The 5 AM Club

“You missed the 5 AM club, hun” I quipped as my fiancé came down the stairs at 8:30 a.m. (yes, I have a fiancé!).

“I’ve been up for almost an hour!” I added, somehow feeling triumphant that I’d pulled myself out of bed at the same time I used to arrive at the office back in the day, having gone for a run, had breakfast, and commuted first. Those days…

“It’s one less hour until bedtime,” Steve responded with a shrug. He rubbed his eyes, put on his glasses and then smirked as he made eye contact, “I’m Winning.”

I sighed from my perch on the couch, refusing to admit defeat, “It will be a miracle if our engagement survives this lockdown.”

“You’re telling me,” was the immediate retort.

This is an exchange we have frequently, thankfully still in jest.

It’s been a heck of a long time since I’ve blogged and for those of you who have no idea what has happened in my life…. this summary should suffice. I knew I wanted to pick up my blog again but wasn’t sure how exactly since it’s a travel blog and I was no longer traveling all the time. But then EVERYONE stopped traveling all the time. And I realized how much I’d love to mentally escape by blogging and re-living some more recent trips. So, check back as I’ll be keeping this up more regularly! Anyways, there’s more to this 5 AM club story:

Just three months ago, Steve and I spent three weeks trekking our way through New Zealand’s South Island with a sub-set of the amazing group I’d trekked with in the Everest region [Teaser- stay tuned for a belated blog post on this most incredible adventure!]. Anyways, throughout the trip Steve carried around a book that he would [occasionally] read. It’s one of those business-y books that he loves, this one called “The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.” Apparently it’s based on the idea that some really successful business people get up and do things at 5 a.m. [IMO, when you sleep and wake up is a “to each their own” kind of thing but if people feel better being part of a middle-of-the-night club then go for it.]

Steve kept saying he was joining the club when we got home from the trip and he actually did really well for the first few days! (when the jetlag had us both up in the wee hours, I might add). It became a bit of a joke after that, but the joke used to be that he’d missed the club by an hour or two, at most. Today he was almost 4 hours late! And happy about it! My how times have changed.

We live in a remote (albeit beautiful) town in northern England that my friend Michael refers to as “Sheepville”. Yet we love where we live and have felt like the world is our oyster, especially this year. Shortly after returning from New Zealand we (actually it was me) found a last-minute deal for a week-long ski ‘holiday’ in France and we took the “Snow Express” bus there from London. We returned from the Alps in early March, jubilant about what an incredible start we were off to this year [#Winning]. And, we even had more trips planned in the coming months, a bachelorette party and stag-do included. And, THEN, 2020 would culminate with our October wedding on Cape Cod, where I was born and where we got engaged last summer. I remember feeling very lucky to have this incredible year in front of me. Yet in hindsight that feeling is a distant memory. I realize now that I had absolutely no idea how lucky I really was… those days.

Let me be clear that I’m still very, very, very lucky. Steve and I, and our families, are safe, healthy (knocking on wood), and financially okay. I have a new-found daily (often hourly) appreciation for those things. I appreciate a lot of things much more now… with an intensity that comes from my core. Flour, puppy kisses, clean sheets, vinyl records, my Peloton, the Internet… the list goes on. My emotions generally vacillate between gratitude, fear, restlessness, nervous boredom, regular boredom, and sometimes that zoned-out place of peace and content.

That is what life feels like now… moments of forgetting mixed in with moments of feeling the weight of the world, sometimes with a weight so heavy it feels paralyzing. A time of crisis yet oddly calm and serene. More calm and serene than ever, actually. It’s all very disconcerting. My favorite time of day is early in the morning… those few seconds of lucidity while tagging-in to the conscious world again. Those first few, innocent moments of rubbing my eyes, stretching a little, maybe piecing together fragments of a dream recalled… then, BAM! It hits me. I remember. And while I may distract myself for brief periods later in the day, that first time in the day is the one time when I really forget. Those 20 seconds… before the BAM! Those few seconds count, though. I’m scared that one day I’ll lose those few seconds. That I’ll remember all of the time. That my dreams will be based in this new reality. And that I’ll forget what life used to be like. Deep breaths… carry on.

Many of the things that we relied on for structure, distraction, safety, and, well, purpose, those things were stripped away in what felt like a heartbeat. Our worlds have been rocked and for the first time in my lifetime our collective world has been rocked. Like victims of an earthquake, we cautiously navigated the rubble, bracing as each aftershock deepened the cracks in the earth’s foundation. Slowly we stopped trying to fix it and are just holding on for dear life. That’s where we are right now, and it’s scary as shit. Nobody is alone right now. Same boat. All of us. Just holding on.

I do believe that how we’re all feeling right now will be fleeting. We will adapt and come to a new normal. But we must be patient. And that is hard. We are used to having things when we want them and even before we want them. We are annoyed when Uber says 5 minutes and takes 7… or shows up in 3. We expect instant gratification and a timeline, as well as options. And we fulfill our end of the bargain to be able to afford such services- we know the expectations, the drill. The long workdays and workweeks, the sacrifices, the time apart from our family, the staying busy and productive… we know the drill and even find comfort in the drill. But the world is different now. There is no drill anymore. The gig is up on the drill. We miss the drill yet now question the necessity of the drill in the first place. It used to all feel so important. It felt like life or death.

I feel like I was part of an advance team of sorts for processing feelings like this; feelings I know many people are now experiencing. I’m not the only advance team member by any means… we know who each other are, like members a secret club. Let me be clear that when I was still in the corporate grind, I was most definitely NOT part of the advance team. But in hindsight, I can tell you which of my colleagues were. They were the ones who boldly took two and even three-week vacations (unheard of!), and often to places I had never heard of. They worked hard and were good at their jobs, almost universally, but did not check email while on vacation. They made sure their work was covered and they went for it. Their ‘Out of Office’ response: “I am on vacation with no access to email” the corporate version of a YOLO face tattoo. They were not martyrs about work (you know, the people who wear their ridiculous number of hours in the office as a badge of honor). In fact, the opposite was true. The advance team saw work for what it was. An aspect of our life but definitely not our entire life. The advance team saw life itself as the most important thing. A shift, for sure.

When I left my job, I had an existential crisis of my own and I like to consider myself a late member of the advance team (not to be confused with the club, the advance team can get up whenever we want). I feel like OG advance team members were born and raised that way, with a worldly perspective. I most definitely was not. I gained that perspective when I left my job, left the drill that I had found so much comfort in, and I threw myself into two years of bopping around the world on my own and without much a plan. I processed my new reality as I saw more of the incredible beauty, incredible joy, and incredible despair in the very big world in which we all live. Basically, I had the great fortune of being able to process the topsy-turvy nature of how my values were changing and my views were changing in the most ideal and easily distractible environment possible: a global backdrop. This is pretty much the complete opposite of the current environment in which many people must process similar emotions. People just like me. I can’t imagine realizing life went on without me going to the office as I sat in my apartment staring at a wall. I just don’t see that going well.

I’ve come to realize that there are very few things for which I am uniquely qualified. But giving unsolicited advice on this topic may actually be one (likely the only):

Hang in there; make this time okay for you and your family – if you have one- if not, make it okay for you. Remember that this is likely the only time in your lifetime you’ll have the opportunity to spend this amount of time with your children, partner, pets, plants or all of the above or none of the above. For sure this is the first time you’ll be able to be with yourself for this extended period of time- your best friend and your worst enemy. I get it. We all do. We’re all chasing connection right now…maybe we always have been.

You are okay, you are probably lonely, and you are doing the best you can. We all are. Same-same as before all of this, but now without the outside constructs that used to provide purpose and allow us to feel productive. With those things stripped away it all seems simpler and also scarier. Yet life goes on somehow. And life stands out right now as the thing that matters most.

As far as expectations right now, the bar is low, and our job is clear: Exhale. And then inhale. And then carry on, all of us, together. That’s what we do now; it’s what we need now, in fact, it’s really all we need now. It’s the new drill, the new 5 AM club. It’s Winning.

And, while the virus will eventually go, and our circumstances will inevitably change, I can’t help wondering if maybe our new drill will not. Nobody knows what the future holds; I have to keep reminding myself to stop trying to guess. One day at a time and one breath at a time, fully appreciating both. That’s all that really matters right now…and maybe forever…and, hopefully, forever.

Borneo to be wild!

When I last left you I was en-route to Borneo…wherever that is. I admit that when Flash Pack (FP) announced the new trip, my interest was piqued by the first line of the online trip description, “Our adventure through Borneo is not for the fainthearted.” In fact, my interest was so piqued that I think I stopped reading and messaged the FP co-founder, Lee, requesting to be the Chief Insider on the initial trip. And, he said yes! A few weeks later Keef Nepal got in touch, letting me know he’d confirmed his sabbatical (YAY!!!) and asking about my future trip plans. It wasn’t until we were on the plane headed there that we realized neither of us had actually read the full trip description.

I can’t tell you how much I loved that Keef Nepal and I were both going into this adventure blindly. I’m used to this but it can be difficult to find a compadre in winging it, especially one from the UK- those Brits take planning and prep to a whole new level. As well as gear… don’t get the Brits started on gear. I’m definitely not complaining, as this seemingly cultural trait has been of significant benefit to me in my travels. There is always enough “sun-cream,” “mozzie spray,” and assorted pieces of gear in the groups’ “rucksacks” to cover for the derelict American, who has not read the packing list (actually I’m pretty sure an entire brigade of Navy SEALs would be covered by the Brits diligent over-preparation). I digress but had to share an observation that has been building up over the course of my trips with my British friends. Love you “lot” lots!

Anyways, I was greeted at the Kuching airport by our guide, Paul. It was so nice for Paul to pick us up personally, especially since our tour didn’t start for two more days! Here’s my welcoming committee, at 11pm after a delayed flight:img_20190130_2322242055733563386391305.jpgWe also met up with another member of our group, Beth from the UK (who was also on a work sabbatical) and the three of us spent the next day touring around Kuching, most notably in the random ‘upside-down house’ we stumbled across (also lauding itself as the first in Kuching!).

So, while Keef (who I already knew and love from the Nepal trip) and Beth (who I’d just met but loved immediately) were awesome-sauce, I wondered what the rest of the group would be like. As they trickled in, it became clear that they were not only very fun and interesting individuals but also clearly not fainthearted when it came to traveling (glad they’d also read that part of the trip description!). In short, they were my kind of people for sure. Hailing from the U.S., England, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Poland, the group brought many different perspectives, as well as a common thirst for adventure… REAL adventure!

Following our welcome meeting with Paul and a delicious first meal together, we hit the road right away, on a kayaking excursion that took us to a remote village for a hot lunch. To get there, we “parked” our vessels and strolled through the water to an embankment that we climbed to reach the village, where we enjoyed the first of many delicious meals that were home-cooked by local villagers. This was a lunch we had earned and we loved every bite of it! Welcome to the jungle, indeed.img-20190202-wa00016264035481293130201.jpgimg-20190213-wa00498275541895159573888.jpg

img-20190202-wa00053911447466876731804.jpgimg-20190202-wa00467083150065712230661.jpgimage3657828635925876416.jpgSo, while we clearly dove right into things, let me back it up a smidge…. where the heck is Borneo exactly? And what is it known for? Before arriving there, I think I’d heard something about head-hunting in reference to Borneo and was pretty sure a season of Survivor (that I didn’t watch) was based there. As it turns out, Borneo is not a country but an island, and the island includes parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as the tiny country of Brunei (yes, where that Sultan is from). The island is known for containing some of the last remaining true “wild” in the world with biologically diverse forests and tons of unique wildlife. And that is despite the fact that the country has lost a horrifying HALF of their forest cover since deforestation began it the 1980’s, mostly for timber and palm oil.image-63163943295070763022.jpgThe city of Kuching was “discovered” by a Brit named James Brooke who arrived via boat in the 1840s and kicked off colonialism in the region of Sarawak. James is “the man” in Kuching, with statues and buildings in his name sprinkled throughout the city along with lots of cat statues, as Kuching apparently means “cat” in Malay. There’s even a cat museum, that I had zero desire to check out. img_20190131_1134241228262775069956097.jpgUnlike some other former British colonies I’ve visited where locals are a smidge bitter about being overtaken by those pesky Brits, the Borneo natives we met throughout the trip expressed gratefulness for that part of their history. The reason seems to be that the British rule put an end to some of their ancient religious practices such as the head-hunting I’d [correctly!] associated with Borneo and virgin sacrifice as part of the burial tradition, just to name a few.

We learned more about the tribal culture in Borneo (past and present) the next day when we ventured off the grid and waaaay into the jungle, to a super remote village that is accessible only by an hour and a half boat ride (a super-fun boat ride I might add). img-20190205-wa0018827807144035119501.jpgimage-95231110897649886461.jpgimg-20190206-wa00021409589313397243022.jpgThere we stayed in a traditional jungle longhouse camp and visited with the Nanga Sumpa people of the local Iban community. (Ibans are traditionally known as a bad-ass tribe and are the ones renowned for the headhunting practices of the past.) Longhouses are their traditional housing and actually are long houses (go figure!), consisting of various rooms for sleeping but most importantly a huge (and also loooong) room where the residents hang out. image-2801446505896500825.jpgLonghouses have such a great, communal vibe and we enjoyed some local rice wine with our hosts that night, presenting gifts of sweets we’d brought for the children. While the accommodations are extremely basic compared to Western standards, and there is no wealth or abundance, it felt so comfy and happy! All seems right in the world in a longhouse, and for someone who struggles with loneliness when I’m at my own house, alone with my Peloton, this was especially refreshing.

We spent the next two days long-boating through villages, stopping to visit a few long houses and enjoying delicious meals prepared by locals, using no traditional cooking tools (not even a stove, food is cooked in bamboo over a fire). img-20190206-wa00286850943944178417930.jpgimg-20190206-wa00032194434469478396255.jpgimg-20190206-wa00067075143849847079352.jpgimage-39165915797235076997.jpgWe also embarked on a few jungle treks, learning about the lush trees and plants (many of which are used for medicinal purposes) as well as the many insects bird, and animal species that are unique to that area. img-20190207-wa00124239057752975055638.jpgimg_20190204_1646011517266973033267448.jpgimage-44524693826278472551.jpgA goal of our treks was to spot the elusive orangutan and we were lucky enough to have a distant sighting of the massive animal waaaay up in a tall tree, as he shook it forcefully from side to side. It was a much larger and more aggressive version of those I’d seen in the zoo. I actually felt like I could not be further from a zoo (both literally and figuratively speaking). And, as if that wasn’t enough excitement we also came across an incredible waterfall, that we were obviously not just going to admire from afar! img-20190205-wa00152680212123069284223.jpgimg-20190206-wa00146042006806674406115.jpgimg-20190205-wa00737021911762404191570.jpgWe “roughed it” that night in our jungle camp, sleeping in mosquito nets with the moon and an incredible array of stars providing our only source of light (and the flashlight app at times). This was the perfect atmosphere for group bonding and we had many laughs in the most remote and beautiful of surroundings, that we’ll likely never replicate.img-20190209-wa00626615994208160338995.jpgimage-114229232596333908182.jpgOne memory from that night randomly stuck with me: Keef approached me, in a fit of hysterical laughter. It took him a few minutes to stop laughing long enough to share the source of his mirth… a few people in the group had been troubleshooting a complex problem (how to hang the mosquito net) and a flashlight was needed. Julia (an incredible woman who lives in London and hales from Poland) reached into the pocket of her jacket to produce… a lightbulb (at the jungle camp with NO electricity)!! Oh the irony! [Julia claims to have no idea how or why she had a lightbulb in her pocket and since she isn’t British, I don’t think it was an over-preparation measure and actually an oversight] It was hilarious full stop

