Around the World

Another travel adventure is right around the corner for me. I can barely wait for sand between my toes, sun on my skin, and the sound of the ocean roaring like a jet engine. As I was busying myself with preparations recently, which amounts to doing laundry and checking my airline reservation online a hundred times over, I saw that I have 119, 625 lifetime miles flown on United Airlines alone. I've had a frequent flier account with them since I was a wee baby, you see. Curious, I googled how many miles the circumference of the Earth is at the Equator. It's information like that, that I think I should somehow know, but the internet had my back on this one. Approximately 25,000 miles around the Earth. I've flown enough, on one airline alone, to have made nearly 5 journeys around the world! Then I think about adding Delta, Lufthansa, US Airways, Continental, Ryanair, Air France, Southwest... you name it, and all of a sudden I am stunned. And so grateful. There is no gift in the world that is more valuable than experiencing the world around us, and it's a gift that not many people get to have. I feel rich.

On leaving.

The funny thing about leaving is that you always take yourself with you.  You can escape to the ends of the Earth to lose problems and find yourself, except that you actually can't do that.  My mom was right.  You always take yourself with you.

All of the somethings that really are nothings will still be dancing around in your head.  It might help that the point of origin of all of those nothings is thousands upon thousands of miles away, but they'll still be there with you.  Waiting for you.  When a bear wakes up from hibernation, it's ravenous.  Same thing.

There is an opportunity cost to having gypsy feet.  When you go away, the world keeps turning.  Off in distant lands you'll learn new things, struggle, grow, appreciate, teach, discover, adapt... but when you come back, if you come back, you'll have to do that all over again here.  This place you knew so well.  This place that made you think that all of those nothings were somethings.  It's been changing and adapting, too. Waiting for you.

When you return, you'll push too far trying to find yourself again, the person you thought you left at home.  You'll realize now that in springing forward, you also left behind.  Now you've tucked other somethings into one more pocket of the Earth.  You take yourself with you, but you always leave a piece of yourself behind.  Sometimes that's the cost.  You don't get to pick what pieces stay behind.  Maybe you leave a nothing piece, but maybe it is a something piece.  You probably won't recognize that piece as yours, next time you see it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's like Harry Potter?  Horcruxes.  Maybe I just felt like referencing HP.

I heed my mother's wisdom.  Don't run, because everything runs with you.  But for goodness sake, when will I learn that I can't have it all? You'd think I'd have taken the lesson to heart by now. When I choose to leave, everything does not wait for me.  Sometimes you lose the good somethings while you're gone, returning to find that they've vaporized into nothings.

It's a silver duffle...

Well, this sight certainly is not ever a welcome end to a day of travel, especially when that day starts out with a beeping body scanner machine, hand swipe positive for explosives, frisk, scan of every item in my carry ons, and a delayed flight. At one a.m. when I landed in Baltimore, I soon after discovered my bag did not land at BWI along with me.

So now here I sit in DC, mind still not made up about how to celebrate the incoming year, wishing I'd be down at Old Ebbitt with my dreams playing out perfectly, knowing I'll be on the Hill instead.

And you know, despite all of my non-problem problems, I'm a very happy woman. I was lucky to be in Wyoming with my family for Christmas this year, the pictures of which will follow in another post. Katie and I have been reminiscing of our silly, absolutely delightful New Years in Antwerp last year, too. Bring on the new year... with or without my belongings, resolutions, and kisses.

The Quirk

Last Thursday, I was offered the opportunity to go to New Mexico. Length of trip: Not Yet Decided. Destination City: Not Yet Decided. Day of Departure: Either Friday or Saturday... Not Yet Decided. So, how did I respond? I said, "HECK YES!" and then proceeded to not pack or prepare in the slightest because I was out for tapas, which were delicious.

On Friday morning, I received my itinerary, which told me that I was flying out around 5pm THAT DAY to Albuquerque until Wednesday. Alright, cool. Luckily, I can get home pretty quickly, so I packed over lunch and headed out to the airport with 5 others: Ruth, Kelly, Mary Jane, Laura, and Chris. We had quite the trip, staying until Wednesday afternoon. We met lots of Albuquerque...ites? ans? ers? Apparently, I didn't meet enough of them because I don't know what they are properly called. We decided to call Albuquerque "The Quirk", and I lobbied to call the good citizens of The Quirk "Albuquirks". It's a term used lovingly.

