap I felt a immediate admiration and awe for this place.

My first day in Siem Reap was spent doing what everyone in Siem Reap comes to do: the Temples of Angkor. I did the small loop with a girl I met at the hostel, splitting the $15 tuk-tuk ride for the day to take us around all the various temples.

Our first stop was the infamous Angkor Wat which words can't even begin to describe. It was so surreal to be standing in a spot that I had dreamt of visiting for so many years. Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and the place is truly massive. We got there around 10:00am and it was already ridiculously hot (I now understood the appeal of the 4:30am sunrise tour...). And despite it being the "off-season" it was still mobbed with tourists. It kind of detracted from the magic that is Angkor Wat, but only slightly. ;) I mean look at it!

It just takes your breath away!

We spent almost an hour and a half at Angkor Wat, weaving our way in and out of the passages that used to be libraries, receiving numerous bracelets from monks infused with a blessing (for a small donation of course), and fighting our way into a line to climb up to the top level of the temple. Yes my friends, even Angkor Wat is not immune to Disneyland line syndrome. It was well worth it though as you look out over the sprawling complex of Wats in the distance. It really does leave you breathless and just in complete awe of something so old still being preserved.

We staggered our way back through the throngs of children screaming at you to buy the most random junk. Like- why would I EVER need an annoying plastic flute?! After locating our tuk tuk driver we drove over to the Temple of Bayon, a popular viewing site for the sunset. And it was really really cool- in a very different style than Angkor Wat. Loads of heads and faces carved into it which was so fun to look at. There were tons of stones and cairns lying about as well, most likely left by various visitors or monks I have no idea but I loved them! 

This temple was also so much less crowded than Angkor Wat which was much appreciated!

After a lunch break we headed to our final stop for the day, Ta Prohm. It is more commonly known by another name though: The Tomb Raider Temple. Yep, this is what most people think of when they think of Angkor Wat and Cambodia: Angelina Jolie being the kickass that she is through crumbling temples overtaken by trees. And let me tell you it did not disappoint.

Oh man. It was surreal! I couldn't believe the amount of trees that had completely disregarded the temples in place and instead decided to take up residence for themselves. The complex is pretty extensive and you can't help but feel a little Angelina Jolie-esque as you make your way through these ancient structures with trees poking up here and there, walls completely collapsed, and statues and figurines strewn everywhere. In essence, Ta Prohm is completely mind-blowing and was definitely my favorite temple of the day.

On our way back to Siem Reap we got caught in the rain that comes daily during this time of year but thankfully tuk tuks are very versatile contraptions and can be modified to be rainproof. Ingenious!

I spent my night walking around the surrounding area by my hostel but found the amount of street children confronting me to be really disheartening. The kids basically tell you, "I don't want money, I just want milk! You buy me milk!" and then proceed to follow you, baby in tow, and hit you if you don't give them what you want. What really happens if you buy them milk though is that they insist you don't open it and then immediately return the milk to the store, pocketing the money for whoever it is that is forcing them to beg. They will never see a drop of milk or a cent of money. It's really really sad. After talking with some local business owners (including the awesome sisters behind Sister Srey cafe) it is apparently getting much better with the help of local organizations but it's still hard to see and experience. I avoided going out at night (at least over by the touristy areas of Pub Street and the Night Market, where a majority of the street children congregate) as much as I could from that point forward. 

My first full day in Cambodia drew to a close rather unfortunately as I had to go to the international clinic after noticing how red and pained my eyes were. Turns out I had conjunctivitis (fancy word for an eye infection) partially due to wearing contact lenses and more likely a direct result of all the dust and ick floating around. Thankfully I have travel insurance but it was still not the way I wanted to spend my night. Oh well, stuff happens. We move on. ;)

In an effort to be concise I have decided to split up Cambodia into 2 separate posts. So thus concludes Part One! Stay tuned for my write up on the further out temples and the rest of my time falling in love with Siem Reap and Cambodia. :)

Until next time,

Happy Travels!

-Freckles

First and foremost, I just had to. ;) 

Secondly- Vietnam!!! When I originally planned my route Vietnam was not in the cards- I didn't think I would have enough time. But lo and behold, in my usual fashion I move at an exponentially fast pace! That combined with the rave reviews I received from my fellow travelers about Vietnam and the insistence that it was well worth the visit- my plans changed. I wasn't about to do a "24 hour" (give or take 24 hours) bus ride from Hell from Laos into Vietnam. Nope. You couldn't pay me to do that- I've heard too many horror stories of broken down buses, an obscenely overpacked bus spilling people into the aisles, and getting caught up at the border due to people trying to smuggle stuff over into Vietnam. Yeah, there are just some instances where the cost of a flight well outweighs the alternative. And this was definitely one of those times. 

I arrived in Hanoi late at night and took the 45 minute taxi ride into the city center. Immediately upon entering Hanoi's Old Quarter I was overwhelmed: the noise, the smog, the traffic, it was all a bit too over stimulating at first. But thankfully I was able to head into the shelter of my hostel and envelop myself in the cold, quiet peace of a rarely experienced dorm room. 