The next day, as the longboats whisked us through the windy waterways and back to the mainland, I admired the final views and realized that I’d been tremendously impacted by the experience we’d just had.img_20190204_155826-16772133286607623250.jpgimage-107468816379871491881.jpg It’s difficult to convey what this means exactly, but you know when a life experience has had a genuine impact on you and you know when you’ll take something from that experience with you, always. This was one of those times. I’ll never forget the little boys I stumbled across in the village who were having a grand time, laughing and running about as little boys do, and then I realized their fun was from having captured a live bat and tying a string around it’s neck to swing it around and eventually hang from a tree! No screen time to keep the kiddos entertained in these parts! I’ll also never forget Keef’s uninhibited laughter at Julia pulling a lightbulb out of her pocket and what that entire situation symbolized. Or all of the smiles and laughter among the locals living together in the long house. Sometimes it’s the little things that leave a genuine imprint on your fabric as a human being.img_20190204_1453054540377913728308451.jpgWe emerged from the jungle to spend a night back in the civilization of the city of cats (Kuching, if you weren’t paying attention earlier). There we were able to do some laundry and take in the remaining celebrations of the Chinese New Year, while enjoying a waterfront light show that is quite spectacular (and they put on every night!). img_20190202_2209211524974603455984721.jpgThe next day we jetted off to Garang Mulu National Park, which is so remote that the only way to get there is to fly (or take a 12-day boat ride, so basically a transatlantic journey!). There we welcomed our accommodations that not only had electricity but luxurious rooms, comfy beds, and gorgeous amenities. Since we came all the way here we decided we might as well see what the National Park had to offer but I think we all agreed that we could have also been quite happy relaxing at the hotel pool. Now we are quite glad we ventured out with Paul as the National Park is phenomenal! We first took a walk through the jungle with our local guide, who pointed out various wildlife and unique plants along the way. img-20190210-wa00402601038697194868889.jpgIt was exciting when a “stick insect” landed on Stephanie! At least it was exciting to us and our guide…not sure how Steph felt at the time (we learned they are harmless, btw). image-84524673302390039145.jpgThe National Park is also home to several huuuuuge caves and we started by visiting the largest of them all, Deer cave (seriously, this cave is so huge you could fit five of London’s monstrous St. Paul’s cathedral in the main chamber!). We learned that it’s actually the world’s largest cave that is open to the public! img-20190215-wa00244846325388700340763.jpgimg-20190210-wa00217582907346556968237.jpgMaybe the St. Paul’s comparison was made to appease the Brits in the group, because while inside the insanely huge cave (full of stalactites and stalagmites of all shapes and sizes) the guide pointed out a formation near the entrance and asked who it looked like. It was a spitting image of Abraham Lincoln! That was very cool and unexpected (maybe not to those who read the itinerary more closely than I). Here’s Honest Abe:img-20190210-wa00233206150746110044019.jpgAfter exploring another breathtaking cave nearby we ended up at a viewing area, where people gather to watch an evening bat show. img-20190207-wa00183384650660712594623.jpgimg-20190207-wa0016588871617285283454.jpgThis I did know was coming! Apparently most nights at dusk (weather permitting) you can watch 3 MILLION bats fly out of the entrance of Deer cave, on their way to fly around the jungle and eat insects all night (IMO, it works better than bug spray as there weren’t many mosquitoes bothering us at Mulu!). Before I saw it, I couldn’t even fathom what it would look like but it might not have mattered as Casey had watched a YouTube video and he was still just as blown away by the show. Almost as if on cue, at dusk the bats started flying out in waves, that increased in size with each one (about 20-60 seconds apart). This was clearly a well-rehearsed performance and those bats really stuck together, flying in perfectly synchronized helix-like formations (turns out this was so they were less vulnerable to the birds and other pray waiting for them outside the safety of the cave).image-178741194322694522679.jpgimg-20190208-wa00631864859510016961210.jpgIt really was sooooo cool! And to top it all off, Paul had arranged for hotel staff to meet us at the viewing area and set up a little gin and tonic bar, so we sipped on G&T’s while taking in nature’s wonderment. Ah….this was the life!image-159192903283687370860.jpgAs if the excitement of the day before wasn’t enough… the next day was a big one, as it was our caving expedition!! I wasn’t sure about this, as I pictured myself spending hours squeezing through tiny cave openings but when I saw the magnitude of the caves and how incredibly diverse they were inside, I couldn’t wait to explore one!

We were outfitted with the whole caving shebang, including harnesses, helmets, headlamps and specialized caving guides which were critical as we made our way through the cave (which is a less-traveled one as it seemed it was only us inside). There was a lot of teamwork involved as well as encouraging each other along as we made our way through the ancient formations. And, we made it! This felt like quite an accomplishment for the group.img_20190207_1033538507926021288256350.jpgimg-20190209-wa00467806583582605744107.jpgimg_20190207_1045046523894755950606189.jpgimg_20190207_1040592748142627722600464.jpgimg-20190313-wa00047581403729793314967.jpg.In the afternoon most of the group explored the National Forest from the air, on a canopy walk high in the trees. Breena (who’s actually from Maryland, near DC!) and I were in the same group. As she bounded across the suspended bridges without a care in the world, I nervously followed, grabbing the ropes on the sides of the suspended bridges and grabbing (some may say clinging) onto the trees when we reached them.  I didn’t realize I was afraid of heights (and I don’t think I am, officially) but for some reason this elicited some adrenalin for me (love a good adrenalin rush, though!). img_20190207_1452216643256199879312336.jpgimg-20190207-wa00283454744358594503164.jpgWe enjoyed our final dinner in Mulu that night, reliving the days adventures over cocktails and laughter.img-20190207-wa00065858008270752948227.jpgThe next morning we were picked up by longboats and taken down the river, waving back to the friendly local villagers along the way, and we soon arriving at one final cave to explore. The Clearwater Cave is the longest in all of Asia, and while we only saw a small part of it, we got the gist. We then enjoyed a refreshing swim in the beautiful natural pool right outside the cave entrance before preparing to head to the airport.image-276501564232279232659.jpg I think we all expected the longboats would take us back to the hotel where the bus would transport us to the tiny airport, but alas, the longboats kept going down the river and deposited us AT the airport (literally), where our luggage had already been delivered. image-162127615694891743569.jpgDefinitely the coolest airport transport service I’ve ever had, and one I could get used to (next time I find myself in the middle of nowhere in Borneo, I guess?). Our quick flight took us to the waterfront city of Kota Kinabalu, where we stayed for the night before hopping on another flight… ready to be re-welcomed to the jungle. No rest for the weary in bad-ass Borneo!

A true welcome it was as we found ourselves on another boat, this time gliding through the beautiful Kinabatangan River, on a journey to another remote jungle location, and this one known for having the highest population of the island’s wildlife. Although we were in a completely different region of the immense island of Borneo (this region called Sabah), we were yet again about as remote as I could imagine. No shortage of remote jungles on this island! This time, however, we found ourselves at a luxury rainforest lodge that was staffed by locals from the closest riverfront villages (that were not that close). This spot is truly sublime. You arrive by boat and take off your shoes to patter about the dark wooden decks, that hover over the rainforest floor. img-20190210-wa00298468529202622819858.jpgimg-20190210-wa0026910439682703698882.jpgFirst up was a delicious lunch on the expansive deck, covered with colorful flowerbeds and overlooking the river. We were then given our schedule for the next two days. It reminded me of the instruction during the epic safari trip during my South Africa adventure... which was pretty much, “don’t think about anything other than going on safaris twice daily, eating three delicious meals and relaxing in-between.” In the words of Annie when she first arrived at Daddy Warbucks’ mansion, “I think I’m gonna like it here!”image-198556743277006211427.jpgimg_20190210_060558241307976474549723.jpgOur jungle safaris were of the river varietal and the relaxing included hammocks and boardwalk exploration (the safaris take place early in the morning and at dusk when sitings are most likely). On our first river safari we were lucky to spot a female orangutan who didn’t mind us observing her at close range for a solid spell. img_20190209_1755478398264006074258397.jpgfb_img_15510984583325670808608069549795.jpgShe was the only of her species we spotted on our safaris but we were both entertained and mesmerized zooming about the river during sunrise and sunset and observing lots of playful proboscis monkeys. (We saw tons of other monkeys but the proboscis were our faves.) We also saw a plethora of other wildlife… most notably some radical birds and the occasional croc stealthily lurking about. Fingers had to be in the boat at all times!img-20190210-wa00102316672742528542828.jpgimg_20190210_1614423656301292567302001.jpgimg-20190210-wa00756325641117728891235.jpgimg-20190210-wa00853501654873471630199.jpgObserving and learning about nature and wildlife, real nature and real wildlife, has been such an amazing and unexpected part of my travels, giving me an authentic appreciation that extends far beyond that of zoos, botanical gardens, and the woods behind my childhood home. I get it now. I’m especially intrigued learning about all the amazing, evolved features that allow different animals and plants to survive and thrive in their natural habitats. It seems like everything has a purpose, a reason, and a way that it works. Only problem is when things like deforestation and global warming mess with an ecosystem that was doing just fine before. I digress…

After two days of jungle safari-ing, and a visit to a local riverfront village, our last stop before our last flight of the trip was a final hit of Borneo wildlife. First we saw a bunch of Malayan sun bears up close and personal at a sanctuary that is home to 44 of the adorable animals who are all rescues. Our last last stop was the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center which is home to over 200 wild orangutans (wild meaning they can come and go as they please but most of them seem to like it there). It was really cool to watch them play and interact, and especially how they maneuver around like gymnasts. img_20190211_1459293979289949697411384.jpgRob from London had an especially up close and personal experience when an especially bold orangutan laid in the path, apparently to lure people close to him so he could try to steal their camera, phone, or wallet. And that was exactly what he attempted with Rob (who, for the record, was standing a healthy distance away, not falling for the trap). I guess tourists aren’t so much of a novelty for some of these apes! Gabriella from Australia was there to help Rob fend off the thief and he decided not to press charges on the attempted robbery (a thievery ring, really!). Thanks to his street smarts, Rob survived the experience with a great story to tell and a super-cool orangutan scratch on his phone case.

Here’s how they try to lure in their victims and then a few grainy surveillance photos of the attempted robbery.img-20190211-wa00221340053039288019239.jpgimg-20190211-wa00218616343618116037337.jpgimg-20190211-wa00172815207205945296641.jpgJesse and I also got up close and personal with one of the resident apes but nobody seemed impressed by our story. img_20190211_1322235171780458361925610.jpgBuzzing from the excitement of the past few days in the jungle, we returned to civilization once again. This time our landing spot was a beachfront resort in Kota Kinabalu, where we would be spending the final two nights of the trip. After some “roughing it,” we all enjoyed relaxing by the pool, with members of the group motivated to snorkel, parasail, explore the islands, and enjoy the on-site spa. I just kind of puttered about and took it all in. To each their own.img_20190212_1605025071985789679841384.jpgimg-20190212-wa002992939959699690324.jpgimg-20190212-wa00071898225541504978237.jpgOur final dinner was epic and as we took in a final sunset over the South China sea it was hard to believe the sun was also setting on the trip. img-20190212-wa00263195354375614588337.jpgimage-25312018813722582075.jpgfb_img_15499916957847009201172232969187.jpgI was not staying any extra nights this time, which in some ways made it harder as I was envious of those in my group who would have a few more days together, but it was also easier as I could rip the band-aid off on good-byes all at once. Although I will say good-byes have gotten easier since I’ve realized it’s very likely that our paths will cross again. In fact, two members of the group have already reconnected and are exploring Cambodia together!

As for me, heading directly back to the States at this point was of course an option, but why do that when I could swing by and visit a friend from a trip on the way?! And this friend is a special one… 🙂 Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoiding solitude at home and reclaiming it in Bali

It’s been a while since I last blogged and I’m totally behind hence this overdue catch-up. To be honest, I think I needed a little break to recharge. Don’t worry, I’m not going to complain about my tough life right now because nothing about it is a hardship, but I will say that constant travel can be exhausting! And (again NOT looking for sympathy) I’ve found that it’s a bit difficult to go back to “reality” after my travel adventures… reality being my one bedroom apartment in DC (the epicenter of Trump nation). It is always a little odd to be alone after having a multitude of fabulous people around me all the time and I find myself getting lonely at times (If only people didn’t have pesky jobs to attend to!) Don’t get me wrong, I love love love seeing my friends and family who I have missed dearly and I try to jam-pack my time with as many catch-up sessions as possible. This time though, I was stateside for the longest stretch in quite a while and did my best to stay as busy as possible. I spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas in New Hampshire and had a blast (a very busy blast!) with my zany northeast family and friends.

img_20181225_1601121418302292084607333.jpgAfter spending the holidays in New England, I headed back to DC for New Year’s and a visit from Steve Thailand (he is neither Thai, nor is his last name a country but I met him on my Thailand/Laos trip so he is subject to the naming convention I use to differentiate my friends from various trips). Steve came to visit all the way from England and dove right into my DC-life, complete with attending his first “ice hockey” game (I’m guessing to differentiate from the field varietal that is more of a thing in his country), playing tourist, and a plethora of social gatherings (I may have overdone it a bit with the gatherings, but I wanted him to have the full experience of my life).

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img_20181230_1427392870419785520593417.jpgWe concluded his visit with a fantastic New Year’s Eve celebration that included a houseboat party and trombone concert. I’m pretty sure Steve now has some specific ideas about how Americans celebrate the holiday and I may or may not have played it up that trombones and houseboats are traditional components of any good Yankee NYE.

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After a great visit with Steve, I had a few weeks of days filled with normal life administrivia, volunteering (Martha’s Table, a wonderful organization- please check it out!), some travel planning, and hanging with my local nieces and nephew… it’s amazing how the days fly by, even when you don’t have much to do.  I will say that perhaps the one benefit of the ridiculous U.S. government shutdown was that I had more friends around to hang out with! img_20190113_1141527071537051283815813.jpg

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And then… I was off again! I won’t bore you with the details of how exactly my flights came to be arranged the way they were, but it basically resulted in FOUR days of travel to get to my INTERIM destination… Bali! And, after finally arriving and spending one night in chaotic Kuta (avoid it if you can) I was on a speed boat for a 30 minute ride to my ACTUAL final destination, Lembongan island. [So, really it was FIVE days of travel if you count the night in cray-cray Kuta.] As I stumbled off the speed boat, I was unsure of where I was and how I got there. Alas, I looked around, smiled, and released a huuuuge exhale. It felt like that one had been building up for a long time.

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How did I select this destination, you may be wondering? Excellent question. Well, I was going to Borneo for another Flash Pack Insider trip (!!) and figured for the week prior to the trip I might as well hang out on the beach as opposed to snowy, grumpy, Trumpy DC. If you haven’t been to Bali it is super cheap (even cheaper then Thailand!) and I kind of wanted to chill in advance of what looked to be an action-packed Borneo adventure. That’s where my friend Google came into the picture, and assisted me in finding a little spot called Rama Garden that seemed popular for solo travelers interested in yoga, surfing, and beach time. It’s located on Lembongan island, which is described as the complete opposite of busy, touristy Kuta. Ding, ding, ding! Sign me up. Although you could do a package that included a certain number of yoga sessions, surfing lessons and snorkeling, I just booked the lodging accommodation and opted to figure it out as I went along. You know I love winging it a little! This worked out well for me, although I met several people who did the package and they seemed to enjoy it and got a nifty complimentary water bottle and tote! Either way works (and is very cost effective to boot).

Rama Garden is a small spot with 8 bungalows, each complete with an open air shower that I especially loved. There’s a little restaurant/hang-out area where you are extremely well taken care of by the staff, in particular the manager who is a friendly local named Lis. The reviews all mentioned the delicious and healthy food as well as the fresh juices and these reviews did not exaggerate. I’m not typically a big juice person but I think it’s just because I haven’t had juice as fresh as this before. It was sooo delicious! My favorite was the turmeric delight.

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img_20190128_1853293014786514374570719.jpgMy five days really flew by thanks to a mix of yoga, surfing, and a snorkeling trip (all arranged by the amazing Lis).

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I have to admit that I ended up being kind of glad I hadn’t signed up for the package as I was able to limit my activity to one thing per day… yoga AND surfing in one day seemed like a lot. I also realized I was using my extra energy to focus internally for once!

 

Thanks to my new friend from Rama, Katie, for the snorkeling pics! One of the best things about Rama was meeting other solo travelers, like Katie from England, who I keep in-touch with. Overall, I didn’t stray too far from Rama Garden but on my last night Lis arranged for one of the staff members to take me on a tour of the island. She actually first suggested I rent a scooter and drive around myself, and while I loved the Vespa tour I did in Spain, there was NO way I was going to maneuver a scooter around those roads (we’re talking serious off-roading!). Needless to say, I was grateful for my impromptu guide for a wonderful tour of the picturesque rocky coastline and beautiful beaches the island offers.

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In hindsight, I think my tour guide may have thought we were on a date and he didn’t seem happy when I declined his request for a kiss… but he was a good sport about it. He also didn’t seem thrilled when I said I had to pack for my departure the next morning and couldn’t hang out with him after the tour. I realized that I was busted in this lie when he saw me heading down to the beach a little while later (and clearly not packing)… ohhhh well!

That night I enjoyed a final delicious meal at a local beach side restaurant, ironically cherishing the same solitude I had dreaded in my DC apartment. I was sad to leave the next day but felt thoroughly rejuvenated from my five days on Lembongan Island. I’m not sure what I need to rejuvenate from exactly but sometimes I guess you don’t need to know. What I do know is that Bali gave me back something that my soul needed and for that I am extremely grateful.

Apparently I’m not the only one who can feel cosmic magic in the air in Lembongan. On the speed boat ride back to mainland, I met three different Western folks who had gone to the island and never left, staying to work there in various capacities. I can definitely see the appeal!

