Old friends

I love those old friends that you only see once a year who always can bring a smile to your face. Thank you, friends, for a fantastic holiday party!

Of warm sand and warm baths

Encinitas is lovely. Just lovely! When I drive around I can't believe how fast I forgot how lovely it is! It may be December 22nd and many people are shoveling snow and huddled around fireplaces, but us San Diegoians are sitting at the beach in bikinis and eating lunch. Well, not me. I read a book while my toes were submerged in the wa
rm top sand. Warm breezes floated by, muffling the sounds of annoying children. This is the part I love about coming 'home.' The part I don't love? It has changed so much! I wanted to visitmy elementary school and I got lost on the roads because roads have been added, houses been built, and entire neighborhoods are standing where there used to just be greenhouses. I did visit my pre-school, and thankfully that hasn't changed.

My favorite record store has moved into the the smallest space and no longer carries as much 'new' music. Maybe if I go eat a burrito my outlook on life will cheer up.

I did take a bath. That helped my outlook on life, despite my overly pink childhood bathroom.

I have not seen many people yet. I did see Amanda, Justin, Ryan, and an awesome a girl named Bri. We went to a 'bar' in Del Mar that was supposed to be 'off the hook.' Instead we got a mostly empty sports bar with a bitchy waitress. We chatted but soon fled to Amanda's Grandmother's house in the Del Mar hills. More talking ensued and I finally got home around 1:30am. The whole drinking with friends then having to drive home thing stinks. I like being able to walk home, take a bus, or a 20$ cab from almost anywhere to get to my bed at night. But until San Diego gets smaller and easier to navigate it looks like I'll be drinking in moderation and spending hours in the car driving.

If you squint your eyes you should be able to tell who is who.

Suburbia

I basically woke up to the sound of a lawnmower. That's a sound I forgot about long ago.

Another journey

I haven't posted since 1/2 way through coming back home from the UK? All my fans never got a decompression post about my reflections and how I grew up in those 7 weeks traveling alone? Sorry. I guess you'll never get it now. Just know that I had a great time filled with lots of highs and a handful of lows. I made great memories and can positively say that I have been bitten by the travel bug.

So here I am. True it's not a very exciting travel adventure I am embarking on, but it is still a journey none-the-less. I just got home in Encinitas at my parent's house. I am typing this from my childhood room and bed. Strange.

Recap? Sure! Work, Dasha drove me to the airport, I got on a plane, sat next to a guy with a dog, read, de-planed, got rental car, drove to ENC. Much to my joy I see that my parents put up Christmas lights all over the juniper and along the balcony. Here is a photo to prove it. I love it.



I walk in at 11:30PM, the front door is unlocked, and my father is sleeping on the couch while Mom is watching TV. I get hugs. And kisses. Offerings of food. Water. Dad brings my suitcase upstairs. I quick chat and everybody is ready for bed. They even outfitted my bed with an electric blanket. And it was turned on all ready for my cold toes.

Tomorrow is going to yoga with my Mom. My parents just joined a gym and I have a day pass to go with them. I'm dragging my Mom to her first yoga class and I think she'll like it a lot. Dad'll do cardio. I'll also take lots of photos and post. It's nice to be back, even if it is much too quiet at nighttime. I almost miss the 21-Hayes bus going past every 15 minutes.

OOOHHHH OH! I'm half way there

A long day of travel and I'm only half way done. After getting little sleep in london because somebody in my hostel room had to take each plastic bag they owned, look through it in depth then transfer it to another piece of luggage for 25 minutes at 1am. WHY?!?

Shuttle, crowded Heathrow, strong latte, seven hour flight. I watched Limitless, Kung Fu Panda 2, and Arthur. Read. No sleep. Coughed a lot while sitting bitch (in between two other people). Chatted with an awesome Irish lady.

Got to JFK and waited for six hours. Too long. So long. Nice part is that I see an alum from work and her parents. I finally get a lovely chat with someone I know and realize how one-sided it was. Whoops.

DELAY FOR ANOTHER HOUR. Will I ever get home? My sleep schedule is in your hands Virgin America. Be kind.