My first day in Hanoi was dizzying to say the least. Even just crossing the street can easily take you ten minutes or more with the amount of cars, motorbikes, people, vendors, bicycles, you name it. It is hectic. But there's kind of a strange ebb and flow, a synchronized dance that makes sense in its own weird little way. Once you learn to just brave the traffic and not be afraid of walking in the street you'll be fine. 

I walked quite a ways over to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which is a super secretive vault containing the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh himself. Pictures aren't permitted and the hours are very rigid and the day I tried to go there seemed to be some sort of procession and I wasn't allowed to enter. 

I instead walked over to the Presidential Palace which was gorgeous and wound my way around the city amidst a cacophony of noise that I can only describe as sheer and utter chaos. 

I walked and walked and walked, getting more and more lost and completely exhausted from the heat. I tried to make my way over to the Women's Museum but found that no one really knew what that was. I eventually did find it and spent a good 20 minutes recuperating before exploring the extensive museum. 

Finding my way back to my hostel proved similarly difficult but I ended up getting a great (if not steamy) overview of Hanoi, including the gorgeous Hoan Kiem Lake: 

Once safely back in my beloved air conditioning I showered and decompressed before searching for dinner and having an early night in, packing up my things once again to head out to Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island the following morning. 

My bus was set to leave at 8:00am and at the suggestion of one of the hostel workers I took a bus that would take me all the way to Ha Long City and then board a boat with a bunch of people that had paid for a day trip to Ha Long Bay, sort of bum off their tour but not be able to eat the boat lunch or swim in the water (just fine with me!) and then arrive on Cat Ba Island in the evening. This sounded like a decent plan to me- I would get to see the infamous beauty of Ha Long Bay without paying an arm and a leg. Sounded pretty good to me. 

The day turned out to be incredibly long- bus to boat to bus again- and lasted all day. We spent a few good hours on a junk boat exploring the vast Ha Long Bay. And the views were just incredible- to the point that I could NOT stop taking picture after picture! 

I could go on and on but I'll stop here. ;) Despite it being an extremely long day it was very relaxing to be able to just kick back, chat with cool people, and read my book. A forced day of relaxation. 

We eventually made it to Cat Ba Island (and then had to take yet another bus to the other side of the island!) and my new-found friend and I found a hostel to stay in for the evening. After dropping off our bags we ventured out in search of food. We were both set on going to this vegan place called Buddha Belly that another friend of mine highly recommended and proceeded to spend over 45 minutes searching for this truly hidden gem. No one seemed to know what the Hell we were talking about! 

After begging a gaming center to use one of their computers we successfully located Buddha Belly and enjoyed delicious vegan food for a bargain of a price- around $1 for a HUGE plate of delicious food! Unreal. 

The next day my friend and I set out for a half-day hike through Cat Ba National Park. Our guide transported us via motorbike to the entrance of the park which was PACKED with people! Everyone seems to be on holiday here and Cat Ba in general was mobbed with people. 

We hiked through the park for about an hour before reaching the first of two lookout towers over the entire island. Sweaty as all else it was majorly rewarding to see such a beautiful view- hiking in humidity is no easy feat! 

So so breathtaking! 

After our hike we went to the Hospital Cave which is exactly what it sounds like- a dense network of hallways and floors that served as a hideout during the war. It was really interesting and even had a swimming pool and "cinema". 

The rest of our time on Cat Ba was spent relaxing, enjoying dinner with friends at Buddha Belly once again and relishing this stunning sunset: 

Perfect end to a lovely day. 

We left very early the following day and returned to Hanoi in time to check in to the hostel, do a bit of shopping, and attempt to get dinner at a lovely vegan restaurant before a NASTY storm knocked down loads of trees throughout the city and took out the power in the process. Not fun. We did find food to satiate us in the form of cheap but delicious veggie spring rolls but we were pretty bummed. 

Despite the complete craziness that is Hanoi I really enjoyed my time in Vietnam. One of the biggest things I learned while here was how diverse and absolutely gorgeous this country is. I just got a little taste of a place known for its rich beauty, food, and culture and it is definitely an area that I want to come back to to explore more thoroughly. For the time being though I am content with my all-too brief stay in Vietnam and look forward to the day I can bring the man here to see all that it has to offer. 

Thanks for reading and until next time- 

Happy Travels! 

-Freckles 

While I didn't spend a great deal of time in Laos (only a total of 5 days!) it was definitely worth getting a taste for this beautiful country. Laos has only become a tourist hot-spot in recent years but it was still nowhere near as mobbed with backpackers as it was in Thailand. 

Things move much more slowly in Laos. Case in point is the amount of time it takes to get into and out of Laos. Your options from the Northern Thailand side are the 2 day slow boat down the Mekong River (which I was signed up to take and ended up chickening out of at the last minute) or a 12 hour bus journey through the winding mountainous roads of Laos. I opted for the bus just for the fact that I didn't want to spend 2 whole days traveling. It ended up working out for me because I was able to sleep most of the way and arrived in Luang Prabang just in time for the 5:30am Alms' Giving Ceremony in which throngs of monks walk through the town of Luang Prabang collecting their day's worth of food. It was an amazing site to see and what a way to be welcomed into Laos!

Luang Prabang itself is such a quaint and lovely town. French influences are all over the town, from the baguettes and bakeries that line the streets to the signs even written in French! The town sits right along the river and is surrounded by the most gorgeous mountains that make you feel like you're in an entirely different world. 