My bittersweet goodbye to Bali was soon forgotten in my excitement to meet up with Keith Nepal (one guess which trip I met him on) who would be joining me on my Borneo adventure! Keef (as he was known to the Nepalese) is just the best and I couldn’t wait to see him again! We connected at the Bali airport as Keef was coming from a tour of some of the more remote areas (which sounded amazing, albeit less relaxing than my Rama Garden experience). Here’s the selfie from the airport lounge we sent to the rest of our Nepal trip group (and it evoked the exact envious responses we were aiming for.) In all honesty, we both wished the whole Nepal tour group was joining us, as it was an epic crew!

Together, Keef and I flew to Kuching, Malaysia and prepared for our tour to commence. So… where is Borneo you may be wondering? Funny, as it turns out that neither Keef nor I had any idea where it was when we signed up for the trip! I actually thought it was a country at the time (it’s not, as it turns out… it’s an island, and the 3rd largest island in the WORLD to boot). Stay tuned for more on this amazing spot…

Mark and me hit Poland

As a natural stop after exploring Thailand and Laos, I flew directly to Poland. Wait…you haven’t heard of the popular Thailand-Laos-Poland tourist route? So many people were doing it that they even have a Bangkok to Warsaw express flight! (This is all a lie, unless you consider a 20+ hour sojourn, via Dubai and Warsaw, an express flight. And, no bother to me, it’s not like my time is a huge commodity these days!)

Anyways, once I had resigned myself to the epic journey, it was all good and I even added three hours onto my travel time by voluntarily being bumped from the last leg for 250 euros (and given to me in cash money at the gate!). With lounge access via Priority Pass, three hours didn’t seem that long to wait and I even got to see a beautiful sunset from the lounge. Proof positive for going with the moment!

So, let’s back it up, why exactly was I headed to Poland you may be wondering….let me tell you! My most wonderful Dad (also known as Mark) retired last year and had been wanting to do some traveling. With the world as his oyster, and out of all the beautiful (and warm!) places in the world to explore during the month of November…Mark chose Poland. Course he did. Maybe not my first choice but he’s a bit of a history nerd and has a thing for eastern Europe. And, as timing would have it, I could “swing by” on my way back to the U.S. and join him for the second part of his trip. Who doesn’t love a good father-daughter junket in eastern Europe?

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Mark had been to Krakow solo and we were meeting in Warsaw, the second stop on his itinerary. I was a little bummed to miss Krakow as I heard great things about it from my Dad and others. It amazingly was spared from the horrible bombing the country has endured over the years so it’s the only remaining old city in the country. And, touring Auschwitz would be incredibly powerful to see. Here’s a few of Mark’s pics of what I missed:

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Alas, Krakow was not in the cards this time around (I know, I know, nobody feels bad for me, had to miss Krakow for Laos). After finally landing in Warsaw I met my Dad at our accommodations, the H12 Boutique Hotel. So, my dad had initially booked another hotel but switched after this hotel offered me a nice discount to stay there, because I’m such a big-time blogger and all (far from true but I have been getting more traction with the whole Teha’s Travels thing). I’m not a fan of blogger’s getting free stuff as I feel like I never know if I can trust what they’re saying. And I know some bloggers will directly accept free stuff in exchange for a positive review. That just seems wrong and I’ve declined any offers of this nature. In this case, however, the hotel explicitly said as part of their policy they don’t ask anything in exchange for the discount and they hoped I had a nice stay. Well, how could I say no to that? I told Mark, who of course wanted in on the deal. Somehow I didn’t think his 41 Instagram followers would warrant any type of a hotel discount, so I responded to the offer and asked if my dad could have it too, and he would need it for two more nights than me…and they said yes!

We both got these amazing upgraded suites and I’m pretty sure mine was bigger than my apartment. My unbiased review is that this place is incredible and I highly recommend it. [Although with the significant caveat I don’t know what the price would have been for the suites we had and a room within my budget may have been very different. Just want to be completely transparent on this!] The hotel is modern, bright, spacious, and it has character (as well as a delicious breakfast). Our suites also had a huge bathroom and even a kitchen area (get this, Mark had TWO bathrooms in his suite, although he didn’t discover the second one until the third day! Hahaha!).

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Mark and me spent two days exploring Warsaw together (it was unclear what Mark was doing for two days in the city before I arrived but based on what I saw my guess is lots of wandering around looking at a paper map). We kicked things off with a free walking tour of the Old Town area and I won’t bore you with the full story of how we found the starting point of the tour (CliffsNotes version: Mark said he knew exactly how to get there. “I was just in that square yesterday!” He did not, it turns out know how to get there. Cue the first of many times Google Maps saves the day in Poland!). So, the Old Town is inside of the ancient City Walls and was meticulously rebuilt after complete devastation during WWII. It’s very quaint and features a huge square that was just starting to be decorated for the holidays- I wish I’d seen it in it’s full holiday regalia. So, I admit not being in full form during this initial walking tour…the jet lag was in full effect following my never-ending journey to get there.

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I do recall it was a beautiful city and that the guide gave us our lunch recommendation for that day, a Milk Bar. In fact not just ANY Milk Bar, the very FIRST Milk Bar in the country, established in 1896. (Later we also learned that the Dali Lama himself has eaten there! Practically one degree of separation there). We’d never heard of them before but apparently Milk Bars are common in Poland. They were started post WWI when Poland was working to regain it’s independence and they were popular as cheap (and government subsidized) eating establishments and they gained prominence during the economic depression of the 1930s. Most of the old Milk Bars have transitioned to regular restaurants over time but a few remain, as relics of the welfare state and to support the poor. And while they do serve milk, they are not, in fact, bars that serves alcohol. Apparently we were the only members of the tour group who heeded the recommendation from the tour guide (I can see why other’s didn’t, he didn’t exactly sell it with his description…especially the part where he said they don’t speak ANY English). Alas, Mark and me (Note to my grandmother, Nan- I know “Mark and me” is grammatically incorrect, I just like the ring to it) were not deterred. And it turns out that our guide was not exaggerating. There just a few locals inside and we walked to the counter, staring blankly at the menu on the wall….completely in Polish. No pictures, no translations. Mark took the easy way out and ordered pierogies, the dish our guide had specifically mentioned as an offering. (He totally cheated). I somehow translated what soup was and as I tried to order I felt a twinge of empathy for Elaine in the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld. This lady was all business, not dealing with any type of question or hesitation, and barking responses in what sounded like a hybrid of Polish and Russian. I honestly had no idea what I’d ordered but it was tomato soup with a few noodles, kind of like Chef Boyardee. I enjoyed our inaugural milk bar experience and as we left Mark had the hankering to take a photo of me with the Oh-so-kind lady at the register. I advised him that this likely would not go well, but he was not deterred. I was glad I thought to film the request, though, as watching the “NIET!” reaction to the request and my dad push it and eventually scamper away is something I haven’t gotten sick of watching.

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That afternoon we explored the streets and spent a while in the Warsaw City museum, which is built into five townhouses on the main square. We started by weaving through the many rooms and meticulously stopping at each numbered item to hear the corresponding audio narrative on our headsets. Neither of us realized that there are multiple floors to the museum, however, and thought we must be just about done as we concluded the first floor…only to see there were 4 more to go. That kind of overwhelmed me and I glanced at a few more displays before heading directly to the highest level, which had beautiful views of the square.

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So, one of the reasons Mark and me make such a crack travel team is that we’re on the same page about things like this. We both thought the museum was interesting but, more the 90-minutes kind of interesting, not the 5-floor kind of interesting. We made our way back to the H12 (cue Google maps, although Mark liked to take his paper map out for effect and act like he had some clue where we were), stopping to snap a few nighttime pics along the way.

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We took a nap/tea/email break from each other in our respective ginormous hotel rooms before meeting up for dinner. I was the self-proclaimed VP of Food & Beverage in our operation and this arrangement worked out quite well, and especially as Mark frequently footed the bill for the meal (it was the least he could do, if left to his own devices who know where he could have ended up!). That evening we arrived at the place I selected and were told they were full. This turned out to be the first of several times the place I chose was busy and required reservations and we had not made one (reservation booking is not within the job description of the VP Food & Bev, btw). Yet, as Mark & me luck would have it, each time the restaurant managed to find a perfect table for us! We had some fabulous culinary experiences, and to think I had gone in with some low-ish expectations for the food in Poland (especially coming from yummy Thai food!).

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We made the most of our final half-day in Warsaw by museum hopping, first hitting the hitting up the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, which had come recommended. It had won the award for the best museum in Europe, which I thought was maybe a puff award but the museum was reeally good! I highly recommend if you’re in Warsaw. We had a train to catch and only had 90 minutes in the museum, but this time I would have loved the extra time. I had naively not understood the magnitude of the devastation to the Jewish population in Poland in WWII was horrified to learn that 90% of Polish Jews were driven out or killed. It’s just unimaginable.

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Not a lot of down-time in our agenda and we grabbed our bags and headed to the train station to grab a quick lunch before our train to Gdansk. In reflecting on our time in Warsaw we both agreed we could have done with another day or two (still unclear what Mark was doing there for two days before I arrived). I like to leave a city wanting more and was quite happy boarding the train that would take us to the coastal city of Gdansk.

Now, I’ve ridden a lot of different trains in my travels and have learned that in Europe they are usually pretty good. And that in most cases the additional cost for First Class accommodations doesn’t bring a lot of added value. Well, Mark had booked these train tickets and, in uncharacteristic baller fashion, had mentioned several times that we would be going “First Class.” I didn’t expect much of a difference from Coach but it turned out the Polish train system has a different idea of First class. We had our own little car, with two sets of three seats, facing each other. It was like a capsule and had a light you could turn on or off (Mark liked it off) and with a black curtain you could pull if you wanted privacy (we left the curtain open). Mark was happy as a clam with this “private car” (as he called it) whereas I had the opposite reaction and found it a little odd to be in a dark capsule within the train. And the curtains freaked me out…I couldn’t help wondering why people would need complete privacy during a two hour train ride? What were they doing in there??) Here’s Mark doing baller things in his “private car.”

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Despite our different First Class experience, we made it to Gdansk and took in our first glimpses of the beautiful city at night.

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We kicked things off in true Poland style with a free walking tour (love myself a good free walking tour and the company we used in both Warsaw and Gdansk was great!) This one was deemed the “Solidarity tour,” which Mark & me rebranded it as the Commie tour. Turns out that Gdansk (which is the fifth largest city in Poland) was critical in the fall of communism and the tour picked up after WWII, which left the city in complete ruins and with a completely replaced population. Cue the new communist Poland, overseen by good ole Russia and I hadn’t realized that this lasted well into the 80’s. And Gdansk was important because of it’s critical role in the ship-building program and was also known for being a hot-bed of protests against communist oppression. In 1970, 46 shipyard workers were killed a week before Christmas, in response to their protests against unfair (the really bad kinda unfair) working conditions. Protests escalated again in 1980, following years of oppression and rising food prices, and by now the movement was more coordinated with 17,000 workers banding together in protest. The result was the and successful formation of the Solidarity union. The Russians didn’t like this too much and enforced a system of martial law for a few years, which sounded like it was pretty horrible. The Solidarity union quickly turned into a movement with 1/3 of Poland’s residents joining and after years of conflict, in 1989 was successful in pressuring the government into talks which led to the end of communism in the country.

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It blew my mind that this was happening as late as 1989…I don’t think it even had time to make it into my history books at school. It was also clearly a difficult topic for people to talk about, as it was so recent, and our guide showed glimpses of emotion as she recounted the conditions.

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After saving for years, she recalled when her father had scraped together enough money for a Fiat, but then had to wait four years for one to be available, with no idea what the timeline would be. There was no choice on color and they were relieved when he came home with blue and not pink.

We delved deeper into the history of Gdansk during another tour, this one of the Main Town area and we learned that Nazi Germany’s attack on Gdansk in 1939 officially marked the start of WWII. And then the beautiful, previously thriving port city was bombed into oblivion by the Germans and Russians, like complete oblivion. Here’s the aftermath-

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Talk about a resilient city to have come back the way they have following the WWII stuff AND the Commie stuff. When it rains it pours indeed. The city was rebuilt in the 1960s and while they wanted to restore the old beauty they did NOT want to show any German influence so they went for a Dutch look instead. And since they didn’t have any original brick to use in the rebuilding they went to a nearby city and helped themselves to their bricks…. That’s right, they just took apart a city and stole their bricks! The guide didn’t seem to feel too bad about it and said something along the lines of “they rebuilt eventually so all’s well that ends well!” And they did a nice job rebuilding so maybe she’s right.

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[Not sure what Mark is doing in that last one but it was the only one of the bunch where his head isn’t totally blocking the beautiful sunset I was trying to capture.]

So, I actually didn’t get to participate in the entire Main Town tour, as there was a disruption that resulted in my losing the tour group for a period of time. That disruption is named Mark. As our tour group made our way up one of the remaining historic cobblestone streets of Gdansk listening to the guide, Mark got distracted by a shopkeeper with a display case of amber jewelry on the sidewalk. He had mentioned wanting to get my mom an amber piece, which was very thoughtful of him. However, it would have been more thoughtful if he had chosen to do this AFTER the walking tour. Not DURING the walking tour.

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I tried (very hard) to ignore him but he was standing so close to the group that the guide had to speak over his conversation (which was very focused on the nuances of the amber stone…trust me I could hear it all). I had a feeling the conversation would end with him asking me to help him and I tried to burrow myself out of sight in the middle of the group. No dice…he spotted me. I looked sheepish as I slinked away from the group to participate in the distraction. As I “helped” Mark choose a necklace for my mother, the group meandered up the street, continuing the tour. A few minutes later I scampered after them while Mark was paying for the necklace….except which way did they go? It was a good thirty minutes before I tracked them down and there was Mark, listening intently to the guide explain the old post office landmark. Somehow he had linked up with the group right away and barely missed any of the tour. Still unclear if he would have noticed I was even missing if I hadn’t texted him.

Over a Milk Bar lunch with a fellow walking tour friend we learned of other things to do around Gdansk and one day we headed north to the town of Gdynia where we hiked along the cliffs overlooking the Baltic Sea.img_20181116_144324_17800882519477947244.jpgwp-15440292499088076191268711836557.jpg We were very proud of ourselves for somehow figuring out the train system to get there and back. Although if we’d been relying only on Mark’s map for this expedition, we would have been in big trouble. Google Maps even helped me figure out the hiking trail! We also enjoyed some great meals in Gdansk and enjoyed competing in a daily “breakfast challenge” via my Instagram story (@tehastravels). Although I think my friends liked to vote for Mark’s breakfast just to give me a hard time. I mean, crepe, syrup and herring all together on a plate?? There is just no way.img_20181115_094841_577-15859595421255492358.jpgI honestly wasn’t sure what I’d think of Poland and I really loved it. I found the country rich with history, beauty, and culture, in addition to oozing with character and having a refreshing “real-ness” about it. And, as I was there World War II came alive for me in a way it hadn’t before, in a way you can’t really convey in a history book or even a movie. All in all, I have to say that Mark & Me was a fantastic adventure and I have to give Mark credit for choosing Poland. [Let it be noted that I still refuse to compliment his breakfast selections, navigational skills, or amber shopping timing.]img_20181115_1317229180148073157211373.jpg

Unforgettable Thailand and Laos

In the three weeks after the Nepal trip, I managed to catch-up with 15 friends I’d met on various Flash Pack trips over the past 15 months. And I did this catching up in three different countries. How crazy is that?! I stopped in London on the way home and had an amazing time with friends from four different trips on their home turf, then Danny came to visit in DC, and then I found myself in Brussels where I saw two other friends from trips. I feel so fortunate to have all of these wonderful people in my life, many of whom will be lifelong friends.  It’s hard to imagine that if I hadn’t started traveling I probably would never have met any of them. I guess the universe didn’t want it that way!