One more night

It is my last night in London. My last night in the UK. I haven't updated as much as I originally wanted to and I apologize for that. I thought poking words into my iphone wouldn't be that annoying but it was. I did not update or email as often as I should. Good thing to remember for my next trip: bring something to type on with two hands.

I will do a quick re-cap of my last days since I last posted from Wales. I went to Bath and got in somewhat late but thanks to the crazy sunshine out here I had plenty of hours to walk around in daylight. Bath is so serene and one of my more favorite cities in England. It was relaxed. Nobody was rushing anywhere. The buildings were amazing beautiful. The air was warm with just enough breeze. I would happily go back there in an instant. There were a lot of green spaces that were just begging for me to sit in them and read but I could only do so much. After my first day of wandering about it was time to go to bed. It didn't go as well as planned. My first attempt of sleep ended up in a coughing fit and I found myself sitting in the common room watching "Angels & Demons" with a creepy local Bath resident who wanted to talk to me about the different ways of spelling and pronouncing yogurt (yoghurt). I tried to go back to bed again but that didn't last long because I didn't want to keep those around me up all night so it was back to the common room again. I fell asleep on the couch, sitting up, while the TV showed reruns of Friends. It was a pathetic sight but the weird Bath resident pointed me in the direction of the local health clinic. I went there the next morning.

The clinic was helpful with no wait. The nurse listened to my lungs and said 'ick'. It was pretty bad. She told me I should have come in much much sooner. I never learn. I was prescribed Amoxocillin for seven days to clear up the widespread infection in my lungs. Four days later it has helped me falling asleep but my lungs still feel heavy. Looks like I'll be visiting my doctor when I get back into town. I'm dubbing this the 'hobo cough'. If you ask nicely I'll tell you how I think I got this hobo cough but I'd rather not write about it online. It's embarrassing and gross.

The rest of Bath contained the Roman Baths for me which were fantastic. And HUGE. I thought I'd see a couple of old rectangular pits with dirty water in them and I was sorely wrong. It was a fantastic sight.

Then I went to Oxford and WOW. I thought the buildings in Bath were neat but these were neater. Old large buildings and a big university. I would gladly live in Oxford for a year. It was humming with energy but surrounded by gardens and old buildings. Plus there was a river flowing through the middle which means in my future canalboat holiday I could pull up anchor there for a bit.

The next day I got a fancy hotel room to myself so I could pack my bag and get a good nights rest. When I unpacked my bag, to repack, I couldn't find my pants. In a span of 12 hours I lost my only pair of jeans. Where I have no idea. Maybe my hostel in Oxford. Maybe they fell out of my bag on the train when I got my sweater out. Now I'm pantsless.

My fancy hotel had a swimming pool and it was so warm outside I couldn't contain my excitement. I gathered up my items, book and towel and camera and a snack and antibiotic, but the elevator said to get to the pool go to level '-1'. Bwah? It was a small indoor pool next to a steam room with an old lady watching over it. I felt like she was judging my every move in the water. Weird. Hotel pools should be outside in the sunshine. Always.

Now it is my last night in London. I didn't do much besides sit in a park and read. I walked by a flower market but they were closing up. I ate some ice cream. I made my last microwaved dinner for a long time at the hostel. The bus to the airport comes to get me in 8 hours. I should get some sleep but I'm too excited and nervous. Heathrow to JKF to SFO. It is going to be a long day but it will pay off when I get to hug two friends at the airport. It's been a long time since I hugged a good friend. It's the little things you end up missing. Oh and Ness. I'll see you soon. You better remember who buys your food.

A whale of a time in Wales

After two group trips and so many hostels sleeping in rooms with more strangers than I can count I treated myself to something special in Cardiff, Wales. I got my own hotel room for THREE NIGHTS. I paid a pretty penny/pound for it but it was worth it the moment I walked into that room.