Anyway, I saw about 24 hours total of this:

 Drank a whole lot of this:

Drove on this:

Unfortunately not driving in this:

And on Route 66 on my way to this (San Felipe de Neri church at night, not lighted, sorry)...

Drove past this... the "Purest Route 66 Hotel Surviving" (and wondered what the definition of "surviving is because ew.):

Saw this on the marquee at my hotel:

And decided this "Frontier" taco was on my menu instead:

And also this sad little cupcake from the delicious Cake Fetish, located conveniently across from my hotel:

I met lots of great people, bonded with 5 of the best people, waved signs at perfect stranger people, sat next to a criminal person on the plane, and missed all my DC people on election day. The best part though? On the way back, we flew through Phoenix, which meant that I got to have an hour long airport date with my Rachel friend! AND CLAIRE BEAR, the cutest cookie monster in all the land. After catching up a bit, discussing puppies, and being rocket ships, I had to say goodbye. It wasn't enough time, but it was one of those sweet surprises that life sometimes throws my way. I am so blessed with beautiful people in my life, Rachel being one of them. That hour was the greatest gift and a good reminder of how important friends are.

Gypsy feet

I just lived in Germany for the last year. You probably already knew that. You can read any of my old posts between August 2011 - July 2012 to catch a glimpse into what that year was like. Some days were full of grand adventure! Some days were full of gloominess. As I pour my efforts into trying to readjust to any amount of normalcy now that I'm back in DC, I can think back over my time abroad and see how my life has changed -- how the 350 days in a foreign place were some of the most challenging and consequently formative days of my life.

Anyone who has studied abroad, or spent a significant amount of time away from "home", will tell you that it's an experience which will be with you for the rest of your life-- that not only do you learn about other people and other cultures, but you learn about yourself. You change. You lose part of yourself. You grow. You become stronger. It is the cheesiest summary for what happens to you when you take a leap of faith and live as a foreigner. But it's all truth. And it's the best way to describe an experience that really can't be put into words. It'll change you.

There are a surprising number of people in my life who have begun adventures of their own in the last year, and more who are getting ready to set sail. Actually, I guess it's not surprising since one's friends are often a reflection of oneself, and Lord knows I have a mad case of the adventure bug. I'm so proud of each and every one who has taken a leap and tried on the unknown. Denmark, Washington State, Peru, New Orleans, New York, Paris, Germany, Boston, London, Morocco, new offices, new schools, new babies, dinners alone, learning how to make friends, feeling that unavoidable apprehension but then knocking it out of the park, or maybe not, but at least trying... change is scary. But it's defining.

I learned a great deal while living in Germany for a year, and much of what I learned is personal-- experiences in growing up that are meaningful only to me. That I can apply only to my life. But I also made some realizations that I think I can share, and I at least hope that everyone knows I'm here to support you on your adventure, too.

Stopping to not only smell the roses but sit amongst them too. Portland.

• Don't be afraid to learn how to make friends. We take having family and friends nearby for granted, and when you're away, it can be unnerving to realize that making friends is hard
• Listen to the advice from others. Lean on them. But mostly just try things out for yourself.
• Don't give up ever. You can make it over any hurdle, even if you have to lift up both legs and slowly climb over.
• Write things down in a journal, in letters, in post cards, maybe even on a blog. Not only is it really fun to go back later to hear what was on your mind, but it's a good way to sort out the many thoughts zipping around in your head.
• Smile. It makes you feel good, really!
• Bring a small piece of home. Maybe it's a childhood stuffed animal, a family portrait, a Christmas album... there will be moments where having home in the same room as you will be just what you need. 
• Stop to smell the roses. You're doing something AMAZING in your life right now. Right at this very moment. Be sure you stop and look around and just simply soak it in!