Then, I was on my next Flash Pack trip, another Chief Insider gig on their inaugural trip to Northern Thailand and Laos. So far I’ve super-liked everywhere I’d been in southeast Asia and had really wanted to go to Laos, which is what attracted me to the trip in the first place. And although I’d been to Thailand a couple of times before, I had never seen the northern part of the country and was intrigued. I arrived in Bangkok wondering if I’d like the group. It’s funny as you’d think the 100% success rate in this department would not leave me wondering this…but every trip I think maybe this time the people will all suck. It’s completely irrational- I know this. This time I snapped a pic of the group during the first dinner and posted it on my Insta story.screenshot_20181119-1113518502813768040746589-2.png I wanted to believe my comment but at that point I honestly wasn’t sure. But as it turned out my “premonition” was correct and 11 days later there were tearful goodbyes (there are since multiple group reunion trips in the hopper).img-20181106-wa00312876850920790690562.jpgOur guide’s name is Ae, which is pronounced like the letter ‘A’  but she said her friends call her Amy. A few days later she was only going by Amy with us and she has announced she’s on-board for any and all group reunion trips. I’m used to having great guides on Flash Pack trips, but Amy is really something special and someone I suspect I will see again at some point. I can only imagine that the first time running a trip is pretty stressful for guides but Amy was calm, cool, and collected (and absolutely hilarious) throughout.img-20181115-wa01078595802245768079022.jpg It was also a nearly flawlessly executed trip, as if she’d been doing Flash Pack trips for years (Flash Pack makes it a point to differentiate their trips from the rest of the tour companies- their trips are focused on local experiences and adventure activities, as opposed to just checking the site-seeing boxes). Amy also exudes positive energy that is contagious and it was kind of amazing that out of a group of 15 strangers there was not one personality difference or even hint of a conflict at any point. In fact it seemed our personalities were actually quite similar….img-20181112-wa00196636639262715839658.jpgWe kicked things off with a day in Bangkok where Amy took us on a tour of the local markets and we sampled various local Thai delights. This was very cool as the markets were really local-yocal and places I would have been nervous to (and maybe incapable of) navigating solo.

img_20181110_0628502372315898522890857.jpgimg_20181102_0953124497989955471896119.jpgimg_20181102_0950421451885334600930305.jpgIt was clear immediately that the Thai food I’d had in the past (even on my previous trips to Thailand) was not the real deal…and we also quickly learned that “medium-spicy” is equivalent to “mouth-about-to-burn-up-I-need-milk-now-spicy.” Even our resident Hawaiian, Corey, was impressed with the spice levels (and also loved his first pineapple curry ever, experienced at a local village). Our Bangkok experience was punctuated with a $10 Thai massage (the massages alone are reason enough to visit Thailand), some templing and few Chang beers (the Thailand go-to beer) before embarking on a 12-hour night train journey, headed north to Chang Mai.img_20181103_2031565583712591590286353.jpgimg_20181109_1049507403046123622051744.jpgimg_20181103_1037359092310862456559829.jpg img-20181102-wa0009458459217428581664.jpgI think night trains in southeast Asia get a bad rap as my experience was extremely comfortable and I slept soundly, lulled by the cadence of the locomotion. img-20181119-wa00026067144204755455864.jpgUpon arrival we scampered off the train and dove into the local scene straight away, starting with breakfast at an outdoor market where Amy introduced us to more delicacies (that I had never heard of but thoroughly enjoyed). We relaxed by the pool that afternoon before heading out to the local night market in Chang Mai, where we enjoyed a traditional and scrumptious dinner (this is actually where Corey was introduced to his new girlfriend, Pineapple Curry).img_20181103_1916411616648551638280666.jpgThen, lucky for us, a few of the guys in the group had heard wind of a Thai boxing event called Muay Thai, and Amy arranged for us to go to that night. I turns out that Muay Thai is the ancient fighting technique that was used by Siamese soldiers after their weapons were lost or destroyed in battle and has been developed over several hundred years to what you see in modern-day Thailand boxing rings. I was dubious about this but it was VERY cool to watch!img_20181103_2209071185236872593326333.jpgimg_20181103_2256066613048848340202142.jpg I had also enjoyed the Lucha Libre match we saw during the Mexico tour, I guess boxing is one of those sports that is captivating in-person but boring on TV (the same as how I experience American football ).

The next day was a big one as we had a Thai Triathlon (aka #ThaiTri) to attend to. This may have been my favorite day of the trip. The Thai Tri commenced with a bike ride through some remote villages (and even passing by elephants!) and continued with a challenging hike to a spectacular waterfall. img-20181104-wa003665884648328132628.jpgimg_20181104_1021167212949374080681017.jpgimg_20181104_1100522812732456448245864.jpg

img-20181105-wa00724750049749627671421.jpgAt this juncture we broke  script and decided that swimming in the waterfall was a mandatory activity…so we went in, still wearing our hiking clothes and not having a plan for afterwards. Have I mentioned that these are my people?!? img-20181105-wa00818488182317621160214.jpgimg-20181116-wa00494094770020257346252.jpgimg-20181105-wa01162741225184515479338.jpgimg-20181116-wa00483852890908865928217.jpgOur adrenaline-fueled day continued with whitewater rafting through some Class III rapids, navigated deftly by our guides (Capt Ron was the pilot of my boat, and my fellow sailors were Steve, Kristen, and Charlotte- a crack team- and the laughter seemed endless). img-20181105-wa01195889201999728544911.jpgimg-20181105-wa01133967161973411127853.jpg All in all, it was such…A DAY!  A rare, all-caps (but not in the shouting way) DAY. I’m quite sure I wasn’t the only one who caught some shut-eye on our ride back to the hotel, still processing the sensory overload.

The next day we were up and out to our next destination, Chang Rai. I hadn’t paid much attention to the itinerary (not shocking) so Chang Mai and Chang Rai were the same in my head and, to be honest, as I reflect on the trip I can’t really tell them apart. Do NOT take my word for it, as I’m almost certain there are many distinguishing features but I was too distracted having fun with my new besties to notice. On the way to Chang Rai we stopped at a few temples, which are definitely memorable, the first being the aptly named “White temple” (also known as Wat Rong Khun). img_20181105_1357188268383308011594441.jpgAnd our second stop was the Black temple (also known as Baan Dam and not actually a temple but more of a sprawling, eclectic art museum with a bunch of temple-esque structures and other assorted random things, all created by an artist who lives there). It’s an odd place and a very tranquil space to explore, as you never knew what you’d stumble across next, including phallic symbols everywhere. img_20181105_160319121238042213222166.jpgimg_20181105_1601454469245044194722301.jpgIn Chang Rai we embarked on a jungle trek- I loved that there were multiple treks on this trip! Amy had told us that we’d stop and have a picnic lunch during the trek and that it would be “very basic.” Of course that was totally fine and understandable on a trek through the jungle of Thailand. I expected maybe a PB&J sammie and an apple. However, when we arrived at the grassy knoll designated as our lunch spot, it seemed a little early for lunch. Then one of our guides opened a backpack and started pulling out raw food items…not bread and jam type of food items but uncooked rice and raw chicken type of food items. Hmmm….what was the plan here? There was no stove or even a fire pit to be seen. We weren’t too concerned, though, as Amy surely had it under control and didn’t plan to feed us raw chicken to lunch. We than merrily went about our business snapping pics of the beautiful scenery and barely noticing the guides going into the forest and foraging for large pieces of bamboo.img_20181106_1140108351849588709677475.jpgWhile we didn’t pay too much attention at first but soon we were all captivated watching the three guides prepare the most amazing lunch of all time! Aaron tried to help briefly, but quickly realized he was out of his league with this operation so ended up watching with the rest of us. Really only Amy knew what she was doing enough to be useful. Personally, I was in too much awe watching to think about chipping in! img-20181106-wa00361685613584788645422.jpgimg_20181106_1233107773089113443441775.jpgimg_20181106_1152143217158317359462032.jpgIn all honestly, it was the coolest lunch experience of my entire life. And this is not my first rodeo with lunch. Our local village guides used slaying knives to cut bamboo from the forest and then deftly chopped it up into various formations. These formations included containers to cook the food in (they even made a rice cooker!), a stove to cook the food on, and even serving dishes, cups and chopsticks.img-20181115-wa01122955520204317242296.jpgimg-20181115-wa00967174112295729926884.jpgimg_20181106_1214507590368579488842258.jpg I swear to you, THIS HAPPENED! I know, I wouldn’t have believed me unless I’d seen it with my own eyes. Also, it was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked and seasoned food (chicken, pork, rice, veggie salsa, and delicious tea). Somehow they knew exactly how long to keep each dish on the fire for!  This was such a fantastic surprise, especially as Amy had totally under-sold it. It turns out she didn’t want to talk a big game, as it was the first time she’d be seeing this lunch experience in execution (minus a trial run she attended a few weeks prior). As Flash Pack insiders we all agreed this should be hyped up for future trips! img-20181115-wa01004242235947366084662.jpgimg-20181116-wa00077711261798670516236.jpgThat night was our last in Thailand before we’d crossing the border to Laos and it was spent in the village of Change Khong, in a very special accommodation- the Lanjia Lodge. The lodge is located high on the hilltop over the Mekong river (where we’d be spending some QT in the following days) and revenue from the lodge supports local community projects in two hillside villages (the Hmong and Lahu villages) whose people work together to care for the guests. The lodge consists of  several large, rustic wooden homes, each with large decks where we enjoyed home-cooked meals, sprawling views, and a sunrise that transcends descriptors. It was so worth getting up at 5:30am! img_20181107_0642003451684395046703831.jpgimg_20181107_0638416323527001641236296.jpgWe all gathered on one of the balconies that evening and enjoyed many Chang beer and many laughs together- the village people really do go above and beyond to take care of their guests. We later learned they had ridden a motorbike to the nearest store (which could not have been that close) two times to get more Chang for us! In fact, between the 15 of us, we managed to consume 86 Chang that night! Even Amy seemed impressed (if that’s the right word?) and she phoned the boat we were would be boarding the next day to make sure they had enough beer on board. Told you she was an awesome guide! The Night of 86 Chang encapsulated:img-20181106-wa00537494135214443603733.jpgimg_20181106_2335461473975101538319755.jpg The next day it was good-bye to Thailand and I left feeling like I had so much of a better sense of the heart and soul of the country than from my few times visiting the beaches in the southern part of the country. The beaches are of course spectacular but there is so much more natural beauty I had never seen and the local village people we met were all incredibly kind and welcoming. img_20181107_1735153544864773797246783.jpgimg_20181106_1334133532363654630630887.jpgimg-20181103-wa0037156264218318490754.jpgThailand definitely has their act together with tourism and it’s very easy to travel around, or at least it seemed that way having Amy figuring  everything out for us. Steve even gave Amy complete control to order for him, at every single meal. I don’t think he looked at a menu the whole time but loved every meal, even the “medium-spicy” ones. He followed up after the trip saying it was a rude awakening being back to real-life and especially having to decide what to eat again.

After crossing the border we met our Laos guide, a friendly local named Tui who complimented Amy perfectly with his kind smile and we boarded the vessel that would take us on a two day trip down the Mekong river. This was one of the most relaxing two days of my life as we watched the banks of Laos pass by from the confines of the comfortable boat, operated by a local husband and wife couple. We even had a Laos cooking lesson on-board and had our first tastes of the Lao dishes we would come to love. img_20181107_1652044890276395552660993.jpgimg-20181114-wa00193764274544269098934.jpgimg_20181107_1455492614505178843075943.jpgimg_20181107_110207_14255477917379766800.jpgWe stopped for the night in the riverbank village of Pakbeng, which seemed to be a popular spot (maybe the only spot?) for boats doing this journey to stay for the evening. img_20181107_1005112875232160836252868.jpgimg_20181107_1648383631414195319154550.jpgOur accommodation was adjacent to the local establishment, the Happy Bar, where we enjoyed Lao Beer (Chang Beer was so yesterday) and pool with some locals while Bob Marley tunes played in the background. Amy’s favorite is Buffalo Soldier and it seemed particularly appropriate as the animal is a  popular cuisine in Laos. Buffalo blood is even a delicacy here! Very few parts of animals are wasted in Laos, where the average annual salary is less than $1,000.

During our second day on the Mekong we stopped to explore the Tam Ting caves, which were created in the 15th century with more than 4,000 wooden figures of Buddha inside natural limestone caves nestled into islands. It’s unbelievable to think about the craftsmanship from so many years ago and especially how well it has survived over the years. img_20181108_142616-14105826022000054942.jpgTim Tang is a representation of the natural character and ancient spiritualism of Laos, a world that exists with peace and not conflict and where spiritualism exists in nature not just humans, including the water spirit of the Mekong.  After two days on the river we all agreed that it’s an incredibly special and spiritual place and we felt lucky to share the experience with each other.img_20181107_1727004866800176893868401.jpgWe arrived in Luang Prabang, where we would be spending our final three nights of the trip. How was the trip winding down already?? This one really flew by.  But there was still much fun to be had! Luang Prabang is a town in northern Laos built on a peninsula between the Mekong and the smaller Nam Khan River. Our accommodations, The Grand, included beautiful views and we were all very happy to be settling in for three nights. img-20181115-wa00771686944753767781494.jpgimg-20181115-wa00373426464574912484504.jpgimg-20181115-wa0033452814804229178866.jpgWe dove right into the local Lao culture by playing a game of “pentaque” that night, which is a game similar to bocce or boules. The French had brought the game to Laos and it has remained popular, one of the many European colonial influences that is still reflected in the Lao culture today. We got some lessons and split into teams for a tourney, which was a lot of fun (and just a smidge competitive).img-20181108-wa00085011785795672869697.jpg Dinner that night was a traditional Lao BBQ, which was so much fun! You pick out your ingredients amongst a bountiful selection of vegetables, meat, fish and spices and cook them in a BBQ kept hot by embers. Corey was familiar with this cooking technique from Hawaii and helped us to get passed our initial “how does this work?” hesitation by tossing everything on and watching it cook away (he also helped us figure out when it was done). It was such a fun and delicious meal and was punctuated by non-stop laughter among the group. img_20181108_1917046578263125936168141.jpgimg_20181108_1924455755816224562949661.jpgThat night I recall looking around the table at my new friends and feeling incredibly lucky. There was nobody else I would have wanted to be sharing the experience with than the people around me, even though I hadn’t known any of them just a week prior. img_20181108_192836_17712078481009158230.jpgOur last two days of the trip flew by and we explored Lao Prebang, including Mount Phousi which takes about 350 steps to summit with the reward of panoramic views and a golden stupa and temple. img_20181109_1058398455363156006244777.jpgimg_20181109_1021153035362938132045539.jpgThere were also markets to explore and cheap massages to be had in Luang Prebang and the night market was particularly bustling. Our last full day was an early one when we participated in the traditional giving of alms to local monks, which takes place at sunrise when about 200 monks process down the main street of town, collecting their food for their one meal the day. Our offering was sticky rice and as the monks silently processed by we sat on small stools (you can also kneel) and gave each monk a small portion. The monks ranged in age from the very old senior monks to sleepy looking children and it was an incredibly spiritual experience.img-20181110-wa00196637767828509381096.jpgimg_20181110_0547165176658925002481107.jpgimg-20181110-wa00278540849763770110339.jpgimg_20181110_0606063146105615945610367.jpgAfter our own breakfast (that consisted of much more than sticky rice) we were off for our final trek, this one to another a waterfall. We met our local guide in the village, as it is a tradition to use a local guide as a way to support the village who maintains the trail. Our guide was 75 years old and we had a hard time keeping up with him at times! img_20181110_0937108309611997680313645.jpg img_20181110_1004513638518191923725649.jpgThe hike wound us through the Lao jungle, through some villages and the occasional buddhist shrine. At one point we came across a little family run cafe that boasted a log crossing challenge. Yes, please! Five of us gave the challenge a whirl (if you can make it across the log without falling in you are rewarded with a Beer Lao, if you fall off you must buy a Beer Lao). We had a demo where the proprietor made it there and back with no problem and even while balancing a beer on his head. How hard could this be?img_20181110_1159357238765333963297609.jpg Let’s just say the five of us all ended up with a Beer Lao…and we all had to pay for them.img-20181110-wa00401105881021108239117.jpg The water was extremely refreshing,though, and it was well worth cooling off and for the laughs (my attempt was absolutely horrible, embarrassingly so!). Afterwards, the young daughter of the owner showed us how it’s done, and scampered across and back with no problem at all. Appropriately humbled and giddy from the beer, we finished our trek to be rewarded by the incredible Kuang Si waterfall. Laos and Thailand are not fooling around in the waterfall department! We swam in the waterfall pools enjoying the cascading water and even figuring out how to get between the rocks and the waterfall to view the falls from behind. And, if you stood under the water the right way, it was also an excellent shoulder massage!img-20181110-wa00558116807740564644581.jpg

img-20181116-wa00526800654841158349383.jpgimg-20181110-wa00435856085081596802958.jpgimg_20181110_133459-12398312165389400167.jpgOur final dinner was at a lovely restaurant overlooking the Nam Khan river and we savored our last bites of our favorite Lao delicacies, including sticky rice, papaya salad (medium-spicy, Amy warned), fresh fish, and of course buffalo (I didn’t try the buffalo but others loved it). Nobody wanted to go to bed that night as it felt like an admission that the trip was ending…so we stayed up talking and laughing until our stomachs hurt (so much laughing on this trip!), and until there was no more Beer Lao to be had. img-20181114-wa00091113986862882783102.jpgAfter the trip, Kristen posted one of my favorite quotes on Facebook, “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” That quote was on the front of my travel journal when I studied abroad in Perth, Australia in college…my first time going to the other side of the world.  It rung true then but also seems particularly appropriate for this trip, 20 years later, seeing the moon in Thailand and Laos with this group of people. img-20181111-wa0008-16257369108736156693.jpgAs I reflected on what made this group so special, it occurred to me that despite all being adventure travelers in our 30s and 40s, there were other commonalities that transcended the obvious ones. First of all, every single person in the group is hilarious. Just really, really funny people. So much laughing! I can’t highlight the laughter on this trip enough. Also, every person was genuine, kind, and open-minded (only a few of us had been to southeast Asia before) and they wanted more than to check the travel box and have some good Instagram posts (good Insta posts wouldn’t hurt though!). Really, though, the group wanted to know the local people, embrace the local experiences, and absorb the local culture. And together, with the help of Amy and Tui, that is exactly what we did.