I had left my hostel in Dublin early, 9.30am, to find the ferry to Wales. My plan was simple, put all my stuff on my back and walk towards the water. It wasn't that easy. I walked for two and a half hours sweating out whatever water my body felt like retaining while I coughed out the rest in globs. I wasn't a pretty sight when I rolled up to the ticket counter. Next ferry was at 2.30pm so I fell asleep in the terminal unable to buy any food because they only took euros and I spent my last one the night before on dinner I didn't eat. I had 12 pounds in change but they didn't care, so I slept. Then ferry. Then two trains. Then finally I got into Cardiff to check in at 11pm.

I was so happy I put my bag down to take photos then tripped over my bag as I ran across the room to look at my view. It wasn't worth the faceplant. King sized bed. Unnecessary couch. Kettle. TV. Hairdryer. Then I thought about the bathroom, and maybe I'd finally get my bath. In cruel, but hilarious, twist of fate I was in a disabled room and had a shower with a seat in it. But none the less it was all MINE. For three days. I went NPP and watched TV for too long. The best show in the world is by children's BBC called 'Horrible Histories'. YouTube it. It should be there. I watched hours of it. When I wasn't hacking my lungs up. I bought more meds. But never did I had a nice restful night. The last night there was the worst. At 1.30am I woke myself up by coughing so hard. I couldn't get a breath in. It felt like asthma, TB, and tonsillitis all at once. I had tears from my eyes and snot from my nose. Not a pretty picture. I'm glad I was alone. I sort of fell asleep sitting up right after drinking some hot honey water. Another near death experience avoided. When I woke up I felt much better. My sore throat was gone. And I trained over to Bath trying not to freak out the lady next to me with my deep throaty voice.

Cardiff was gorgeous. I wish I felt better to have experienced it. There was this park attached to the Cardiff Castle that was so serene you never knew you were in the middle of a city. There were big meadows just like Golden Gate Park but this was flat and was dotted with trees in the middle. You heard the rustling of leaves and not the sound of that screaming kid who got punched by their older sibling. I would have loved to have stayed there longer if the sun kept being warm and that one guy didn't creep me out (sitting to close to me and following me around when I walked somewhere). Also the signs were always in Welsh first and everything was extremely difficult to pronounce. I didn't talk enough to people to get a good/bad vibe off of them but I can tell you I love BBC TV. They are hilarious and get away with showing some very naughty stuff on TV.

Now I'm in Bath. Tomorrow is stonehenge. There is a Spaniard intensely watching Angels & Demons on DVD while two French girls giggle while on their phones. I miss my single room already. I'm coming home soon Ness, put some pants on and get those RSVPs back for my welcome home party.

Sick in Ireland

From my flight into Dublin I wasn't feeling too awesome. On the free shuttle from the airport to I met a nice kiwi who ended up being on my six day southern Ireland trip. It started off nicely. There were many Americans which was good and bad: I understood their accents but most of them were demanding jerks. Sigh. I made good friends with the other solo travelers and we had many silly nights until... the cough.

It started off mild but it got worse as the trip progressed. Cough drops wouldn't hack it anymore. I bought some meds that sort of worked for awhile. Then my new friend started getting sick too. I felt terrible. While on a day trip through the ring of Kerry my symptoms came on strong and my fellow sickmate said she just got some cold/flu capsules and I was welcome to them. I took two after lunch and don't remember much after that because they were a drowsy formula. Ugh. Damn UK labels and brands that I don't understand. I woke up to wander on the lovely sights but I was too doped up to remember anything or even remember to take photos.

The next day was better. I rode a horse named Jasper in an Irish national forest.

After that I ended up going back to the hostel early to get rest. I was a total lame-o especially after I bought this medicine called Exputex. It's an Irish thing moms often give to their babies with the grossest name ever invented. I won't tell you what it does but it did not make for a fun long bus ride.

What will I take away from Ireland? That I was terribly sick for most of it. The views were beautiful. The Irish pub songs are memorable. The dancing men were fantastic. But I think Scotland still holds my heartstrings.

Just another Saturday afternoon

Starting my Irish tour

Just got on the bus. All 22 women and one old bald guy. 80% Americans. A smattering of old people. The guide is already playing crappy Irish music. Grant me strength.

On the brightside... free WiFi on the bus!

Glasgow....

I was in Glasgow for two days. I didn't do much.