Berlin: Wrapping things up

I got to spend last week in Berlin. With one month to go until the end of my program, all 75 of us who have been living throughout Germany this year gathered for an end-year seminar. The week was complete with day-long cultural discussions, sharing our experiences and how to bring home with us and spread what we have learned, a day at the Bundestag and US Embassy, site seeing, theater-going, beer drinking, dancing, and soaking up our time together. The next time we see each other, we will all be on a plane heading back to the States. There is officially less than a month until this adventure is brought to a close, and it has been quite the ride. Here are some pictures of the week together in Berlin:

Through the lens: Dresden

When in Dresden, see what the Dresdeners rebuilt.

I was really impressed with Dresden. It was renown for being absolutely beautiful before it was bombed to smithereens in WWII. Then, it fell in East German territory which meant that it was part of the GDR and therefore under communist rule until 1990. Through funding from the German government as well as all over the world, Dresden has spent the last twenty years making a large effort to rebuild what once made it so stunning. But they have also embraced their history, and that is evident, too. Very worth a stop. And if you go, don't forget to swing through the Neustadt as well as the better known Altstadt. It doesn't look like much, but it's full of gems.

My MOM is in Germany!

Life filled to the brim with even-better-than-usual things to do is a pretty accurate description of what's going on over here lately. I've shown you guys my Prague pictures here and here, given you all a glimpse of my weekend in the French Riviera here, haven't even told you yet that Emma was back for a quick visit, and now my mom is here! In the middle of all of the excitement I still am managing to find time to get to work everyday with enough energy to be productive. Let the job offers roll in! I'm an asset!

My mom and I spent this past weekend as a 4-day vacation and headed to Dresden, Germany-- a city I had wanted to visit before I left Germany for good. Have you read Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut? If you haven't, I recommend it. I read it about a month ago after years of it sitting on my I-should-probably-read-this-someday list, and it increased my curiosity for Dresden just that much more. I could really see the history of the place just in the architecture. The pretty buildings in its Altstadt incorporate various elements of the completely charred ruins of its old glory days. We stayed on a main drag that was unquestionably built by the GDR (DDR). It was all very rectangular and utilitarian. But it was interesting to see how the city has approached its reconstruction, and it was nice to see that its decades of history as part of the DDR is not just wiped away or destroyed but rather acknowledged and incorporated into what it is today.

I have to say though, hands down the best part of my long weekend was just the simple fact that I got to spend time with my mom. No cell phones ringing, basically no email checking (we did Skype that sweet brother of mine), no hectic schedules or meetings... just us. We had time to walk and talk and sip coffee and just enjoy time together, and it was honestly the biggest treat. It's not all too often that I just get my mommy to myself.

And as if that wasn't great enough, she even woke up super early this morning made me breakfast before I left for work. love love love

Nice is nice

The Côte d'Azul this weekend was absolutely lovely. Check it out!

Nice sure was nice. I will definitely be making a return trip.

Prague, Pictures from Day 1

May 1st is a Public Holiday for many of the countries in Europe. Know what that means?! No work! Know how I celebrated? By getting some sort of stomach flu. But also by going to Prague. Hey, my time is running out here, and there is no "other chance". Now or never!

So, despite not really getting to try much of the local cuisine, swinging between feeling 30% and 80% healthy at any given moment over the entire long weekend, and probably coming out of it with a bit of dehydration, I am so glad I went!

Anja, Micha, and Nadja were my travel companions. We stayed in a cute vacation apartment rental that Anja found and had a total of 48 to enjoy the city. Days were filled with looking at gorgeous buildings, walking, having ice cream, looking at maps, pretending to read Czech, lots of picture taking, and for me... trying to decide what language my brain was functioning in. Traveling in the Czech Republic with Germans whilst my brain is filled with the excitement and wants to express everything (something I can really only do in English, when it comes down to it).

aaaaaaaaand I just wrote a really good blog post. Spent time writing to you about my trip, about using English when traveling, etc etc etc, and unfortunately my HP computer has the touchiest, stupidest touchpad of all time and as I was wrapping up, the blog post deleted everything until what I have written above there. You have got to be kidding me. Ok, instead, pictures from Day One with the promise of more to follow later. More words on travels later... I have to pack to go to Nice tomorrow :)