 

 

In the shadow of Everest

I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t blog at all during my two-week trip to Nepal and especially that I haven’t blogged in the two weeks since then. The reason for radio silence on the trip is partially spotty WiFi in the Himalayas but mostly that I didn’t want to lose a second of enjoying the present moment. I know that sounds cheesy but I honestly wanted to savor every single stunning mountain view, every single step taking us further into the clouds, every single laugh with new friends, and every single breath (sometimes gasps) of oxygen depleted air. And, I haven’t blogged since the trip because I’m really struggling to put the experience into words. Here goes…

I vividly remember back in May when I learned that Flash Pack was running an Insider trip for a new Nepal trekking tour in the Everest region. It took about .25 seconds for me to message the Flash Pack co-founder, Lee, asking if I could be Chief Insider for the trip… and he said Yes! Despite having other trips between then and Nepal, I was SO excited for this one.

As background, I love climbing and mountains and being outside and anything active and adventures AND I also love Nepal. What could be more perfect?? While we’d done a two-day trek as part of my first Nepal trip (almost exactly a year ago) I’d left wanting more and have felt the Everest region beckoning to me ever since. Almost like a gravitational pull from the other side of the world.

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, I was excited to meet the group and they surpassed my already high expectations (based on the type of person I thought would be attracted to this sort of an adventure trip). These are my people. The group of 15 had roots in the UK, US, Canada, Kenya, Italy, Switzerland, India, Germany, and New Zealand and together we formed both a geographically and ethnically diverse team. We also shared the important commonality of having an incredible spirit of adventure (as well as having had listened to that gut feeling that was whispering encouragement as we’d booked the trip in the first place). Our guide, Dakman (D-Man, to us), was sincere, smiling, and clearly passionate about his country and the Everest region in particular. I climbed into bed after our initial group dinner even more excited for what was next with this incredible group of people.

It was an early bell the morning we headed deep into the Himalaya mountain range, an area more commonly known as the Everest region. An ethereal part of the world that I’d heard and read so much about but never expected to see with my own eyes. Now I was embarking on a nine-day trek through the mountain range, a trek that would take me to new heights (and to over 16,000 feet). I knew all of this before we boarded the tiny plane that would take us to the mountain village of Lukla- the gateway to Everest. But what I did not know as we took off into the clouds, what I could not have known and wouldn’t have dared to expect, is that I was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime.

I hadn’t done any research around our flight (not shocking) and was entranced by the views as the plane cruised around a mountain and then, all of the sudden, I COULD SEE THE GROUND! It was right below me, outside my window. We were coming in HOT! I let out a scream and then realized we were actually landing- HUGE PHEW! The landing happens that quickly and with no warning or “fasten your seatbelt.” We all cheered as we taxied down the tiny runway. I later learned that the Lukla airport has officially been deemed the world’s most dangerous and that the landing is apparently considered part of the adventure for Everest trekkers. I like that spin and am going with it!

In Lukla, D-man introduced us to the rest of our crack support team: three assistant guides, G-Unit, I-sure, and Susan (those were the names we mutually decided were the closest-enough versions of their actual names that we’d remember) and seven porters. Porters are what you might consider a “Sherpa” but we learned that Sherpa is actually an ethnicity, known for their super-human feats of mountaineering (it’s believed that the first person to summit Everest was Tenzig Norgay, the Sherpa accompanying Edmund Hilary). So, while many porters are of the Sherpa ethnicity (indicated if their last name is Sherpa), many are not.

Anyways, our bad-ass porters carried all of our stuff on their backs for the entire length of the trek (the same trek that we had difficulty just carrying ourselves through) and they did it hours faster than us! Most days we wouldn’t see them after they scampered ahead of us in the morning, some just wearing simple sandals and some in bare feet. I tried on one of the packs and could barely turn in a circle for a photo opp! No joke.

Soon enough we were off… somehow it was only 9:00 am and we still had a day’s trek ahead of us!

The intense spiritualism of the Everest region (where 80% of locals are Buddhist) was palpable almost immediately as we followed our guides through tiny villages laden with colorful prayer flags and around the many Sanskrit-inscribed rocks and shrines in the middle of the trail. We also passed by many prayer wheels and learned that everything is clockwise (indicating the direction you walk around a shrine or spin a prayer wheel). And while spinning of the prayer wheels was optional, most of us felt like we could use any goodwill that we could conjure up!

While we were early in the season and didn’t see a lot of other trekkers on the trail, pack animals (think ox, yak, etc.) were abundant. There were a few times we stopped to let groups 10-15 animals pass by, laden with large bags of rice and canisters of cooking oil.

As we weaved our way through tiny mountain villages we waved and exchanged greetings with friendly locals- smiling children playing in the streets and women washing clothes outside or carrying a chicken home. “Namaste” and a small bow with your hands in prayer position was the appropriate gesture all around.

The first day of trekking was an easy one, especially now that I know what a hard day is like. Our destination was the first Yeti mountain lodge of several we would be staying in, this one perched on a picturesque riverbank.

We were greeted with hot towels and lemon tea, a welcome gesture we quickly became accustomed to and would come to eagerly anticipate after a long day of trekking.

As we continued our expedition and chatted with folks along the way, I learned more about accommodations on the Everest trail. It turns out that hot towels and comfy beds with electric blankets are not the norm. In fact, the Yeti lodges are known as “the fancy places” on the trail, the lap of luxury in comparison to the traditional tea houses. Let me be clear that the Yeti lodges are not Ritz Carltons. They feel exactly like mountain lodges should feel- made of Lincoln logs and run by welcoming locals (who are also excellent cooks). Tea houses are more basic and (although they definitely vary) the norm is sleeping on mats in a large room and without an indoor bathroom. We were quite happy with the Yeti chain although it is unfortunate they don’t have a loyalty rewards program (we checked).

I was too exhausted to leave the comfort of my electric blanket-infused bed that first afternoon, but others explored the little accompanying village, which was complete with wooden suspension bridges spanning the river and even an Irish bar. It was there, at our first stop, that we began what became ongoing speculation as to if we were feeling the effects of altitude (or not). I hadn’t had problems with altitude in the past, but you never know when it will impact you and maybe that’s why I was tired (as opposed to jet lag and a 3:30 am wake-up call that day)?! Emma from London felt tingling in her fingers and assumed it was a side effect of the medication, Diamox, which has off-label usage to eliminate the impacts of altitude. In fact, 14 of our group was taking Diamox as a prophylactic remedy to the often-crippling altitude sickness that can plague mountain adventurers. I joked (sort of) that the medication actually does nothing but people think it works, since the potential side effects from the medication seemed to be identical to the symptoms of altitude sickness. Hmmm… I will say that in the end D-Man admitted it was pretty miraculous that out of 15 people in our group, nobody got altitude sickness. Odds-wise this was very rare. So, my final analysis is that I’m not gonna knock the Diamox (even if it’s based on the placebo effect).

The next day was no joke as we embarked on a challenging eight-hour hike to the town of Namche, which is known as the last borough of civilization before Everest-bound climbers make their move (think an ATM and the world’s highest Irish bar). I even had the proper socks with me!

This is also where we would divert paths to follow a less trodden path than the crowded base camp slog, but one that was allegedly equal in the views (and the altitude).

As we trekked, we quickly became used to calls of “Jam-Jam!” from our guides, which means “Let’s go!” The guides maintained a manageable pace and I later learned that they were then setting the cadence we would need to follow days later, when we were thousands of feet higher and every single step felt like it required a full breath. I will admit that the cadence of the climb was about the only thing I got used to.

What I never got used to was the spectacular views of snowcapped mountains, the kindness of the shy, smiling locals, or the ornate Buddhist shrines and colorful prayer flags flapping in the mountain wind. Every day, and multiple times a day, my breath was taken away by the raw beauty of my surroundings (and sometimes also because it was actually difficult to breath).

In Namche we had an “acclimatization day” during which we embarked on a steeeep 600 meter hike AND had our first views of the main attraction…the big kahuna…EVEREST! I admit that because there are so many huge mountains in that area (the region has something like 12 of the 15 highest mountains in the world) it wasn’t totally obvious from where we stood which one was EVEREST at first. They are all so breathtaking! D-Man pointed out the various peaks and (following initial cheers at seeing EVEREST) we stared silently at what lay before us. Rose described the scene as one she’d been waiting her whole life to see, “It’s just magical. I don’t know how to describe it,” she said, the crack in her voice indicating she was feeling emotional and not unlike the rest of us. Here’s Rose:

The next morning, we cruised through our breakfast ritual, learning from our Yedi experience how we liked our eggs cooked and even knowing each other’s porridge preferences (water vs. milk). We left “civilization” (punctuated by the fact that there soon weren’t even any four-legged friends tailing us) and made our way to the remote village of Thame, which is known as the hometown of many of the well-known Sherpa community, including Tenzig Norgay himself.

We arrived in the fog, oxygen depleted and more tired than our trek would have warranted at sea level and were happy to relax by the fire and play the occasional game of ping pong for the rest of the day. I realized that I actually liked the slightly exhausted feeling from the altitude as I didn’t feel the normal hyperactivity that sometimes prevents me from sitting still. In fact, I read an entire book that afternoon!

After a day of acclimatization (and ping-pong) it was time for our the most difficult portion of the trek that would take us to the village of Kongde, where we would stay in the second highest hotel in the world!

The previous afternoon D-Man, G-Unit, I-Sure, and Susan had prepared the ropes, harnesses, oxygen tank, and even a stretcher (!!) that we would be taking on this leg of the journey. We requested a speed-breakfast the next morning, so we could hit the trail early and not one person dawdled. Game faces = ON.

The weather started out sunny, but clouds and some rain quickly rolled in- the weather really does change on a dime (and multiple times a day) in this region. It was a challenging and unpredictable day of hiking and made more so by the often-slippery conditions. It was also a lot of fun! In addition to the wooden suspension bridges that we’d become accustomed to, we crossed upwards of 15 rivers balancing on stepping stones, AND in places we scaled across rock faces aided by wire “railings” that had been drilled into the stone. The good news about the bad weather was that at least we couldn’t see down! There were a few times that G-Unit or Susan would magically appear next to me during a steeper section of the rock face maneuvering and ask if I was okay. At the time I thought perhaps they were being a little over-protective but I realized later that they were asking because I was on a ridiculously scary cliff and a misstep would not be ideal. I saw a comfy bed of clouds that would catch me if I fell. I’m sooo glad I couldn’t see the reality of what was beneath me!

With about an hour of the trek left and the technical climbing behind us, we were all ready for our tea and hot towels. An hour felt like a looong time and we were cold from the relentless mist. Then, out of nowhere, the smiling faces of our porters emerged from the mist! They had reached our destination, dropped our stuff and then trekked BACK for 45 minutes, carrying tea for us! It was honestly like seeing a mirage and they seemed entertained by our gleeful and grateful reactions.

Konge was our jumping-off point for the next day’s trek, which would be the pinnacle of the trek at more than 16,000 feet.

Early the next morning I pulled open my window curtain just as the sun was beginning to rise and saw that there was a stunning behemoth of a mountain right outside my window. Wait… where did that come from?!?! It was a mountain I had not seen any signs of when we’d arrived the day before in the fog. I later learned that the mountain outside my window was just Mount EVEREST!! Apparently I hadn’t been paying attention during D-Man’s briefing the previous day. Anyways, it was an amazing surprise and the best hotel room view I’ve ever had!

Game faces ON once again the next morning and we were resolute in embarking on our final ascent while the sun was still rising.

We stopped frequently for breaks, which were either “catch your breath” breaks or “drink water” breaks, as indicated by our guides. We were grateful for either. Reaching the summit felt like a huge achievement and we were rewarded by the most spectacular views! It honestly felt like we were hovering above the globe.

We’d brought prayer flags from a mountaintop monastery we’d visited a few days earlier and D-Man helped us to string them on rock shrines, in the Himalayan tradition to bless the countryside. There was certainly no shortage of beauty to bless.

Hours later and back at the lodge, we enjoyed a champagne brunch in the shadow of Everest, feeling like the luckiest people alive.

We watched the massive mountain appear and disappear over and over again, and reacted with equal enthusiasm each time it made it’s grand entrance. We were literally and figuratively on top of the world, and soaking in every moment of a day that we will undoubtedly relive countless times in our lifetimes. A day that changed each of us, in some small way, as human beings.

It seemed an appropriate farewell when we were treated to an evening spectacular of mountain views with moving cloud formations. It was like nothing I have ever seen. It truly looked like a humongous floor of clouds was rising up to meet us, with Everest looking down on the beauty it was punctuating. Some of my travel-mates did some fancy camera tricks to capture the scene. While the pictures are amazing, it was even more awe-inspiring in real life. Pinky swear.

The next day we commenced our descent, which was an absolute delight! We were going downhill (mostly) and gaining oxygen and energy with every step AND we no longer had concerns about altitude. Let’s just say the Irish bars were a lot more rowdy on the way down! It was still no walk in the park but we knew we’d been through the most difficult terrain so could really just enjoy the scenery and learn more about the new friends we’d grown so close with. The dynamics of this trip took group bonding to a whole new level.

Back in Lukla we had a farewell gathering with our support crew, hosted by I-Sure in his family’s modest, two room home (that doubles as a shop in the daytime, run by I-Sure’s wife while he’s off guiding adventures). There we enjoyed beer and momo’s (yum!!) with our guides and porters (we were good buds with the guides at this point and while we knew the porters less intimately, in large part due to the language barrier, we’d shared a lot of laughs and had an unspoken connection). At that moment, and for those two hours, I felt like I was with family. I’ve never in my life felt closer to people I’d known for such a short period of time.

As fate would have it we ended up spending another night in Lukla when all flights out were cancelled the next day due to ZERO visibility from fog. We learned this after spending some QT in the Lukla airport with other trekkers trying to get back to Kathmandu.

To get an idea of the visibility, that’s the runway behind us:

Apparently this weather situation is not uncommon and the two airlines that run flights back and forth are frequent grounded, on both ends. We hadn’t realized how lucky we were on our first flight! I met a group that had been delayed in Kathmandu for a whole week prior to their trek to base camp. The problem with a cancelled flight is that the next day your group doesn’t get priority over passengers booked for that day so the wait can easily compound. D-Man handled this snafu in the itinerary like a pro and booked us a room at the “best available tea house,” which was a far cry from the local Yeti lodge. He also managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat by getting us bumped up to the second flight of the day the next morning. I think he must have cashed in a favor for that one and we were grateful- -especially those with international flights to catch. Our finger-crossing worked and the next day brought clear skies and sunshine. Back at the airport, I wondered why D-Man still looked a little anxious, pacing while waiting for our plane to come in. It did, just a few minutes late, and we all cheered when we took off. Upon landing we learned that bad weather had rolled into Luckla quickly and the airport had closed for the day ten minutes after we took off! Lucky us! Must have been all that prayer wheel spinning.

Now, over two weeks later, I think about the trip all the time and relive memories daily with my new friends from all over the world. I can’t help think that when your perspective on the world is altered, there is no clear path forward. I guess you just embrace it and try to do things differently than you would have. Things like changing your return flight so you can stay in Kathmandu for three more days with new friends (Yay Keith!), or seriously thinking about leaving that job you dislike (you people will remain nameless, don’t worry), or just looking at each day as a gift, a HUGE gift! And while you’re not sure who it’s from or why it was given to you, you know that it’s there to be cherished and enjoyed… sometimes on top of the world.

Jam-jam!!!

Pure Peru 🇵🇪

Preface/Disclaimer: Big Announcement- HUGE: After a month of traveling in Central and South America…. I now speak fluent Spanglish! This is great news as it’s the first foreign (okay, semi-foreign) language I’ve ever been fluent in!! Great news aside, the point of this Preface/Disclaimer is to ask you to bear with me as you read this blog post. My brain is in Spanglish mode so the words just come out and I can’t help it sometimes but, lucky for you, the number of Spanish words in my vocabulary are limited. So, I doubt you will have any problemas. (See how easy that is to translate??)