When I got in I felt ragged and sick, I think someone on the highland trip gave me their sickness. From the train station it turned out my hotel was 2 miles away so I huffed it with all my stuff on my back. I got in and the guy behind the desk was so happy he was able to put me and another American in a two bunk room. Texas wouldn't stop talking about everything and anything. She had apparently washed some items in the sink and turned on the heater to have it dry. But by bedtime we could not get the heater to turn off. I opened the window and tried to sleep off my sickness. I woke up at 3am in a sweat and my throat closed off. I was top bunk and it was hot as a witches womb up there. I gathered up my items and in a groggy state I went to the front desk. The night guard tried to show me how a real man turns off a heater... but he couldn't either. He took pity on me because he said he hates sleeping in heat as well. I got a two bed room upstairs to myself to pass out in and pass out I did. When I woke up around 11am the cleaning lady put me in another room for my last night which was a queen sized bed and shower/bathroom attached! Heaven! I went into town to buy medicine and watch Harry Potter. Then back to my room to watch BBC tv and tried to figure out who these celebrities were. I recognized David Hasselhoff and his daughters but no one else. Thanks chatty Texas girl! You get to be stuck in a hot room with s small TV because you messed with the heater and I don't have have to leave my room for hours (I got the wifi signal too!).

Then I left. Glasgow wasn't that great. A big industrial city with lots of shopping. We'll see if I come back.

Highland Pisser

Oh my. I haven't checked in since Manchester. Time to change that!

I got into my hostel in Edinburgh and it was the best one yet! Very close to the corner where I used to flier for SBJM. One night I was there it was a hostel pub crawl and I decided to go along. As I was getting ready in the room I noticed the girl on my bottom bunk was getting ready to go out on the pub crawl too! Rosemary and I latch on to one another and have a blast meeting all sorts of people: a Dutch, a south carolinian, and oodles of Aussies and Canadians. I had a lot of fun and this was just the beginning of a fun week.

I board my bus for the five day highland trip and I instantly see a girl I pub crawled with! Already two minutes into this adventure and I have a friend. The group is all ages all nationalities all ready for fun. The 23 of us spend the next several days seeing amazing sights, eating haggis, drinking, having more than one tartan toga party, experiencing rusty nails, listening to hours of stories from our tour guide, and respecting any hangovers. We had a blast and became a tight knit group. I am so thankful to have had this experience. Good friends too! I hope some of them visit in SF. Except for those many under 21 year-olds I met... I'll expect them to visit when they are of age. Tons of photos to come.

Now I'm in Glasgow. It's okay. I left my heart in Edinburgh.

Mother hen

Last night in the hostel (sorry all my posts as of late seem to be about the hostels) I was in a 10 bed mostly female room. Five girls were actively trying to sleep. Heads under blankets trying to block out the room light. I walk in and there is one girl screwing around on her phone another reading a book. It's almost 1am and I want to go to bed. I say I'm turning off the light and the girl reading stares daggers at me. But it's the right thing to do and we settle in for some sleep. 15 minutes later two boys walk into their room next to ours and are laughing, joking, singing, having a grand ol' time but we can hear every hindi word they say even though none of us spoke Hindi. After them not shutting up after several minutes I went over to knock on the door to give them a guilt trip and to embarrass them by saying they had a lovely singing voice. The Indian boys turned beet red and shut up for the rest of the night. Some times it does pay to be the oldest one in the room: I get my way.

Things the UK has a lot of

Here is a list I am compiling of things the UK has a lot of:

• Punks and punk culture
• Jumpers. Like clothing jumpers. The things you'd wear in 2nd grade.
• Mayonnaise. They try and sneak it into everything.
• Fake eyelashes.
• House techo music.

More to come later.

Snoring

I knew I've been too lucky. Tonight I have a snorer in the bunk above me. Another near my feet. Even with earplugs I can still hear them. I try to wiggle in bed so that the above me will chane their sleeping position but no luck yet. All I can do is hope the fourth person comes into the room soon to wake them up....

All I have to say is that Future Mr. Ann Pattison cannot snore. It'd be the end of me.