My first day in Laos we headed out to Kuang Si Waterfall. We chartered a tuk tuk to take us 45 minutes outside of town to the famous falls- known for the multi-layered pools and distinctive blue color of the water. Our driver was booking it and we bumped our way along until we finally arrived at the falls. Our tuk tuk driver would wait about 2 or 3 hours while we enjoyed the waterfalls and then would take us back into Luang Prabang. 

After paying the entrance fee we made our way to the waterfalls and oh...my...goodness. Words can't even describe how magical this place is. So I'll let the thousands of pictures I took speak for themselves: 

Absolutely stunning! We swam in the second layer of pools and jumped off a tree into the cool and refreshing water below. I was kind of dumb in that I forgot how tall I was (happens all the time!) and actually hit my feet on the bottom of the pool- causing a giant bruise on the bottoms of my feet from the rocks. Ouch. But we were treated to a free fish spa as the tiny fish nibbled away at the dead skin on our feet and legs- a service that you pay thousands of Kip for in the local shops! 

We spent a fair amount of time at the waterfalls, exploring each of the layers, chatting with other travelers, and taking loads and loads of pictures. I was fortunate enough to meet some great people on the bus over from Thailand that I spent the day with and we had such a lovely time. 

Upon returning to Luang Prabang I visited the night market, strolled around the town a little bit, and ended up at a small bookstore called "L'Etranger". The bookstore is owned by a French expat that has lived in Luang Prabang for the past 10 years and also functions as a restaurant. She also screens movies every night at 7:00pm for free! So I made my way upstairs to enjoy "The Thousand Foot Journey" for awhile until I grew so tired I could barely keep my eyes open! 

My second day in Luang Prabang was spent wandering my way around town, visiting the countless numbers of temples. I climbed the 300 or so steps of Mount Phousi that offered the most spectacular panoramic views of this gorgeous place:

I walked around, talked with other foreigners, enjoyed some hummus and vegetables at a local cafe, and played cards with some folks at my hostel, biding my time until my 8:00pm overnight sleeper bus to Vientiane. 

I was FREAKING OUT about the overnight sleeper bus- some guys in my hostel were oh so kind and decided to freak me out by saying how unsafe the buses were, how I was going to crash, etc. etc. etc. I was so so incredibly anxious the entire day, consideriing taking a flight or anything to spare me this supposedly dodgy journey. But as with everything on this trip so far, it worked out so much better than I could ever imagine. 

I met an incredibly lovely Irish girl at the bus station and we knew that we would have to share the sleeper bed with someone and so made an alliance of sorts to share no matter what- no way in Hell was I sharing with some rando. But as luck would have it we were actually ASSIGNED to be together! So it was fate! 

The bed was really tiny but actually pretty comfortable, with a pillow and blanket and an area to place our bags. We settled in, ready to go as the bus filled with more and more people. And more. And more. And more. Until there were people sleeping in the aisle right next to us. It was definitely an experience but I conked out and slept the majority of the way. So I wasn't too bothered! 

The city of Vientiane was a big shock after coming from the adorable and quaint town of Luang Prabang. It's much dirtier with not a lot to do. But thankfully I met some AMAZING girls at my hostel that I was able to spend a good amount of time with. Without them I would have been bored out of my skull, as I was able to walk around most of the town in half a day, if that. 

Vientiane was a great place to relax though for the fact that there wasn't all that much to do. My first day I walked all over the town, and took the public bus out to to Buddha Park. The Park was quite a ways out of town and after all the incredible historical temples and statues I have seen so far in Asia it was a little disappointing. To be honest, I was more enthralled by the monks taking selfies than I was by the trippy statues. 

It was a nice thing to do while I waited to check in for my hostel though. I met a nice guy from Mexico on the bus back to Vientiane and we walked around more of the monuments before stopping for lunch at a really awesome cafe chain called Joma. I had been to the Luang Prabang branch and was so so happy to see that they had one in Vientiane! When you've been eating so much Asian food it's really nice to have a fresh salad or Western food once in awhile. 

It POURED rain the entire night, essentially shutting down the entire town. So we had a forced quiet night in and I went to bed ridiculously early. I was wiped! 

My second day in Vientiane I tried to make my way to the COPE Visitor Center. This non-profit museum promotes awareness about the sheer amount of undetonated bombs and explosives that remain in Laos and how many issues they have caused in terms of death, health problems, loss of limbs. It is the number one recommended attraction in Vientiane on Trip Advisor and I really wanted to make a trip out there. 

However, the museum is ridiculously difficult to find. I walked around for close to two hours desperately trying to find the place and no one seemed to know what in the world I was talking about. I eventually found two British people in search of the same Narnia and we finally managed to figure our way there. 

The museum is rather small but overwhelmingly powerful. It is very interactive with videos, photos, replications of a Lao house and piles of artificial limbs to demonstrate how they are fabricated. I was pretty naive when it comes to this topic- I knew that the war had left major scars in this area of the world but I had absolutely no idea how bad it really was. 