No longer the Preface/Disclaimer but just my normal blog: If you’ve been dutifully following my blogs, you’ve noticed that I’ve been on mucho tours with a muy bien company called Flash Pack. And, as a thank you for my loyal patronage, the Flash Pack co-founders (and amazing husband and wife duo) Lee and Rahda, offered me my tenth trip, to Peru, for FREE!! (Sans dinero? Sin dinero? You get the gist!) This gesture was SO, SO, SO nice of them and I’m SO, SO, SO grateful!! This was especially meaningful as the Peru trip was one of their first (and is one of the most frequently run) and I’d seen and heard many accounts of the trip’s amazingness, so I was very excited as I left Mexico and headed to Lima.

Our group met in the country’s capital city, where we would be spending a few days exploring with our local guide, Ricardo. This was a unique group as it was the smallest of any of my previous tours and there were only six of us. The groups usually have 10-14 and for some reason this one was smaller. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect with a smaller group. I mean, what if we got sick of each other?? But, my concerns were unfounded and it ended up being a different and also really good experience.

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Everything was so much easier with only six of us to keep track of at any given time, and I actually forgot how it worked with the larger groups! We also had a great mix of people in the group- my roommate Archie from London (who also quit her job and is traveling South America for a few months!), Zoe from London, Gemma from Manchester, Menard from Philly, and Lorena from the Philippines (but she’s currently working in the U.S. for a year).

Ricardo started our introduction to the city at a local food market, where we learned from vendors about all the different types of fruits and vegetables native to Peru. They have such variety and even upwards of 3,000 types of potato. No joke! Pretty much every size, shape, and color that you can imagine. We later learned from a local that Peruvians like the imperfect food or vegetable in the group as opposed to the shiny, perfect looking apple. More desirable is the potato with a worm in at (after cutting out the worm!), as it’s likely more tasty. I mean, if the worm liked it…

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We also got a tutorial in local seafood, which Lima is also known for (especially fish in the form of ceviche) and we learned that the city has put itself on the map as a gastronomy capital where food is a big draw to tourists. We experienced this first hand when our next stop was a delicious restaurant where we were given lessons on making two Peruvian staples: a pisco sour and ceviche. I had always imagined that the whipped top layer of a pisco sour was made with egg whites after the rest of the drink, but in fact it’s all shaken together and separates naturally when poured (so looks harder to make than it is- love that!).

We also whipped up some delish ceviche that we enjoyed as a first course of a scrumptious lunch. As a seafood fan I was very happy! We then toured through the downtown area of Lima that surprised me with its grandeur and charm. I guess because I’d never heard anything about downtown Lima, I’d assumed there wasn’t much there but it was very cool with several huge fountains and cathedrals and large picturesque squares (the Plaza del Armas is the main square and it’s very cool to see).

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We then spun through the Miraflores neighborhood, which is an affluent waterfront neighborhood with several parks and loads of shopping. Of course the Brits in the group had to track down a Paddington Bear statue (apparently Paddington is actually from Peru- I’d forgotten that part of the book). We returned to our hotel still satiated from lunch and happily tired from a full day in Lima- a cool city worth a visit.

It was an early bell the next morning as we headed to the airport and hopped a flight to…the Amazon! Our Amazon accommodations were very cool in a rustic-chic kinda way (if that makes sense) and were most definitely remote, requiring a bus ride and then a boat ride down a river to reach. We slept in huts with thatched roofs and enjoyed meals that were mostly made with ingredients they grow or source locally (think lots of plantains, trout, nuts, and the most delicious fruits).img_20180824_2141425162557097916387543.jpg

We were also taken on various excursions throughout the day and night to appreciate the nature of the area from various perspectives. This included a nighttime river cruise where we spotted a few of the caimen animal (like an alligator and crocodile but neither) and also a capybara on the shore (this was described as a giant guinea pig and that is exactly what it looked like).

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We also went on an early morning hike followed by a canoe ride on a beautiful lake, where we spotted a few more caimen (you could just see their eyes, peeking out of the water- it was kind of creepy) and tracked down a friendly otter who gave us a show as he enjoyed his freshly caught fish lunch.

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That afternoon we were off again, for an adventure in the trees of the Amazon, where we enjoyed scampering across a series of suspension bridges hung high up in the trees. Once we crossed the first couple bridges we were were more at ease and could enjoy the spectacular views.

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On the boat ride back to our accommodations I started to feel tired and then the onset of a familiar chill that I’d experienced the week prior when I’d come down with a fever and stomach bug when in Mexico. While the symptoms had been lingering, I’d been feeling better each day, until now. I got off the boat and made my way to my hut where I promptly got into bed and wrapped myself in a blanket, shivering. Well, lucky for me, Gemma is a nurse and when she came to check on me, she took one look at the situation and proceeded to whip the blanket off of me and made me promise to keep it off when she left. Well, at one point, after much self-contemplation, I was about to give in and grab the blanket back, then just as I was reaching for the blanket, I heard footsteps on the porch of my hut…it was Gemma! I quickly dropped the blanket and from then on was scared to touch it again. It was like she knew! In the end, despite having maybe called her Nurse Ratched a few times, I was grateful for Gemma’s medical advice, and it worked as my fever was gone by morning! While I’d been infirmed the rest of the group enjoyed another night walk where the guide spotted a huge tarantula hole and lured it out for the group to see. I saw the pictures and that thing was HUGE (even bigger than the one in the Brady Bunch Hawaii episode) and I’m really okay with not having seen it in person.

The next morning we bid farewell to our friends from the resort (a great international crowd that we’d made friends from New Zealand and Germany) and took the boat back to the bus back to the airport (with a brief stop at a butterfly farm). We then headed to Cusco, which would be our landing pad for the next week as we embarked on various adventures including a hike up Rainbow mountain and seeing the infamous Machu Picchu.

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Cusco is known for being a high-elevation city but I didn’t realize quite how high until we got there. (The meters to feet conversion is something I haven’t mastered quite yet and 3,300 meters didn’t mean a whole lot… I quickly realized we’re talking over 11,000 feet!!!) Now, I’ve done some high altitude climbing before and know that I’m one of those lucky people who has not been negatively impacted by elevation. And, yes, I realize how lucky I am as it’s something you really can’t control (not even with fitness) and it can make or break an experience. But, this was about to be unchartered territory for me! In fact, when checking into our hotel in Cusco, we were told that they have oxygen tanks and it’s no biggie to call the desk in the night and ask for a hit of oxygen. They just roll it up to your room, I guess (thankfully, nobody in our group needed it). We also met our guide for the remainder of the trip, a Cusco local named Pabel, who I liked right away. He’s been doing this for a long time and clearly knows his stuff but has a quiet confidence about him. I conferred with Pabel about my own sickness (that did not seem to be getting better) and he arranged for a doctor to come to my room. It was like room service but with a doctor! She was originally from the Lima area and my first introduction to the beliefs and faith of the people of Cusco was from her. She said many local people believe that if something bad happens to you when in Custco (such as if you get sick) that it’s a sign from the spirits that Cusco doesn’t want you there and you should leave. I believe she was telling me that story as an anecdote and not as a hint, plus I’d gotten whatever I had while in Mexico, not Cusco so surely this couldn’t be applicable to me (this was how I rationalized it in my head at the time). Anyways, she did an exam and said I had gotten a parasite of some sort when in Mexico (likely from food or drink) and gave me a strong antibiotic that worked it’s magic quickly. Phew! Traveling while sick is not my favorite thing and I was so glad to be back to 100%!

The next day, Pabel led us on a tour of Cusco’s main attractions in the town and its surrounding mountains as he told us more about the incredible city.

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First of all, Cusco is super-old and was the capital of the Inca empires until those pesky Spanish invaded in the 16th century. Most Peruvians are Catholic but the nuances of the religion are different in Cusco than many other areas in Peru. In Cusco the strong native cultural traditions from the Inca times are blended with the tenets of traditional Roman Catholicism brought by the Spanish, such as revering the inti (sun) and the Pachi Mama (Mother Earth) and passing along biblical tales through dramatic, colorful reenactments at churches or festivals. This blended spirituality is manifested by doing things like spiritual offerings to Pachi Mama when eating or drinking something (like if you open a soda, you’d dump a little on the ground as an initial offering to PM before you drink the rest). We saw this done by locals many times throughout our journey and even started doing it ourselves (when we remembered, which for me wasn’t very often, but at one point I gave her almost a whole beer to make up for it so I think she’s cool with me). While we made the offerings seemingly in partial jest, I think we all figured it couldn’t hurt to have PM on our side as we immersed ourselves in the natural wonders in the area (and especially as we embarked on a strenuous two-day hike up Rainbow mountain).

After enjoying the many sites (think 360 degree mountain views, vibrant squares, massive churches) and sounds (music is everywhere!) of Cusco we packed a smaller bag which we took on a bus ride the next morning, our destination being a gorgeous lodge nestled in the mountains and positioning us better for our Rainbow mountain hike. This lodge was also rustic-chic and I didn’t realize until the end of the trip that it was part of the same hotel chain as the rustic-chic place in the Amazon- the Inka Terra hotel group (which I highly recommend, btw, and a Peruvian hotel chain so not related to SPG or anything like that). View from my room:

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On our way we stopped to embark on an amazing mountain bike ride through the mountains (probably the coolest mountain biking adventure I’ve ever had – the views were so stunning that they almost looked fake) and then, while still exhilarated we stopped a few hours later to see the coolest salt flats.

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While there had been a mention of salt flats in the itinerary, I don’t think any of us were prepared for how cool they were. Of course they were Inca construction and those Inca’s did not fool around with this sort of thing. I’m in absolute awe thinking about the fascinating feats of engineering that they developed during their time. At the flats we learned about the different type of salts harvested on the flats and got an up close and personal tour. It’s amazing how much salt is created from just a small water source!

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Our last stop was another Incan archeological site called Moray that included an elaborate irrigation system allowing them to test different methods of farming. Yes, they had their act together enough to create a farming testing system, no problemo.

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We wound down from all the Inca excitement at the most relaxing mountain lodge imaginable and prepared for our big Rainbow mountain adventure the next day. This place was epic and we enjoyed a complimentary pisco sour in big cushy leather chairs, around the crackling fire. It had almost a ski lodge atmosphere. Our evening entertainment was a game created by Zoe, that involved creating trivia questions about the trip thus far. It seemed that the teams were pre-ordained (by Zoe) and it was Team GB vs. Team No-Stars (which consisted of the non-Brits in the group- Menard, Lorena and myself. We happily accepted our designated name, despite the not-so-veiled insult where No-Stars is a mockery of the American term, All-Stars. Gotta love that British humor!) Menard and I quipped that we are most comfortable as the underdog – cue the Revolutionary war (which I might add is a conflict one Brit in the group had NO IDEA had ever happened. I will not name names, but just sayin’….). It was a heated battle (down to one point!) and I will tell you those Brits are both competitive and rules-bound… didn’t Paul Revere say something similar? Anyways, I’m happy to say that despite our best efforts, Team GB was the victor! I’m happy because with a true collectivist mentality, I’m going to say that in the end the trip was more harmonious for all of us because they won. And I’m also optimistic that Team GB’s national pride from the victory is maybe enough to take the edge off all of their losses in the next Winter Olympics, maybe. [Menard and Lorena- am I framing this well or what?!]

Trivia grudges behind us, we embarked on our trip up Rainbow Mountain the next day as a united front! The first day’s hiking was not too strenuous and we enjoyed meeting families who live along the way, in extremely modest shack-like structures, if that. One even invited us to warm around their fire and then started playing music and taught us their traditional dance!

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I will say that everything, even dancing, is more difficult when you’re at high altitude. And our altitude had reached the ridiculously high proportions. I’m talking at camping at 14,000 feet and the summit of Rainbow Mountain is a full 17,000 feet! This is my highest altitude ever and I was curious how I would respond physically, but other than being out of breath easily, I felt pretty good. At times I even felt a little bit giddy, like when I was a little kid and would occasionally suck the air out of a helium balloon to make my voice sound funny. A few in our group weren’t so lucky and battled the annoying negative impacts of the altitude but all were troopers and we were happy to reunite at the summit. Our victory pose:

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Rainbow Mountain really is that beautiful and it’s awe-inspiriting to be seeing the multi-colored layers, which are the result of mineral deposits over millions of years.

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Of course we added a lot more color to Rainbow Mountain, especially with my Lucha Libre face masks I’d brought from Mexico (they were also a great face warmer!).

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The trek down was a piece of cake, as the weather was perfect and we were scampering past throngs of people headed to the summit at a much later point in the day. It turns out that most folk do this hike as a day trip and leave Cusco at 2 a.m., ride several hours in a bus to a trail head (taking a shorter and less scenic route than us), reach the summit (all at the same time, so it’s a royal cluster) and then all trudge down at the same time and return to Cusco at 7 p.m. I will say our method was BY FAR more preferable as it felt like we were the only ones on the magical mountain at times and we got to appreciate it in a much more authentic way.

We enjoyed the same pre-hike mountain Inka Tera property the night after the hike, and were even treated to massages. It felt like the most perfect time to get a massage ever (and I’ve had my fair share of massages). None of us recovered from the massage-induced veil of relaxation enough to stay awake too long (definitely not enough energy for Trivia round 2) and we all retired pretty early. I think I slept for 10 solid hours that night and it was perfect. The next day it was off to our next site… a not too shabby one called Machu Picchu. This required a bus to a cute little town with amazing Inca ruins that we explored before boarding a train.

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Okay, I’m not going to lie, it was a the best train ever. It had adorable, colorful placements at each seat, gorgeous window views and even little skylights so you could see an aerial view during the beautiful ride through the Andes. And, to top it off, there was a guy walking up and down the aisle with a drink shaker, which had the double effect of creating percussion background noise and making pisco sours!

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We all happily enjoyed a pisco sour as we cruised into Machu Picchu central- a cute little community bustling with hotels and many restaurants trying to lure you in, and offering things such as 2×1 happy hour pisco sours and jenga (twist my arm!). We had a delish dinner and hit the hay early, which I’d like to say was because we knew had an early morning but to be honest (for me at least) was more a result of the altitude + pisco sour combo deal. It worked out well, though, as we were all awake and fairly lucid at 5 a.m., when we headed to the line for the buses to the top of Machu Picchu (about a 15 minute ride). There’s a huge line at that hour and apparently tourism has been on a continuous incline over the past 8 years of so.

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I will say that the country of Peru does seem to have it figured out in terms of tourism, almost in a “if you build it they will come” fashion in determining the main attractions they promote to tourists (out of Peru’s many man-made and natural options). I will say at Machu Picchu they do a nice job of regulating the number of onlookers there at one time, so while I’d heard tales of the spot being overrun with tourists, I never felt like it was ridiculously packed. When we arrived, we first stood in awe, just staring at the wonder of the world and only remembering to take pictures when Pabel suggested it.

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It’s just unbelievable to think that this was created by human beings that long ago and built in less than 30 years! We then climbed Machu Pinchu mountain, which is actually part of the Inca trail and is a stone path with more than 2,500 steps taking you to an elevation of a mere 10,100 feet- the top of the mountain overlooking the ruins.

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Of course the Incas made the trail so it’s still in pretty good shape. (As a side note, I also didn’t realize that the entire 26 mile Inca trail is a stone path of made of Inca paving stones!) After making our way down the mountain, we had an up close and personal tour of the ruins and as we walked through Pabel explained the many amazing design features of the city- including brick and mortarless construction with irregularly shaped rocks that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, so during the many earthquakes over the years the stones allegedly “dance” and move apart easily but then fit back together in their original formation. Genius!

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I have to tell you that the views from that spot are out of this world. It’s really a shame that after all that work the city was only inhabited for about 80 years before it was abandoned in 1572. It was then buried and nobody knew it was there until 1911, when it was finally discovered. It’s such an incredible place full of incredible stories and I fully support the wonder of the world designation (in case the wonder of the world committee was interested in my thoughts).

Following a delicious lunch we boarded the train back to Cusco, less exuberant this time following our 4 a.m. wake-up call and exciting morning. Back in Cusco we rallied to go out, as it was our final night together! How was the trip already over? All my trips have gone by quickly but this one really flew. We enjoyed a few more pisco sours and looked for salsa dancing but ended up at a regular dance place and that worked just fine. Good-byes were hard, per the ushe, and I was staying for two more nights so had a staggered process of bidding farewell to folks. It’s almost easier if you’re the first to leave! I spent my next few days taking in more of Cusco, including a typical Sunday that includes parades all over the main square- celebrating graduations, religious observations and some things that I have no idea what they are but involve lots of music and costumes.

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It appears that everyone in the town is in the parades and the only onlookers are smattering of tourists. But it’s not something they are doing for tourists. It’s just that their idea of the point of a parade is being IN the parade not WATCHING the parade. I love that! I also took a “colectivo” bus (you pay $1.50 and get in a van with a bunch of people going to the same place) to a neighboring town where I explored the markets and some more stunning ruins on the mountain top.

