Hashtag Stuck in Bali -- Indonesia from the perspective of a seeker

It’s been too long since I’ve traveled. I can’t remember the last time I’ve shared exploratory stories with other travelers and made friends with a random person. I don’t recall the last adventure where my feet ached from walking. It’s been staggeringly AGES since I’ve been utterly, blissfully in awe of my surroundings. Those moments of wonder and reverence are where I find most meaning in my life. On top of a volcano, eating delicious food in a tiny hole in the wall, getting jumped on by a monkey. It’s a quest; a journey. I’ll keep on going, for now.

My little town — Milledgeville — is a bit trite, and inspires little awe in me.

But Indonesia? It rejuvenated me. From the chilly waters contrasting the sticky air to the delicious and interesting food, which spiced up my mouth for weeks, I found excitement again. I finally felt a bit of traction on the wheels of my life, lately spinning out of control.

Right before I left, I encountered this phrase on social media: “Stuck in Bali.” Flights in and out were canceled because a volcano was “spitting up” and “coughing,” as one local told us. While I imagine people prayed to get home, I said a silent prayer to get me there before all the airports really shut down.

But the volcanoes kept their cool – so to speak – and I made it home alright. (Darn.)

Climbing a couple volcanoes was my favorite. I’m one of those people hoping for more from my life. Concerned about meaning and purpose. I’m nowhere near nirvana, but I sure feel closer several thousand feet into the atmosphere, looking out over the world. Neither were severely, nor even slightly active. And to my chagrin, there wasn’t any bubbling lava. No, I wasn’t expecting any, but a girl can dream, right?

On top of Mount Batur were several monkeys. They hung around the people, and if we weren’t careful, snatched our breakfasts. They climbed right onto a few people to grab food from their hands.

And in the monkey forest in Ubud (Central Bali), a monkey jumped on me. I wasn’t eating anything… he’d seen my water bottle. They’re smart little buggers.

The really spectacular food was all the fruit in season in the fantastic tropical air. Dragonfruit, guava, papaya, pineapple…  to name a few. I tried passion fruit for the first time. The fresh mangos were phenomenal and I’d previously turned my nose when I tried them. But maybe they just have to be the kind of fresh where they actually were allowed to ripen on the tree instead of being picked far too early to be put on a ship.

Like any place, it has flaws. Here, there was a significant lack of clean and complete sidewalks. Literally, we encountered several holes in the sidewalk leading down into the sewer. You had to watch out.

Homeless dogs, potentially feral, are unavoidable. It’s sad, and sadder to think we can’t take care of them. Worse still, if you give one who looks starving some food, it’s likely it’ll attract others and begin a fight.

Bathrooms, bathrooms, bathrooms. If you read any of my Southeast Asia blog posts before, you know the drill. Squat toilets, no toilet paper, and in many places in Indonesia — no discernable flushing mechanism. Just a spout to pour water in. You get your business done and get out. You learn to keep bacterial killing wipes with you at all times.

But guys, as the moral always is, we should go explore. The world is so huge, and the perspective it provides is incredible.

There’s meaning out there, y’all. We just have to find it. SO LET’S GO.

Prambanan, a temple in Jogja

Pendawa Beach, Bali

Another Windy City

"His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom."

~J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

I picked the best weekend to visit Chicago, or so everyone told me. As many of you know, I’m from the South. Therefore, I consider myself somewhat snow deprived. So when they said it was the best weekend, that meant it was in the 40s and all the snow was melting. It warmed their hearts.

Not mine.

Thankfully, the snow gods gave me a little bit of snow the day before I left.  Just a little bit of a sprinkle like powdered sugar. Right as we headed over to the outdoor skating rink at Millennium Park. I was so thrilled. That said, it was in fact a perfect weekend. It was warm enough to explore, wander around, and eat a little bit of amazing food.

Chicago pizza included. It was my first deep dish experience, and while I agreed with my host that it didn’t feel like pizza because you couldn’t pick it up, it was spectacular. The crust was actually thin, and a bit flaky and lovely. The pie was filled with tomato, cheese, mushrooms and spinach, and of course, basil. Pizza, my friends. Without it, I would be Barbie-doll thin.

Bean! With skyline. I don't think you can see me in it.