Lao is the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita in history. Over 270 million bombs were dropped onto Laos and of those up to 30% failed to detonate. The statistics are startling and heartbreaking and the exhibit itself was really really powerful. The museum is attached to an organization designed to assist those that have been disabled as a result of these undetonated bombs and provides job opportunities such as making t-shirts or ice cream for the cafe in the museum. Overall it was really moving and I'm so glad we found it. 

I also stopped by the mini homage to L'Arc de Triomphe that is in the center of the city. Patuxai is nowhere near as spectacular as the French version but it is a nice touch to a city tinged with remnants of France's influences.

The rest of my time in Vientiane was fairly uneventful. I hung out with my new travel buddies, visited the hostel's pool, walked around the town, went out to eat. It was a nice way to unwind after traveling at such a rapid pace for so long. 

My next stop is Vietnam and while my time in Laos was super brief I enjoyed getting to see a country that not many people think of or have frequented. The landscapes in Laos are so so beautiful and I hope to someday come back and explore this country some more. For the time I did have though I really enjoyed it and each time I thought something would go wrong or I would get lonely I was blessed with smooth travels and some of the best people I have met so far on my trip. 

Stay tuned for my adventures throughout Vietnam- I'm so so excited! 

Until next time, 

Happy Travels! 

Freckles 

With my time in Thailand coming to an end I thought I would do a post about what I learned while spending just over two weeks here. I didn't make it down to the South of Thailand (I'm not really into the party scene of Phuket and the Full Moon parties in the islands) but instead stayed mostly in the North of Thailand. I spent a few days in Bangkok before taking the train up to the small historical town of Ayutthaya for some temples, then to Sukkhothai, up to Chiang Mai for awhile, trekking into the jungle North of Chiang Mai, over to Pai, and finally to Chiang Rai. Each of these places had similarities but were also noticeably different and unique as well. I tried to observe as much as I could and take in the local culture with each destination I went to and have compiled a list of Ten Things I Learned About Thailand.

Here we go!

10. So many temples, so little time: Everywhere I looked in Thailand, from the big bustling cities to the furthest remote and isolated villages along the rode had temples. Some are bigger and more ornate than others and some definitely better maintained as well but there are just so so many I don/t think you could ever see them all! I really enjoy temples, especially the ruins and historical parks but it can get tiring going to temple after temple after temple. They will never cease to amaze me though, especially when you are on your umpteenth day-long bus ride and still manage to see temples dotting the landscape even in the most far-flung areas.

Those are just 10 of the many many things I observed and learned while I was in Thailand. It really is such a beautiful country and I met some really incredible people. My favorite will always be my "Thai mom", Marisa, who is the owner of the Chiang Mai Gate Capsule Hotel in Chiang Mai. She is the sweetest, most helpful, and hard-working person I have met in Thailand and I will miss our late-night chats, her incredibly useful advice, and gifts of mangoes, food, and tea. I'm moving on to Laos next and I'm not really sure what to expect in comparison to Thailand. So stay tuned for my next adventure and as always, thanks so much for reading!

One of the main things I wanted to do in Thailand was to see an elephant. And I achieved just that: 

It took a lot of physical exertion on my part to get there though that's for sure! 

My new Dutch friends and I booked a 2 day, 1 night trekking tour to an elephant camp, to see the Kayan (long-neck tribe), hike to a waterfall, and go rafting. We packed up our day bags and got in a red truck bound for our jungle trek. We first had to make a pit stop at a Butterfly Museum first though, which was rather small and boring in my opinion. So boring I didn't even bother to take photos. I had my sights set on much bigger things. ;) 

After that we stopped at a market to get supplies to take with us for the night. Our guide (who really wasn't very nice AT ALL) told us we had to bring at least these 5 things: toilet paper, bug spray, a plastic bag for our stuff in case it rained, a flashlight, and one thing I honestly can't remember... sunscreen maybe? Whoops. 

After our 20 minute shopping stop we got back in the truck and drove quite a ways to a small village. We ate a lunch of pad thai there and then set out on our hike. As soon as we started though we ran into a few issues. The heat. The humidity. And the fact that our guide was booking it up a giant mountain. It was PAINFUL. 

One poor guy on our tour was really struggling and our guide didn't even bother to help him or wait for him, just seemed incredibly inpatient and as if we were a major annoyance to him. It was so so odd. 

We hiked for about 3 hours, mostly uphill and let me be the first to say I have done a LOT of hiking but this...this was difficult even for me. The humidity and over 100 degree heat makes walking outside for 10 minutes, much less 3 HOURS incredibly strenuous. 

In no time at all we were drenched in sweat. But we trudged on nevertheless, trying to at least enjoy the views we spotted along the way: 

We FINALLY made our way down to the elephant camp but my poor Dutch friend slipped and fell and injured his arm. And the guide just stood there. Not helping. Not concerned. It was infuriating. 

We picked him up and carried his backpack the rest of the distance to the elephant camp. We crossed the river with elephants on either side and I couldn't believe that I was actually here! 

We set our belongings in the bamboo hut we would be sleeping in for the evening (VERY rustic!) and sat down in the main area of camp to relax and recuperate. 

It wasn't long though until we were able to see the elephants! I didn't want to ride them or anything and so I just watched as they walked freely around and then were taken down to the river for a nice bath, and then back up for some bananas as treats! Elephants are just spectacular creatures and it was breath-taking to be mere feet from them. 