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There is a village behind the ruins and I learned that every day the children walk down the mountain to school in the village (a 90 minute trek) and then climb up the mountain for two hours to get home! I can’t imagine doing that everyday in normal conditions, never mind their harsh rainy season.

As I rode to the airport, I thought about how Peru had managed to surpass even my high expectations. Yes, tourism has been on the rise there, but there’s a reason for that. It’s such a beautiful country with incredibly kind and welcoming people (Peruvians are even a little shy by nature!) and the history is palpable and absolutely fascinating. Oh and I now have a little Inca obsession and am on the hunt for a good nonfiction book on them…let me know if you have any recommendations.

Despite my sadness to be leaving Peru, on the bright side I looked forward to being back at sea level for a spell (my lips had a permanent tint of blue for a while due to the altitude).

Viva Mexico!

I have to admit that the country of Mexico was not on my short list of places to visit during my travels. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mexico but figured I had seen most of what I needed to see and would go back after I was working again when I needed a chill-ax beach holiday. I mean, I’d been to Cancun (not once but TWICE), Playa del Carmen once (okay, not so far from Cancun), AND even tacked onto one of the trips with a few days traveling solo in Tulum (actually Tulum may have been the first time I’d ever traveled solo, and it was less than two years ago! Wow). Anyways, fast-forward to a few months ago when I chatted with my friends at my favorite travel company, Flash Pack, who told me about a new “Chief Insider” initiative they are doing and asked ME if I wanted to BE a “Chief Insider”!!! Um, beyond having an awesome title, what else do I have to do?

Basically, the company does a lot careful planning around each of their trips but realizes that you can only plan so much and have to actually experience the trip to know if everything works how it should. So, for the first run of each new trip they have an “Insider” group, where everyone gets a discounted rate for providing feedback and being understanding that there may be first-time glitches. As the CHIEF Insider (I preferred to go by Chief) I was responsible for providing an additional layer of support, basically making sure things went okay with the Insiders, mitigating glitches, and providing some iterative feedback. But really I was just on the trip like everyone else and doing what I usually do on my Flash Pack trips. [Hmmm….maybe I should ask for some retroactive CHIEF discounts?]

So, (I bet you can see where this is going), there was a CHIEF Insider opportunity for a new trip to Mexico and I looked at the itinerary and couldn’t believe there were so many cool things I hadn’t seen or done in the country. A sampling:

So, of course I signed up! Then, it was time, and I eased into my next international travel junket by not straying too far from los Estados Unidos. I arrived to Mexico City a few days early, to visit the Amazing Ana, who is from there and I’d met during my Turkey travels. I stayed with her for a few days and she gave me a wonderful tour of her city- including the incredible Frida Kahlo museum (seriously, Frida was one inspirational muchacha), the really interesting Archeological Museum, and many other sights, smells and sounds (the best sound in Mexico is the music, which is everywhere. And real music, actually being played!). Ana is also a talented artist with a great eye and she took me to the most beautiful places in her city, all while making me smile with her infectious giggle. It was so good to see her again!

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After bidding Ana farewell I met my tour group, who I felt like I kind of knew already from pre-trip What’s App banter. Most were from the UK or Europe and had had long travel days (for once I was the one with the least travel time!) yet everyone was very excited and lively during our initial dinner. Most of us made it out to a salsa club after dinner and we even danced with some locals. While I can’t speak for the others, I don’t think my partners were particularly impressed with my salsa skills. Still, it was a great first night!


We all loved our guide, Fransciso, right away as he’s one of those people you can tell just loves what he does. He’s clearly enthusiastic about his country and sharing his impressive knowledge about it (the guy majored in History and seems to literally know everything).img_20180813_200100376677646887295097.jpg
We spent three nights in Mexico City and, despite my pre-tour with Amazing Ana, I felt like I had so much more to see and there was a new surprise around every corner. The city really does have a ton to offer and despite being one of the most populated cities in the entire world, it really doesn’t feel that way. I expected it to be overly congested and maybe a bit sterile in parts, but instead I felt like it exuded charm, appeal, and history. Plus, just enough people speak just enough English that you can get by but you still have to work at it. I love that! While of course it’s easier to communicate in foreign countries where everyone speaks English, it doesn’t really seem fair for them to have to speak my language and I actually like to have to make an effort (I especially like making an effort when in a Spanish speaking country, as that is the one language I know more than a handful of words in, albeit not as many as I should given that I had to take classes through the “literature level” in college- it was a struggle for me and it took a while to stop having nightmares about Don Quixote). Anyways, Francisco took us on a walking tour of the city, to the main area downtown where there used to be a huge pyramid back in the day, until the Spanish came and ripped it apart to use the bricks to build a massive cathedral just a stone’s throw away. How rude!

We then moved on to the bustling market where we did an authentic food tour. And authentic it was! I even found myself eating insects for the first time! Although I was dubious and thought maybe it was a trick for tourists, I learned that the Mexicans really do eat insects themselves and sometimes even with a fancy presentation as if an expensive cheese board. We got them straight from the market vendor, though, which I thought was pretty bad-ass of us. [The lady selling them even looks a little worried for us.]

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We also tried the most delectable fruits from the market- it really is SO much better there! In fact, the food overall is absolutely incredible and far surpassed my expectations. In a way I’m a smidge disappointed as I feel like “Mexican food” in the U.S. may have been ruined for me, for a while at least…I’m sure the memories of my taste buds will fade over time, though.

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That night we were whisked off to a “Lucha Libre” wrestling match, which is the first type of wrestling where they wore whacky masks and had crazy names. It started in the early 1900s during the Mexican Revolution as a means of distraction/entertainment and has thrived ever since then, becoming an international cultural icon of sorts. I wasn’t sure what to expect exactly and I think we were all surprised how much fun it was….the ABSOLUTE BLAST kind of fun! There was much energy and excitement and we even got into it enough to get masks and choose favorites! I will admit that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t think I would like it very much (I’m decidedly not a big WWF or UFC fan) but was so pleasantly surprised. I really think you need to experience it to understand but trust me- it’s totally worth it!

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The next day there was no rest for the weary and we were whisked off to a colorful traditional trajinera boat where we cruised through canals and enjoyed a home-cooked lunch while being regaled by mariachi bands. I told you, music is literally everywhere in this country!

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That evening we had a delicious dinner at a restaurant overlooking the massive cathedral. I mean…no words describe this Mexico City view.

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Then it was off to our second destination, the town of Puebla which is also Francisco’s hometown. We settled into our Puebla accommodations before Francisco proudly showed us around his city. We later met for a traditional (and delicious) meal in a local restaurant.

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We were up and out early the next day for a hike in between two huge volcanos. This required a two-hour drive that turned into a four-hour drive after some interference by unpredictable traffic and unpredictability closed roads (both apparently part of the “authentic” Mexico experience). This meant that we didn’t have time to do the full hike but instead did a mini-hike up to a picnic spot where we enjoyed the volcano views as we ate delicious boxed lunches.

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Despite making the best of it, the group was disappointed that the hike was cut short and that we had much longer travel day than expected. I put my CHIEF hat on and messaged the peeps back at FP HQ with the latest – knowing they would want to fix timing issues around the hike for next time and also know that the group was not thrilled about missing the hike. Well, a series of messages later, a reservation at a local speakeasy had been arranged for that evening, courtesy of Flash Pack (thanks to Jenni for recommending the speakeasy!). It was one of those authentic yet trendy places where you enter though a hidden entrance (this one was a barbershop) and it was open mic night to boot! The comedians all gamely did their best to accommodate the English-speaking group sitting at the big table, yet I found even the Spanish bits entertaining especially the crowd reactions.

We were treated to even clearer views the next morning as we departed Puebla- maybe too clear – and we could see smoke coming out of one of the volcanos (thankfully not the one we had been on). Locals swear it will be a good 25 years before the next eruption, but who know, really?!

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We then moved on along to our final destination, the town of Oaxaca. It’s funny as Oaxaca is the smallest of the three places we  visited, but it was the place I’d heard the most about from friends who had travelled to non-beach areas of Mexico. I’d enjoyed Mexico City and Puebla so much that it was hard to imagine Oaxaca could somehow be better. Now, in hindsight, I refuse to pick favorites but will say that I definitely see what all the Oaxaca hype is about. It’s a quaint city, full of character and charm and bustling with artists and musicians of all sorts. And while it’s easy to get around and you feel like a local almost immediately, there is lots to see and do. In fact, I stayed for two nights after the tour and I still felt like there were still things I hadn’t seen! Guess I’ll have to go back 🙂 And just like that, Mexico is back on the list. A few glimpses of the Oaxaca beauty:

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I found this especially beautiful-

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Highlights in Oaxaca were a traditional cooking class, that began with a lesson in making three different types of delicious cheeses. We then split into groups to each make a course in a most delectable 5-course lunch that we later enjoyed. It was so much fun (both the cooking and the eating!).

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We also had a beer tasting at a local brewery, where Hirin pulled some Rainman stuff by guessing the alcohol percentage of 5 out of six beers, within .1%! It was pretty impressive, as far as party tricks go. We also travelled to the stunning Hierve del Agua which is a natural petrified waterfall (not a real waterfall but a huge rock cliff with petrified rock that looks like cascading water). There were some pretty spectacular springs in the adjacent rocks that serve as a convenient viewing area.

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img_20180818_1143384951529934774014912.jpgWe also swung by a mescal distillery to get an up close and personal demo on how agave magically turns into mescal. Here’s me and the proprietor –

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I’ll skip right over our farewell dinner as those are always bittersweet, recounting memories from the trip and accepting that it’s, sadly, ending.

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This goodbye was more gradual, though, as about half the group wasn’t leaving until later the next day and we made our way to the Monte Alban pyramids in the morning. Talk about spectacular! We hired a guide outside (Julio) who walked us through the massive Aztec heritage site explaining meaning behind the relics. They really did it up back in the day, and the Aztecs must have been in great shape to climb all those steps every day.

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The next day the cheese stands alone, as the last of my new friends departed. And, did I mention how solid this group was?? Hailing from the UK, US, and Italy, everyone got along as evidenced by the fact that we even spent our limited free-time together. It’s always a little jarring to go from being with a group of friends and having a handler (poor Francisco, but he loved it!) to being left to your own devices. I even had to set my own alarm in the morning (my amazing roomie Jo from Wales had taken care of that -only one of the many reasons she’s amazing). Here’s Jo and I:

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It ended up being for the best that I was solo for my last two days in Oaxaca though, as I quickly succumbed to what I first described as the Mexican Plague and later learned is also known as Montezuma’s Revenge. Not sure exactly what that means but it definitely felt like someone’s revenge! I tried fight it and convince myself that I did not, in fact, feel horrible. But it was a futile battle and I got in bed at 2pm, and slept on and off (mostly on) until 11am the next day. Apparently this Revenge is common in Mexico and surrounding countries and is likely from something I ate or maybe ice from water that wasn’t purified. I admit I wasn’t the most careful with that stuff, thinking all my traveling had helped me to develop a stomach of steel. Incorrect. Lesson learned.

On the upside I was feeling much better the day I was leaving and had most of the day to do a final farewell tour of Oaxaca before heading to the airport again.

Next up…pisco sour country!

An Americana Month

I couldn’t believe it but I realized I hadn’t been in the U.S. over a full month in an entire year! July was the first month in a good while and it seemed appropriate that it was the Americana month of July. I kicked off my domestic stint with a long weekend in New York, visiting a friend, Courtney, who I met on my tour of South Africa and attending the wedding of my cousin, Curtis. Courtney lives on Long Island, and despite spending fair amount of time in New York, I had never made it there myself, so visiting Courtney was the perfect excuse! Meeting Courtney in South Africa was like meeting someone you feel like you already know. She recalls the first night of our tour, when she made a quip at my expense to which my response was “You don’t know me well enough to give me shit yet.” That was when I knew we would definitely be friends.
My Long Island experience was everything I hoped for and more. Courtney really provided the experience package. Just check out her stocked fridge (a plethora of beer options that you can’t see behind the yogurt) and sunblock buffet (as in every type you could imagine. That little travel bottle to the right is my sad SPF 15)


She also has a most fantastic condo, RIGHT on the beach. Meaning that she can hear and even see the waves crashing onto the beach from her window or balcony. Whenever she wants. And walk there in about two minutes. Yes, she can be HERE in two minutes.

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This is just about the best thing ever in my book and I think I commented something along those lines about 25 times during my two-day visit! Also, I really think Courtney’s building could be the basis of a reality TV show. I thought my building in DC had an eclectic population but it doesn’t hold a candle to the entertainment value Courtney’s building provides. Everyone knows everyone, of course, and everyone has the best Long Island accent (usually spoken loudly or yelled). Not only does everyone know everyone but everyone knows everything about everyone (or thinks they do at least). Courtney told me about the time she stopped to chat with an elderly neighbor in the lobby one day and a week later learned that the whole building thought were dating. There’s also not a lot of boundaries at play, and at one point we ended up on an involuntary tour of a new neighbor’s apartment (we were literally dragged in from the hallway)- a tour given by the neighbor’s friend while the neighbor (and resident) wasn’t even home! But, there’s also so many benefits from this communal approach. For example.one night we sat on her balcony one night, catching up with neighbor-friend Donna (via yelling from balcony to balcony) and the next day Donna randomly yelled over that she had extra avocados if I wanted to take any with me. What a fantastic offer! That would never happen in my building.
I was sad to have to leave Courtney’s after just a few days, as neighbor friends had conjured up fun sounding plans for the rest of the weekend. And, to the honest, I could just sit in the lobby of her building and be completely entertained for days. Alas, it was onto the train to travel from Long Island to Westchester, NY, where cousin Curtis was tying the knot with the lovely Corrine. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, featuring two beautiful human beings and with fantastic family members (and also great food and music and dancing!!).


My parents both hailed from the Westcester area so I spent one day driving around with them (me in the backseat, like when I was a little kid) and looking at their respective childhood homes, schools, and various haunting grounds (despite growing up in nearby towns they met when they were 18 and working at the same summer camp, and got married at the ripe old age of 20).


I did find it interesting that (despite meeting at such a young age) they both pointed out multiple homes of past boyfriends and girlfriends. Plus my Dad was shipped off to a prep school and wasn’t even in that town for much of his high school years! I would make comments to this effect from the back seat, trying to incite some jealous drama between my parents…and was mostly ignored. I guess after 45 years of marriage it’s kind of a moot point.

So, two weeks of my Americana month were spent at my Happy Place, Cape Cod. Yes, the Cape has hung onto this title throughout my travels over the past year! That’s how much I love it. I’m admittedly biased as I was born at Hyannis hospital, so it’s actually in my blood and I feel preprogrammed to release endorphins as I cross the Sagamore bridge. The past few years, though, I’ve updated my mode of travel to the Cape and have given up the 8-10 hour drive from DC or flight to Boston followed a long, traffic-filled drive. This is because I discovered a little known (and, strangely inexpensive) flight from DC to the tiny Nantucket airport (ACK) which is just a short ferry ride from Cape Cod. I must say, it’s a very civilized way to travel and I sense more than a smidge of envy from my two siblings as I arrive for our vacation, refreshed from the boat ride and having had enjoyed a delicious lunch and stroll around beautiful Nantucket. In contrast, my siblings look a combination of frazzled and exhausted as they emerged from their respective mini-vans, that each hold three adorable (and loud) children DYING to know if they are there yet. [Okay, so I feel a little bad for them but also get some sick satisfaction from the whole thing]. Anyways, this year we spent two glorious weeks at the Cape and it was amazing how quickly the days flew by. To say things were fast-paced is an understatement- it’s a good thing I like things fast paced.

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And, with six kids for the first time this year (my sister’s youngest is seven months old) the adult-to-child ratio was tipped dangerously close to what would require a man-to-man defense. But having little Theodore was so much fun, especially so for his cousins meeting them him for the first time. He was our trusty vacation mascot, for sure!IMG_20180709_173040

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Ok, so that last photo is from our World Cup Finals viewing, where we watched the poor Croatians get squashed by elitist French (us Americans were rooting for the underdog and my Dutch brother-in-law was pulling for what he thought was the “better team.” And I guess he was correct. So annoying). You can now understand why Teddy is focusing his attention on that cup!

Bottom line is that we had a LOT of fun on the Cape. A TON of fun!

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A few other Cape highlights (in no particular order)-

Turkish contingent- Cape Cod isn’t exactly known for being the diverse of locations, or so I thought. One morning our gang rallied to ride bikes to a coffee shop (which also sells lemonade and candy, which is how we convinced the kiddos to go). Felix wore a t-shirt I’d brought him from Turkey and we were surprised when a coffee shop employee excitedly ran out from behind the counter to greet us. Turns out that the Cape hosts a lot of Turkish students, as part of a university program! This Turk must have been disappointed to learn we weren’t from his homeland and didn’t speak Turkish, but he hid it well and just seemed happy I had been. He even wanted to take pictures with Felix to show his friends.