Thankfully, I did quite a bit of walking. I spent my first day walking down to Lake Michigan and along Loyola’s campus at the shoreline. And what a beautiful campus it was: right on the lake. My jealousy surged and their proximity to the water. Milledgeville: a mile from a small river. Not bad. Asheville: near a few small creeks. Pathetic. Being close to large bodies of water makes me feel so relaxed and at peace. My next home will have big water I can walk to. Preferably, an ocean.

Next, I wandered over to Rosehill Cemetery, and arrived right at sunset. I promise, it wasn’t planned, but it was absolutely magical. Snowy, with the sunset, and even a little pond that was iced over.

It was perfect. I didn’t want to leave.

The next morning I pulled myself out of bed (couch) to catch the sunrise over the lake. Behold the beauty. Sunrises have always been my favorite. And they still are.

I did a few touristy Chicago things. I went saw the bean, and I went to the Art Institute. There were some lovely paintings, but the highlight were the Thorne Miniature Rooms. They were exactly that. They were typically a foot or two wide, but the window into the room was only a foot. You could peek into the rooms next door, which was the coolest. Cutest.

So ultimately… I must go back.

 You guys, whoever are reading this, you're the coolest. Thanks.

And I've been thinking Georgia College is beautiful!

Skyline! Sidewalk line?

Keep [Insert City Name] Weird. "Portland"

Last October, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Portland, Oregon. My fabulous new job sent me there for a training workshop. People, I am so pleased to be employed. 

I've been to Portland when I was younger, and have a few select memories, but it thrilled me to go back. The highlights for me were walking across a few bridges and by the river, Keller Fountain, Powell's City of Books and the food carts. 

Guys, THE FOOD CARTS. It's fabulous not because the food is incredible (though it is), but because the ease of access is phenomenal. From my hotel, there were HUNDREDS of options within walking distance. I ate at just 5 food carts (and one restaurant). My heart sighed without the opportunity to try the dozens of cuisines made available to me --from grilled cheese to Hungarian chimney cakes (only on Saturday) to Banh Mi sandwiches and Thai food. 

I settled for trying tacos from two Mexican carts and an enormous burrito and churro from a Mexican restaurant. I also tried Thai food and Indonesian food, and was not disappointed. Confidently, I told the Thai lady I wanted my noodles spicy. While delicious, I spent an hour or so alternately taking bites and gulping down water to put out the fire.

And Powell's City of Books, which I happily lost myself in for a few hours reading comic books, recipe and cooking books, fiction and non-fiction. I didn't take any photos, but you can imagine books upstairs and downstairs and underneath those books and above. All the books anyone could ever imagine in one place. 

Elusive Freemont Bridge

The next day, I set out to walk across a few bridges. I was successful until I saw the Freemont Bridge, and set out blindly to walk there. After walking half an hour to where I thought it would be, and another half hour or an hour looking around for how to get on it... eventually I learned it is not pedestrian friendly. Dejected, I started the long trek back to my hotel to feed my belly and my soul. 

The next day, I learned the Keller Fountain was a mere two blocks from my hotel, so I happily sent out for the easy journey there. And it was lovely. Only a few people sat around relaxing, talking, and enjoying the sound of the water. It has various layers and stages and it was very very serene. I put my feet in, as per usual, and it was bitter cold, so I went on to explore while I had daylight. 

Y'all. That is the smallest park in the world. I

t's called Mill Ends Park and it is a mere 452 square inches. So. Presh.
Keep Portland weird, indeed!

Mill Ends Park

As lovely as it is to travel for work folks, I had barely an hour of daylight after finishing with the training sessions I attended. I'm very grateful, but it certainly isn't ideal. 

To summarize. A very cute place, very very good food, and you can't beat the access. I'm missing that ease and bountiful options in my small town. If you get a chance, go. Cross a bridge. Or five.

-- 

Tina Tina Tina

Alaska: The Last Frontier or A Door to More Adventures

When I semi-spontaneously made the decision to visit Alaska, I had very little information on what to expect. Bears? Snow? Salmon?

The really lovely thing about school is that they teach you about Africa’s history, and Asia’s history, and American history… but I can’t ever remember a teacher uttering a fact about Alaska. Thank you Arbor Montessori School, for fostering my interests and what I wanted to learn… as long as it was about an Asian or African country.

Suffice to say, I know very little about our country’s biggest state.

Thankfully, a dear friend moved to Alaska to be with her boyfriend, and so I took the opportunity to visit. On the phone with her prior to leaving, she emphasized two things.

• I would get bored in her little town of Talkeetna.
• I must bring a winter coat, because Alaska’s weather is unpredictable.