In the meantime though I took it upon myself to walk around and visit the hill tribe that calls this camp home. The Kayan people of Burma are more commonly known as the Long Neck Tribe and can be found throughout Northern Thailand. Originally from Burma, these tribes found refuge in Thailand and continue to preserve their culture here. The girls begin wearing the coils on their necks and legs around the age of 5 and while it appears to elongate their neck in actuality the coils push the collar bone down and compresses the rib cage- giving the illusion of a longer neck. 

We had such a good time just playing and laughing. I asked if I could take pictures of them and of course they loved it- I would take a picture or a video and then show them and they would collapse in a pile of giggles. 

This girl was SUCH a ham- she loved to make silly noises and dance around flapping her arms and generally was very very silly. 

For dinner we had a lovely meal of Burmese food- some sort of cabbage and vegetable dish with tofu in it and meat and vegetable dish with rice that I didn't eat. It was all pretty tasty though and cool that they prepared it for us! 

We spent the rest of the night around the campfire as they roasted corn and meat for us (no meat for me though!) and played guitar. The children came out to do a traditional song and dance which was beyond adorable. They pulled me up to join them and I laughed my head off trying to keep up with them! 

I went to bed pretty early because I was absolutely exhausted (not before I fell in the mud on my way to the toilet though....not fun and I ruined a pair of my hippie pants!). None of us slept very well at all though due to the hard floor of the bamboo hut, the noises of the jungle, the dogs, the chickens, etc. It was a rough night! 

We woke at the crack of dawn (literally because of the damn roosters!) and ate a more Western breakfast of eggs and toast with coffee and tea. We said goodbye to the hill tribe and the elephants and made our way to the area where we would be hiking to a waterfall. 

We parked the van after driving a good distance and started hiking once again. It was a pretty long hike, about an hour, filled with river crossings over shoddy bamboo slats, up and around rocks, and finally the waterfall! 

It was so beautiful and a nice way to unwind for a little bit. I couldn't tell you the name of the waterfall (because our guide was terrible. Tisk tisk) but it was really pretty! It was a little annoying with the sheer army of mosquitoes guarding it though but worth the hike! 

We hiked back and ate lunch of fried rice at the base of the hike and then drove to the river for rafting. Buuuut the rafting was a no-go. We were all pretty tired at this point and the river was flowing SO slowly that it was going to be more like...floating. So we all agreed to just head back to Chiang Mai for proper showers haha! 

All in all this trip was definitely different than I thought it was going to be. I was very disappointed with our guide but extremely delighted with the hill tribe children. The elephants were of course a spectacular sight and experience in themselves but I wish we had more time to spend with them. I'm glad I was able to see a side of Thailand that you don't ordinarily see in the main city centers and if you have the chance to spend time with elephants and the Kayan people I highly recommend it!

Until next time! 

Happy Travels! 

-Freckles 

There's something so daunting and difficult about flexibility, especially when it comes to travel plans. We have a tendency to want to cram in activities for every single second of our trips, leaving no room for flexible plans, additions, or detours.

My goal for this trip was to break this cycle of over-planning I've grown so accustomed to and instead take my time, finding places and experiences I wanted to have along the way as opposed to having set schedules for my days. And so far it has been nothing short of amazing.

Yesterday I left bustling Bangkok behind for the much quieter and historical city of Ayutthaya, about 40 miles north of Bangkok and an hour and a half train ride from the city center.

I loaded up my bags and said goodbye to my comfortable hostel and boarded the two skytrains to take me to the main train station. My train cost me a grand total of 15 baht (about 45 cents!) and was set to leave at 11:20.

I boarded the train and as people filed onto the train two blokes with backpacks like mine sat adjacent to me. We got to talking and immediately hit it off. One guy was half-Thai and half-Cambodian but born and raised in Paris. The other was a pharmacist from England but loved to travel around and had actually met his travel buddy on a trip to Morocco. Try became great friends and decided to travel to Thailand together at a later date.

They were both insanely positive, good fun, and happy to have me along for the ride. We had the exact same ideas for places we wanted to journey to and so decided to team up for awhile, something I was extremely happy about. It's nice to have the company of other people, takes the edge of loneliness off for a time.

We spent the hour and a half long train ride (sans air conditioning, hoosh!!!!) chatting about places we had been, places we wanted to go, anything and everything.

We made it to Ayutthaya around 1:00pm and after taking a tuk tuk to the hostel, dropping our bags, and gearing up our cameras we walked over to Ayutthaya Hostorical Park. And that's where the magic began. It's easy to get lost in the awe-inspiring beauty that encapsulates Ayutthaya and we spent a good few hours exploring each area of the crumbling wats.

The park is truly special and we took or time, letting the power of flexibility lead our way.

The next day was another day filled with incredible adventures. We rented motorbikes and I found myself doing something I never thought I would do and probably wouldn't have had the opportunity TO do if not for the chance encounter with my boys. I rode on the back of a motorbike through a historical town in Southeast Asia. Like, how crazy is that sentence alone?!