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Felix seemed a little confused about the whole thing and Ella was just a little bit jealous that Felix was being treated like a celebrity. A few days later we rallied (aka bribed) the troops for another such bike ride and Ella looked frantically for her Turkey t-shirt to wear. Well, our friend was not there, but another Turk was, who reacted with equal enthusiasm to our Turkey-adorned crew.37347248_10155636192886931_4873531341032914944_o

When in Turkey I found the people extremely friendly and welcoming, and this experience extended to the students I met at Cape Cod. I was glad my nieces and nephews had a better understanding of what the thing on the t-shirts I gave them means, and even have people to associate the country with now. Turkey will always have a special place in my heart.

Orleans Firebirds Storytime. In case you aren’t familiar with the Cape Cod league, it’s a prestigious summer league for college baseball players (the only summer league that uses wooden bats and for this reason it attracts many pro scouts). I grew up going to these games- idolozing the players as a child, and then having massive crushes on them as a teenager. Anyways, a few years ago I saw a sign for Storytime at the library with members of the local team, the Orleans Cardinals, and thought it sounded like a great activity for our tribe. As we mini-vanned there, Ella asked if they should be sure to be sure to call me as AUNTIE Teha at Storytime again this year (okay, so I may have made this request in the past. Just wanted to avoid any confusion and sometimes they drop the formality!) I responded that the players were probably too young for me but that it wouldn’t hurt to call me by my proper title anyways (I mean, look at the age difference between the President of France and his wife!) So, following the reading of the story the players opened the floor for questions. After several Cape-league obsessed adults got their questions out-of-the-way, a child finally raised their hand! The librarian looked pleased and gestured to Ella, in the front row, who inquired “How old are all of you?” That’s my girl! Looking out for her Auntie! [They were only 19, btw, which is a bit of a deal-breaker. Except, now Storytime has become an annual tradition so we’ll be there next year. We’re pretty much locked in for life].

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Capt Curley’s Sunset Sail. My parents kindly offered to babysit one night and sent “the big kids” on a sunset sailing trip out of Wellfleet harbor. We happily left the chaos of the house for the serenity of the water, joining “Capt Curly” on his vessel and taking in stunning sunset views from the sea. But then…disaster at sea! The trouble began when I joined the First Mate on the bow (sounding dramatic already!) to take photos and then rested my phone on a wooden ledge. A few moments later a gust of wind tipped the boat in a way where I felt like I was in the America’s Cup and I grabbed a rope with my hand and a metal rail with my toes to brace myself and stay on the boat. The First Mate complimented my hanging on skills and, of course, my siblings commented how funny it would have been if I’d fallen in and it was too bad I hadn’t, etc, etc. Laughs all around! A few minutes later I went to take another picture and was no longer laughing when I realized my phone was not where I had left it! Capt Curley thought maybe it was somewhere in the boat but I was pretty certain it had plunged overboard (which the “Find My Device” feature later confirmed).37399827_10155635560091931_3187676455953760256_o (1)

Despite this travesty, I do highly recommend Capt Curley’s cruise out of Wellfleet. Just consider leaving your phone on-shore. (This was taken with someone else’s camera, btw. Aren’t you impressed I’m still smiling?)Screen Shot 2018-08-12 at 9.36.32 AM

And, lucky for me the phone was only a month old and was still covered under purchase protection, so all’s well that ends well. And, for those inquiring minds, of which I know for a fact there are several… this would be my third new phone in a year. The other two were victims of whitewater kayaking in Croatia and a toilet in a campground in Namibia. At least I have good stories!

The rest of the month was spent mostly in DC and it was wonderful to see and spend time with the friends I’ve missed terribly. I also had some administrivia to tend to, such as procuring a new phone, license (lost with the phone), and passport (unrelated to the phone but needed to turn in that temporary emergency passport from Zimbabwe). I did zoom up to New Hampshire for a long weekend and helped celebrate my fabulous Aunt Lindi’s 70th (doesn’t she look amazing?!) as well as catch up with some of my favorite New England people and places.

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Many thanks to cousiin Kate’s husband, Nick, for providing quite the Fenway experience package. It was a far cry from the bleachers where I enjoyed games as a kid (wearing my glove, of course). I also enjoyed more QT with my sister and her tribe- a few weeks of a break had brought my stamina back with the kiddos.IMG_20180730_080044

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Ah, what a month it was! A HUGE thanks to everyone for being so accommodating and helping me to make the most of my time stateside! I do realize I’m not the easiest human being to make plans with these days.

And, suddenly there I was packing for another series of adventures! (I mean it’s already been a year so why stop now??) Teaser: heading south towards the equator and beyond!

Reflections after a year of traveling

It’s been almost exactly year since Teha’s Travels commenced! In fact, my very first post was on July 7, 2017, written as I was on my way to my first trip (which was an amazing vespa tour in Madrid). I’m actually still in close touch with my friends from that tour group, despite the fact that it was only a five day trip and it’s now a year later. It’s amazing, really, to think about all the people who have touched my life in incredibly profound ways over the past year. People who I didn’t know a year ago and will now know for the rest of my life. And also some people who I will likely never see again but will also never forget.

Throughout the course of my travels I’ve been asked a lot of questions, both about my thought process and the logistics behind ‘taking the plunge’ (which is exactly what it felt like). Earlier this year a British reporter asked me a series of questions for a piece she was working on. [I wonder if that was ever published, actually? I should follow-up.] Anyways, I thought she did a nice job at covering what I’m asked most frequently and I wanted to share my answers:

1. When did you decide to take a career break, and why?

I’d been working for a large consulting firm for ten years and for about a year was increasingly feeling that I wanted a change. In addition to changing jobs, I was thinking I might want to move from Washington, DC, where I’ve lived since college. But while working I didn’t feel like I was in the right head space to make those big decisions. In my gut I knew I needed a break from it all in order to step back and figure out what was next. As context, over the course of ten years with my last company I often had to be encouraged to take vacation time and at times lost vacation time that I didn’t use (and in the U.S. we don’t get a ton of vacation in the first place!). In fact, I had taken only one vacation that was longer than one week, and that was a two week break when my sister got married in Europe. I brought my work laptop home every single night and was tethered to work pretty much all the time.

I knew change would be good for me but as I contemplated what that would be, I was wary of jumping right into something else. I sensed I had lost perspective and knew I had to gain it back in order to live a more balanced and healthy life. Finally, after tossing the idea ’round for months, last June I made the decision to quit. It was probably the most difficult decision I’ve ever made. I voluntarily gave up something safe, stable, and predictable for something completely unknown. And even now, not knowing the ending yet, I can say it was also the best decision I ever made!

2. How did you go about planning your break: how far did you plan ahead, how did you raise money etc.? – did you leave your job completely or take a sabbatical?

I wish I could say I had it all planned out but that’s just not how I operate. To me, it was important to have a few key things in-place: the savings to survive for a period of time and a general travel plan. The idea of traveling by myself for months was daunting and at first that held me back from deciding to do this. I was very excited when I discovered a company called Flash Pack, that specializes in solo adventure travel for people in their 30s and 40s, and have taken six of their trips so far (with three more planned!). These trips have been great as I’ve gotten to meet and travel with so many wonderful people and to incredible places- including several places that I wouldn’t feel comfortable traveling to by myself. I’ve also made friends from all over the world and have visited several of them during my travels. This was a perk I didn’t plan on and it turned out that having a flexible approach to my travels has been a huge benefit as I’ve been able to adjust when I learn about a new place (or person) I want to visit.

3. Were you worried at any point that taking a break would put you on the back foot in terms of career progression; or did you recognise that it would actually enhance it?
Before I made the decision I did worry if it was career-suicide to quit without another job lined up and to have a gap of time in my resume when applying for a job again. I sought advice from smart people, including the CEO of my previous company where I had worked for 6 years and a senior HR representative at my current company at the time, who was also a mentor. Of the several people I confided in about my potential plan and my concerns, they all said the same thing. They all said it was the perfect time in my career to take this break and something they wished they had done at my age. Knowing my skills and my work ethic, they assured me that it would not be difficult to find another job when I wanted to (I’m hoping they are right!). In regards to the employment gap on my resume, I was told that employers these days don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing, and are more likely to respect the decision to take time off and travel. Deep down I think it’s something everyone wants to do or wishes they had done, and there is a certain amount of respect (and sometimes envy!) for those who have.

4. What did it feel like when you woke up on the first morning of your break?

This is a great question, as I honestly had no idea how I would feel after I made the decision to quit. I knew it would go one of two ways- I would wake up, freak-out, and curl up into a ball, missing the routine and safety of the life I had given up. Or I would jump out of bed and pull out my suitcase, feeling liberated and excited for the adventures that laid ahead. I felt like it could really have gone either way and I can’t even tell you how relieved I was when it was the latter! I woke up feeling like a HUGE weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I had an annual girls trip planned for that weekend and I remember reaching for my phone several times, to check my work email. It took a long time to get out of that habit. I also dreamt about work for a while, sometimes stress dreams about deadlines or projects. But the big thing I noticed that weekend was how much more present I felt and how much more ALIVE! It was clear to me then that I had made the right decision.

5. Were you daunted at all at the prospect of free time – or did it just represent delicious opportunity?
I think I answered some of this in the last question, but, yes, I was extremely daunted at first. To help provide some initial structure, I planned the next few months and included some travel, as a test run of sorts. It was summer and I had two weeks of an annual family vacation planned (the first year I would be going for the whole two weeks AND wouldn’t be checking in with work everyday) as well as a week I’d committed to volunteer at a summer camp for children who have experienced the death of a parent or sibling. I also signed up for my first Flash Pack tour (a Vespa tour in Madrid!) and added on some solo travels in Spain afterwards. I also spent some time at home, getting ready for more extensive travels at the beginning of September. This worked out perfectly as I was able to have a relaxing summer, reconnect with family and friends (as well as myself), and ease into the next phase.

5. How did you plan your time off in order to make the most of it? – where have you travelled to so far? [This answer is as of February, 2018]
The Flash Pack trips really helped me to make the most of my travels. On the first day of September, I left for Italy where I met up with a friend I had met on the Spain Flash Pack tour. She was also taking a break from work and we explored Rome, Venice, and Florence together. We then embarked on the Flash Pack tour to Croatia together (which we had actually signed up for separately!). I then continued on to France where I explored Marseille and then visited friends in Dijon. From there I returned to Italy, this time hiking in beautiful Cinque Terra and spent a few days in Milan. From there, I went on to my next FP trip to Morocco! From there I flew into Madrid, and explored more of Spain, heading up to coastal San Sebastián (where it rained but I still had fun!) I then went to Portugal where I met up with two friends from home, on a trip we had planned well before I’d decided to quit. I went from there to a FP tour of India and Nepal and then back to DC for a week. This was all over the course of two months and I appreciated the time home to rejuvenate, catch up with friends, and re-pack. Next, I did a FP tour of Chile, and headed directly on yet another FP tour of Vietnam and Cambodia. I then met up with a friend who lives Malaysia and spent a few days in Thailand before visiting a FP friend in London. I spent Christmas stateside with family and friends and then just took off on my latest junket last week. I’ve been to Stockholm, Brussels, and Prague and am currently headed (literally on the train now!) to meet up with a FP friend in Vienna. Then I’ll be going to Salzburg, Finland, London, Ireland, and on to a FP trip to Myanmar. Along the course of this six week junket I’ll be either visiting or traveling with nine friends I’ve met in various tours!

6. What’s the reaction of your friends and family been – has it mostly been positive/do people wish they could do the same?
When I decided to do this I was nervous that people would judge me and think I was being irresponsible. But the reaction I’ve gotten from literally everyone has been the exact opposite! Those who know me well have been incredibly encouraging and supportive- I suspect they all knew it would be good for me to take a break from working. But reactions from everyone from friends, mentors, former co-workers, and several extremely successful business people (some complete strangers) have been positive. Yes, I think many people wish they could do the same but instead of being bitter they have wanted to “live vicariously” through my travels. I was told this so many times that I decided to start a blog chronicling my travels as well as a dedicated Instagram account (@tehastravels). I did this just for my family and friends but have been shocked at the number of complete strangers who now follow me and encourage me along the way! In fact, soon after I began my travels I received this comment on my blog: “I don’t know you, you don’t know me. Saw your post from a mutual friend and wanted to follow. You have not disappointed. Look forward to your posts every day. I see a book in the works; your humor, suggestions and photos are wonderful. You represent a lot of women who ‘wanted to’ but never did. Be safe and keep it coming. Fondly, a 73 year old female vicarious traveler.” It made my day and I’ve continued to receive similar feedback that has been a tremendous source of inspiration.

7. Have you noticed any difference in your stress levels and overall wellbeing since taking the break?
Yes! This break has really changed the way I view the world and what is important in life. I’m a laid back person by nature but while caught up in a corporate hamster wheel I found myself getting stressed about things that were just not important at the end of the day. Now I find myself able to see what is important, both for me and even more broadly speaking. I was once in a daily work routine that I thrived on but it was very limiting. The value of my days were based on what I had accomplished, regardless of if what I had accomplished really mattered. Now I take the days as they come, make the most of them, and appreciate them for what they are, which allows me to treat my mind and body well and in a much more organic way.

8. What’s been the most surprising thing you’ve learnt from taking a career break that you perhaps didn’t expect?
While I was seeking to gain perspective during this break, I don’t think I realized quite how much of it I would be gaining. I’ve had the opportunity to experience and really immerse myself in different cultures around the world. I’ve also come to really appreciate cultural differences and also the remarkable similarities that we all have as human beings. I truly believe that most people are good people at their core and want the same general things in life, although these things are often reflected quite differently in different cultures. I feel like we tend to focus on differences between people and cultures instead of the similarities and this is a key contributor to much of the hatred and racism that plagues our society. I believe that if more people could travel more and actually get to know each other more, some of these divides would be broken down. Of course an open mind is necessary for this to happen as well!

9. Do you think the experience has helped broaden your horizons and gain perspective on life? I think I answered this.

10. Is there any financial tips you’d give to someone thinking of taking a career break (as this can often be the biggest barrier)?
I was raised to understand the value of a dollar and was eager to start working as soon as I could. At first it was raking neighbors’ leaves or shoveling snow for a few dollars an hour (I was a bargain)! I feel lucky that my parents instilled these values in me and I’ve carried them throughout my life, always making an effort to save money. I think it’s because I value working hard and making a living, l that I was still able to take a break from it. I never lived above my means and have been able to differentiate between what I want and need. And also those times when something is so important that the cost should not play a factor at all. When saving, I always found it helpful to have a portion of my paycheck automatically put into a savings account, so I would never see it and would almost forget it was there. I also think it’s important to approach saving in small chunks- a savings goal may seem insurmountable and not even worth trying for, but if broken down into a certain amount of money every two weeks or month, you can get there with time. Professionally speaking, and especially as a female, I think it’s so important to know your worth and believe in yourself enough to have difficult conversations about salary. Too often I see females making less than their male counter-parts, and partially because they aren’t asking for what they deserve. It’s easy to stay in your same job and rely on a small annual increase but true gains are made by pushing yourself to add more value, prove that value, and ask for the compensation that you fairly deserve. Lastly, when looking to take a break and travel, I think it’s important to recalibrate your spending. For example, I cancelled my cable, even though it would be nice to watch TV when I’m home every few months. I make coffee in the mornings now and can’t tell you the last time I was at a Starbucks. And while traveling, I try to resist going into “vacation mode” all the time, avoiding the mentality where you splurge on things you wouldn’t normally, just because you aren’t at home. This is not to say I’m depriving myself by any means, but I’m thoughtful about how I spend my money, knowing I have a limited amount of it.

11. What would you say to someone who’s thinking of taking a break but scared of taking their foot off the gas/falling off the career ladder?
I would tell someone considering a career break to not let fear hold them back. Yes, you need to make sure the timing works for you, both career-wise and financially. But, beyond that, we are all only on this earth for a short time, during which we only have so many opportunities to explore it. I will say that of the many older, more experienced, and successful people I’ve sought advice from about this, not one of them said they wished they’d worked more. Not one. Yet, several of them said they’d wished they’d taken breaks to explore and go on adventures that were impossible once they retired and had bad knees.

Also, we don’t live in a society where you work for one company for 30 years. Things are different now and to have just a few jobs or even just a few careers is now the exception, not the norm. Employers want to hire people who are naturally curious and not afraid to take calculated risks, both in their professional and personal lives. So please don’t let fear of how taking a break will be perceived keep you from doing it!