It was true that by the end, her little town was just another little tourist town. Highlights of the trip were flying in my friend’s boyfriend’s plane up to Denali (AKA Mt. McKinley*), flying his float plane low near the river and seeing the landscape, and beer canning for Denali Brewing Company.

*Apparently, the mountain was called Denali, meaning “The great one,” originally. The US Government renamed it Mount McKinley, and apparently, the Alaskan government has made several unsuccessful attempts to have the name changed back to Denali.

The coolest thing about flying is getting to see things you could likely never see from the ground. I don’t ski, nor do I have serious experience climbing, so snowy Mt. McKinley is nowhere near my climbing capabilities. It was incredibly fortunate then that I did get to jump into a couple glacier flights.

They were spectacular and huge. I wanted to jump out of the plane and go ice skating down the glaciers. It looked so perfect and dreamy.

It was a different kind of dreamy inside Denali Brewing; a dreamy hoppy smell wafted from the windows as I approached the building, some ten miles out of town. I met a couple more travelers and a few locals, and once we started packaging, it was super quick. Kudos to Henry Ford for the assembly line. We packed more than 2 tons of beer, and each got two cases for a few hours of work. I’d definitely do it again somewhere else if I got the opportunity.

Each time I travel, there is one aspect that remains the same: I find exponentially more activities I want to do somewhere.

A few things on my to do list for Alaska, when I go back.

• See the salmon jump.
• Go ice climbing (on any glacier, really!)
• Camping in Denali National Park
• See a bear
• Go dog sledding
• See the Northern Lights
• Be there in the dead of summer, when the sun stays above the horizon all night long.

And now, some photos, captions underneath. Enjoy! 

From the first day, a small glacier on the way to Seward from Anchorage. Wild flowers everywhere!

Stuck my toes in this lake. So chilly! Note the ice flows a few meters away.

Alas, I didn't see any bears. 

This is lake X-Y, just a few moments from my friend's house. 

Mountains! That's Denali / Mt. McKinley on the far right. 

Inside that case are thousands of empty cans. And to the right, the machine which cans them!

Flying up in Denali National Park. 

Flying in Denali National Park. That's Denali / Mt. McKinley up there, I believe. The cloud you see at the top is actually snow blowing off, giving you an idea of how windy it is up there! 

That plane holds 10ish people. 

Can't see Denali due to the fog, taken from the river in Talkeetna 

 The old railroad bridge! Still in use. :)

I don't know what these are, but thought they were so cute! 

A cinnamon bun from Roadhouse, a must in Talkeetna. That's my thumbprint there; I struggled taking it from the bag! 

So many massive glaciers. 

See that dot all the way down, a centimeter or so from the bottom? That's me.

Flying around the rivers at sunset.

Thanks for reading! My (freezing) toes! 

"Where there's life, there's hope." J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Things I've learned from my travels, accompanied by photos of my final stop: Hawaii:

Feel free to ask questions about my experiences from Hawaii. Though I'm not posting specifically about it here, there are some fun stories.

1.      From New Zealand: take everything people tell you with a grain of salt. Especially when people are telling you things along the lines of “Everyone in New Zealand is so nice!” There are nice people in every country. There are also people who aren't worth your time. Every country has great people, and grumpy people. Don't be naïve the way I was and assume when people say, “Oh, everyone's so great!” that everyone will be great. That will not be the case.

2.      From Australia: always, always, always, have more money than you think you'll need. Food will be more expensive than you think, activities will cost more than you think, and you'll need to have budgeted not only for things you'll definitely do, but for all of the potential things you may want to do as well. When budgeting driving time, one always adds in a certain amount of Murphy time. Add some Murphy money. You'll need it.

3.      From Hawaii: Always figure out if you like someone before going out and doing an activity with them. If you meet someone, go do something with them, by the time you figure out that you don't like them (or that they smoke weed when they light up in front of you), it's often too late to bail on whatever you're doing. Always figure out if you actually want to hang out with them. Then decide to go somewhere with then.

4.      From Hawaii: Men are shameless. Tell them you have a boyfriend, and they'll continue their attempted advances. Tell them you're a lesbian and your girlfriend is the girl next to you and they still won't go away. Instruct them to go one way because you're going the other, and they'll keep following you. As with making friends, the second you're uncomfortable, get out of the situation. Don't prolong peeling off the band-aid. It won't get any easier, and it's likely you won't get a real “out” where you can get out easily.