We ventured all over Ayutthaya, getting plenty lost along the way but in doing so found ourselves at such places as:

The Floating Market

Wat Lokayasutharam (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

And the Wat Phu Kaho Thong:

We didn't have a definitive plan for our day but rather let ourselves get lost and in turn found incredible things along the way. Allowing ourselves the flexibility to take things as they come and get a little lost resulted in us stumbling on these spectacular sites. 

Flexibility is definitely not my strongest suit (Chronic Planner Syndrome is a thing, I assure you!) and yet I purposefully chose to leave my trip open ended. I had one ticket into Bangkok, and one out of Siem Reap and anything that happens along the way is great! It was a little daunting (read: still is VERY daunting) from time to time but it has opened me up to meeting some of the best and most interesting people as well as having experiences I definitely wouldn't have otherwise had! 

If this trip has taught me anything (and it has taught me a LOT) it's the power that lies in flexibility. We have grown so accustomed to moving faster, constantly, and tirelessly and while I've been in Southeast Asia I've been able to sit back, relax, and know that I have time. I'm FORCED to slow down- buses don't come, trains are late, and it will always take much longer to get somewhere than you thought it would. Being able to take my time is refreshing and I feel like the world is my oyster! 

So my greatest advice to you is to embrace flexibility, in all senses of the word. Because amazing things will happen when you do, I promise. :) 

Until next time, 

Happy Travels! 

-Freckles 

Sometimes I just have to take a pause and realize just how amazing this world can be. Let me step back a bit first and set the scene for you. 

So my second day in Bangkok started out with me sleeping for a total of TWELVE hours! I was completely shocked! I have chronic insomnia and difficulty sleeping so I can't tell you the last time I've had a solid 6 or even 7 hours of sleep, much less 12! It goes without saying that I felt pretty rested. 

That morning I managed to Facetime/Skype (when one application stopped working we moved on to the next one!) with my parents which was much appreciated. I've been feeling tinges of loneliness and homesickness ever since I arrived in Thailand. I hate to admit these feelings though because I'm supposed to be strong, and I want to live up to all my travel idols abilities to be steadfast and strong in the face of solo travel. But I still felt it. I miss Danny terribly and with lack of communication between us it makes my trip all the more nerve-wracking. 

I made my way over to the boat terminal, kind of in a funk. I was comparing myself to all the groups of happy hostel-hoppers that I came into contact with, couples holding hands as they marveled at all the things I was seeing....by myself. But just as I was feeling truly down in the dumps I swear the travel gods were on my side to turn that downer train around! 

At the boat pier I met three really awesome blokes from Montreal who were on their way to Wat Pho, the temple I had visited the day before. I offered to show them the way and they gratefully accepted. So we all made our way to Wat Pho, chatting along the way, I practiced my rusty French with them which they assured me was still very very good! Instant boost of confidence right there! ;) 

I dropped the boys off at Wat Pho and we parted ways as I headed back over to the Grand Palace. I had to borrow a skirt and shirt from the Grand Palace, which is customary among most of the temples and religious sites. Modesty is very  very important in Buddhism and even though I was wearing capri length workout pants I was told I would still have to borrow the pants. Dang. 

Donned in my oversized new clothes I made my way to the giant temple complex that is the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is a mixture of government buildings, traditional Thai temples, and royal residences. It also houses the Emerald Buddha, which I was not allowed to take pictures of as is the case of a lot of Buddhas. In any case, here it is in all its glory!

Absolutely breathtaking! I just can't believe the immense detail on these temples, it's amazing! 

After spending about 2 hours at the Grand Palace I decided I wanted to go to Terminal 21, a giant shopping mall with a cool travel theme. But I couldn't figure out how to get there....I asked about 4 different people and got 4 different responses. So super helpful. I eventually hopped on what I thought was the right bus only to end up on the entirely opposite end of Bangkok, very very lost. 

I was starting to freak out a little bit and felt all the more alone and homesick. There were moments of, "What the hell did I sign up for?!" for sure as I stood, mouth agape, tears welling in my eyes just looking both ways over and over again without a clue as to where I was. 

I stopped in a 7/11 and bought a cold drink and an ice cream bar because I was dying of hunger and it seemed to help me calm down a bit. Thank goodness for ice cream that's all I have to say. An old man saw me looking very confused and offered to help me out. He told me to get back on the bus I had jumped off of and keep going. So I did that and as the bus trundled along the road I saw another shopping center, the MBK. I wanted to eat some real food and take a break from public transit so I decided to reroute and head inside the MBK. 

The MBK is a massive structure of ever single thing you could ever want to buy in life and then about 10 million other sellers peddling that same exact thing. It's mind boggling how any of the thousands of cell phone charger, purse, watch, shoe, ipad case, iPhone case, and every other type of sellers make money! I wandered around for awhile until I decided I would just head back to the hostel, feeling a bit bummed out that I hadn't found Terminal 21. 

As I was going down the escalator something magical happened. The travel gods reappeared and there they were again! My three Montreal fellows! I mean, that just baffles my mind; that I would run into the same three gents on the entirely opposite end of Bangkok, in a GIANT shopping mall with billions of escalators, at that exact moment in time, when I wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place is INCREDIBLE. 

We all couldn't believe our luck and I stuck around with the boys for awhile, meandering our way around the mall and eventually stopping in the International Food Court for a bite to eat. I was STARVING at this point and in desperate need of sustinance so I was glad we were able to sit for awhile and just enjoy each others' company. I ordered a bowl of vegetable pho for about 200 baht ($6) and it was absolutely delicious. The boys all got Thai food and were choking from the spice, it was hilarious! 

Two of the guys wanted to buy, in their words, "cheap, fake watches that don't look like fake watches" and we were definitely in the right place. They eventually found what they were looking for at a decent enough price and we called it a day. 

We parted ways once again, but not before getting each others' contact information and sharing this cleverely snapped photo, courtesy of their selfie stick (which I totally gave them a hard time for!): 

I hope our paths cross again but I am just so grateful for the day spent with the Montrealeans (new word, bare with me!). That is one of the things I love most about travel: you could be having a really really bad day, or even just missing home and your loved ones and then a chance encounter with some really awesome fellow travelers can have the power to turn your day around entirely. Getting lost becomes not such a bad thing when you end up being in the right place at the right time, even if you never knew it. Travel has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life; regardless of nationality, ethnicity, beliefs we are all woven together through the shared experience of travel and that is just awe-inspiring. This truly is a wonderful world, my friends. 

Until next time! 

Happy Travels! 

-Freckles 

After months of planning, writing about it, talking about it, obsessing/worrying about it I cannot believe it is FINALLY HERE!!! I spent my last day in Hawaii packing then unpacking, doing laundry, taking stuff out, repacking, obsessively cleaning the apartment, trying to calm my nerves, and finally unplugging our electronics, turning off lights, and locking up. Let's get this show on the road!

When I approached the ticketing desk I reached a minor mini speed bump. The man couldn't figure out if I was planning on LEAVING Thailand because I fly back to the US from Siem Reap, Cambodia. I tried to explain that I'm leaving my trip very open-ended and that, yes, I will be leaving Thailand (I have to!) and eventually need to reach Cambodia because, well, that's where my flight departs! He was still confused and asked his supervisor who told him that it should be fine but my nerves were only heightened even more than they exponentially were. 

I made it through security (the man took my yogurt, dammit!) and twiddled my thumbs in a completely crowded waiting area for about an hour and a half. My flight didn't leave until 1:15am so it was rough. The plane was absolutely filled to the brim with the added joy of about 10 babies on board. 

....This will be fun. :/ 

For the first time in forever and ever I opted for a window seat because I knew I would want something to lean on for sleep. unfortunately the dude in front of me decided to push his seat ALLLLLL the way back, forcing  my legs to reside somewhere around my chest... The leg room was tiny to begin with so having a snoring neanderthal (sorry, sorry I was tired and cranky!) in front of me was extremely inconvenient.

But despite all its inconveniences I managed to sleep 7 hours which I honestly can't even recall I was so out of it. I know I woke up with the WORST leg cramps though. Which my seat mate told me could be cured by eating ketchup. And then proceeded to give me a ketchup packet to eat. Yum.

We touched down in Taipei Taiwan and then proceeded to make the giant trek over to the connecting gate. We probably could have gotten the tram that connects the two terminals but the line was horrendous and the walk felt so good after 10 hours spent in the fetal position.

The 3 hour flight to Bangkok was much less annoying in that it was not even halfway full. I got an aisle seat with no one in the middle, watched Eat Pray Love to get myself in the mood (Cheesy, I know) and enjoyed yet another vegetarian meal provided by China Airlines- these guys rock! U.S. based airlines got NOTHING on foreign airlines in terms of service, I swear!

We finally FINALLY made it to Bangkok at 10am local time. I had been traveling for god knows how long at this point but in doing so I lost May 18. So sad. I made it through immigration no problem, exchanged my dollars into Thai Baht and bought a Sim card for my old unlocked iPhone 4s. I bought a plan through AIS (The Verizon of Asia) and for 590 baht (around $16) I got 4.5GB worth of data for 30 days plus 100 baht credits towards talk and text. CRAZY cheap!

I hopped in a taxi, gave him directions to my hostel, The Saphaipae Hostel and proceeded to spend about 45 minutes in my own personal video game. Those nail biting taxi scenes you see on "The Amazing Race"? Horrifyingly accurate.

We made it to the hostel and I prayed that I would be able to drop my bags in the locker in my room, even though check-in wasn't until 2:00pm and I had arrived around noon. But thank all things good, it was ready! I collapsed into my bed, semi-unpacked, and took a look around. This hostel is so so nice and even has laundry facilities, nice bathrooms and showers, free-wifi (spotty, but still free!), games, a breakfast buffet downstairs, a TV room...the list is endless! Plus it was all acquired for (wait for it) $11 a night! I can't get over these prices.

I decided that I wanted to make the most out of my first day and so I headed out into the throngs of busy Bangkok. After wandering around helplessly for awhile, getting my bearings, I wanted to head over to see a temple. Any temple would do. So I consulted my map and settled on Wat Pho.

I took a river bus which was so so cool! Passing by temples right and left, the river boat experience has been one of my favorites so far. I love how anyone and everyone takes this method of transportation from locals to tourists, laypeople and...monks?


Yes, even monks take the river buses!