5.      From Australia: Frequently check your body. For spiders, other insects, or leeches. You may not feel them, but they may be there. CHECK. Check before they attach themselves to you, Check before you realize that there's blood on your shoe and start to wonder where it came from.

6.      From New Zealand: Get a car. Rent a car. Hire a car. It'll be worth it. Unless you want to book your bus tickets months in advance and plan your entire trip, you'll save money with a car. Seriously. Furthermore, always hike. If the question is to hike, yes is the answer. Always. The view will always be worth it.

7.      From Hawaii: All, this is information that I have not released previously. To anyone. This is because it is not a fact I was entirely aware of.
I am a straightedge. A square. I follow the rules and I do not do what is not allowed or inappropriate. Nine times out of ten, (probably more like 99 times out of 100) I will do the right thing.

I first suspected this in my Freshman English class, when my teacher told the class to settle down and read. When the class did not settle in a few moments, I took it upon myself to hush them. My teacher then shrugged her shoulders at me and shook her head, as if it was not worth it. Granted, I was a Montessori child in my first week of public school madness, but I was shocked that these students could not follow such simple instructions.
Since then, there were always people more straightedge than me, so I enjoyed that I was not entirely a “goody two shoes.” However, the more people I meet, and the more people I talk to, I learn that I am just that. It is characteristic for me to follow the rules within reason, obey the law likewise, and almost always do what is expected of me.
I'm not disappointed by this, nor am I concerned. I am not particularly happy either. I'm just stating that at the present time, given my compatriots and their habits and pastimes, I run by the book. Do with that information what you would like. It's likely that I will forget I wrote this, and move on with my life.

8.      From Malaysia: try new things. Always. My brother and I often enjoy going into Chinese, Malaysian, or other restaurants where the menu is in their own language (of course, in Malaysia, this was standard). We then choose something at random, and order it. We've had some strange things, but have some success stories too. You won't know until you try!

9.      From everywhere: Asians (much like men) often will not pick up on social cues. If you leave two feet in front of you in line, they'll still snuggle up to your backside as it's as attractive as Beyonce's. If you move forward, or to the side, giving yourself space away from them, it's highly likely they'll just step closer to you.
Picking up on social cues, while in situations like that, where they are merely an annoyance, can be an important thing. For example...

10.  From Malaysia: wear clothes suitable for the place you are. If it's inappropriate to show ankles in the society you're in, don't show your ankles. It's as simple as that. These people are welcoming you into their culture, and you don't need to stir up anything (nor do you need annoying and barbarian cat calls at you constantly).

11.  From everywhere: Always carry hand sanitizer. Make it standard. When I traveled the South Island with a car, I carried a huge bottle of it. There will not always be soap. Even in New Zealand, as forward and modern and up to date as they like to think they are. Most of their public bathrooms do not have soap. Same goes for Australia, and Hawaii. Plus, there are just so many germs and scary foreign things that you could potentially get. It's worth it to be a germ-aphobe for a while. You'll be touching a hundred “press to walk” buttons, that EVERYONE touches, along with door handles and sink faucets and toilets... and all the things we don't want to think about them touching.

12.   Hawaii: Always carry a backpack. Drawstring bags pretending to be backpacks do not count. Neither do shoulder bags, as I previously thought. The little drawstring Massey bag I pretended was a backpack through New Zealand has withered from use. Shoulder bags hurt, when carrying a laptop, for a long period of time. Always have a backpack. Seriously.

13.  From people, mostly in New Zealand: Don't always listen to them when they say you MUST have expensive, large, durable hiking boots. I hiked every hike and every mountain in my little pink sneakers. And they are still truckin'. Sure, when I'm in mud I'm a little more careful than someone in big hikers might be, but I have a feeling even if I were wearing massive Timberlands, I'd still be just as inclined to avoid the mud. Good shoes are good, but a desire to go places is better.

14.  From Hawaii Never count on the weather. It will never do what you want it to do, and sometimes it will do everything you don't want it to do. Don't go anywhere or do anything hoping that the weather will be pretty, or improve. Always expect, and plan for the worst. Have a backup plan, a raincoat, a jacket, or a car to hide in.

This experience, these last six months, have been some of the most amazing, wonderful, special times of my life. I've grown personally, intellectually, and physically. Thanks to everyone for reading... and until further notice, or my adventures continue, this blog is officially suspended. 

Peace out and love and whatnot.