Wat Pho did not disappoint in its grandeur and absolute beauty. For 100 baht ($3) I got to see a gorgeous temple, a GIANT golden Buddha (one of the biggest in the world I believe) and the admission even included free bottled water. Mind blowing.

The reclining Buddha is absolutely giant! I couldn't get a photo of him all in one shot, that's how big he is! Incredible!!! 

After Wat Pho I walked over in the scorching heat to the Grand Palace but I was really tired at this point. I can't even begin to wonder why, right?! :P I had been walking in the sun, dripping sweat, plus jet lag and walking miles and miles all over Bangkok and in the midst of all that I forgot to eat for awhile so it was just a bad combination. I went so far as to go inside the Grand Palace grounds but they told me I would have to rent pants and a top to go inside (customary when going to temples) and I just wasn't having it. 

I decided I would come back another day and so headed back to the river boat, where I ended up taking the wrong river boat across to the other side but in doing so hit up another temple with an Australian bloke I met on the way over to said temple. I didn't stay long because I wanted to get back to my hostel more than anything in this world. 

I eventually found the boat in the right direction and chatted with three Irish blokes whom I shared stories with of my life in Edinburgh. One of them was kind enough to give me 5 baht when I couldn't find the proper coin. :) 

After exiting the boat I already knew how to get back to my hostel. I was very impressed with myself! And once back I immediately hopped into the shower. And let me say, that was one of the greatest showers I have taken in my entire life. My next ended anticlimactically and I passed out pretty early, weary from travel and such a great day out and about. 

And with that I'll wrap it up but stay tuned for my next update on Bangkok!

Until next time, 

Happy Travel, 

Freckles <3 

Holy goodness. I leave in less than a week! I will board a plane to the other side of the world, armed only with a 40 liter carry-on sized backpack, a side bag, and a bundle of nerves and excitement. I. Can't. Wait. 

But mixed up in all my excitement I have had since I first decided to take this huge leap to travel by myself to Southeast Asia are still worries and doubts. I'm not going to pretend that I am 100% gung-ho and fully mentally prepared. A couple of days ago I clung to my parents in an airport as I cried, my mom cried, my dad cried, we all cried. And I then had to do this again yesterday when my beloved soulmate left on another deployment. No matter how confident and sure I am that this trip will be a life-changing experience I am still scared out of my mind. 

The biggest thing I'm worried about is my arch-nemesis: the great unknown. I like certainty. I like knowing where I'm going, when, and with whom. BUT in recent years I have had a number of circumstances thrown my way that have forced me to challenge my comfort zone, one of those being my great fear of the unknown. Sure, I've had my slip-ups along the way. I had a complete meltdown when I first went away to college and had to return home after only a quarter spent at University of Oregon. But I realized that the more I combatted my comfort-driven habits and routine, the more I grew and developed into the person I am today. This realization was in part the fuel to my Southeast Asia desire fire (say that five times fast!). 

I've recently gotten so ingrained in a monotonous routine that I'm driven crazy by the sameness. I wanted something jarring to awaken my mind and spirit and I fully believe that this is just one step in that great direction. But as I've mentioned time and time again I am not immune to doubts. I've psyched myself out a number of times and questioned my decision altogether. 

Some of the things I'm most worried about include: 
1. Getting Lost: 

5. Loneliness: This is the big one. I chose to go on this trip partially because no one would go with me and partially because I wanted to see how I would do on my own. I wanted to prove to myself that, in the words of the all-knowing Tina Belcher,  "I'm a strong, smart, sensual woman".  

While I love the company of others and consider myself to be an "extrovert" most of the time, I do still cherish my independence and alone time. Over the years as I've spent more and more time by myself I've realized how empowering it is to have the freedom to do whatever YOU, and only YOU, want to do. I have always felt like the planner among my friends, and let me tell you it gets exhausting trying to balance out everyone's separate wants and desires while being the perfectionist that I am, I try to make it the BEST DAY EVER. Only to be disappointed when things don't go entirely as planned...





Living in San Francisco was one of the greatest and most formative times in my life in terms of gaining independence and self-confidence. I felt like I could do and be anything that I wanted to be and live life on my terms. I spent weekends and even weekdays in between my classes exploring the city I grew up visiting and quickly fell in love with all over again when I actually got to live there. I thrived on my days spent wandering the various districts, stopping in shops or restaurants that caught my eye and following my own agenda. It was very liberating. 

Oh I miss you beautiful city of mine!!

 

I'm hoping to channel that same sense of wanderlust and inter-dependence on my trip but I am also preparing myself to get a little bit lonely. I hate goodbyes and get incredibly homesick when I'm even gone for just a weekend from my family or my man so I know I am bound to have a moment or two (or ten) where my eyes well up with tears and I just lose it.

 

But as I look through pictures and blogs about all the stunning and magical places I will get to visit in a matter of days I know in the end that the temporary loneliness will all be worth it. 

 

So, fellow travelers. How do you deal with trip anxiety? I would love to hear anyone's tips and tricks because I am still figuring this one out as I go! In the meantime though, I gotta get packing! Hopefully the busy-ness of getting ready for my 6 week trip will distract myself enough to the effect that I forget about all these trivial worries and doubts. 

 

Hopefully. ;) 

 

Until next time, 

 

Happy Travels!!! 

 

Freckles