A strange new hostel mate

I am in Liverpool and have checked into the oddest hostel yet. I was only able to reserve two nights out of three and I was hoping once I got here I'd be able to make it all three nights in one place. He said no availability but I'll ask again tomorrow hoping for a cancellation. I am in a 10 bed mixed dorm. The vibe of the place is hospital ward with ikea furniture and really hip music piped in all the large empty rooms. There is no one here except for reception, an Asian kid watching anime on his laptop, and me. Really? No availability tomorrow??!? I find my large room with many beds in it and I am the only one in it. There is stuff at three other beds but it is midnight and I haven't seen any sight of them. Maybe I should be out at a pub but after my chaotic day of crying a lot and riding trains I decide to go bed. As I'm in my top bunk (tired of hitting the top of my head) I turn off the lights and settle down. Then I hear this sound of LICKING in my room. LICKING. My mind goes a mile a minute. Maybe I'm not alone in here. Maybe one of the others hostelmates was under a bed hiding when I came in. Maybe it's a zombie. I turn on the light and see a goddamn cat in the middle of the room bathing itself. A freaking cat. In my hostel room. I say hello and it walks over to smell all my stuff. Who does this cat think they are? After my year with Ness I now speak fluent cat and lured it into the hallway and closed the door. Win! It must have come in through the open window. I swear, if it's back again in the morning I will be on edge for the rest of my time here.

In other news, I've been in Liverpool for three hours and love it. I want to have my 35 birthday here with as many friends as possible. Maybe we can all rent this cat hostel together.

God bless library workers

I wouldn't normally do this but here is some advice: if you are my Mom stop reading this post now. I don't want you to worry more than you already do.

With that being said, it started out a normal day. Checked out even though I couldn't find my key card, ate some toast and drank some tea, then got on the trains to go to London. At my first stop over I thought I'd get some food for the next, longer, train ride. But where is my wallet with a couple of pounds, ATM card, credit card, drivers license???? Where? There? No. In there? No. Packed here? No. Shit. Sitting in a park I start to ball. I am making terrible sad sounds. No one even looks. I dump out my bags and check everything twice. Nothing. The tears fall harder but at least I have my passport and AmEx card in a safe spot. I try to dry my eyes and find a phone. I ask some women working the train station to help me call my hostel. Their phone can't connect the line. I tear up and walk away with them just looking at one another not sure how to react. I find a bar and beg the bartender to give me the wi-fi password so I can check my email. I ask him for a phone with blurry wet eyes and amazingly this bar has no phone! I cry again and start to wander the streets. I can't use any public phones, I have no change. I find a public library, God save the queen! Librarians are world known for being wonderfully nice and helpful so I look to them for some compassion. I explain to the guard at the door checking bags my story and he doesn't subject me to further humiliation by searching my gigantic backpack. I go up to a guy in coat check, tell him what happened and he says "Oy, you need to borrow a phone, eh? Here you are" and passes me his phone he was just texting on. No big deal to him. THE HOSTEL HAS IT. Thank the heavens. While I was so befuddled that the hostel didnt care if I didnt returned the room key or that they even needed my name on check out I left my wallet on the reception desk.

First huge lesson learned. I thankful I have an all day train pass today. I need to train back to Brighton to pick up the wallet, train to London, transfer, then get my butt to Liverpool.

I hope you didnt read that Mom, but if you did I am now extra aware of everything I do. I have a lot of time to think and reflect while I am on trains today.

Brighton, England

A reflection. I had a fun time spotted with some lonely times. The town was lovely and the beach gorgeous despite the very cold water. The pier was lovely with deck chairs you can sit in to watch the water and when you get bored of that you can gamble away your 2P which I did happily. Lots of tea places who did not mind me sitting and reading for hours. A giantic mansion built by George IV when he was young and single and loved to party. The outside is Indian influenced (think Taj Mahal) and ALL the decorations inside are Chinese. It seemed all out of place but magical az well.

The days in Brighton were warm and the nights were windy.

I am happy I choose a small 6 bed hostel room because the girls I was with were great. The first night I went out with the two young Aussie girls who love London and are starting a four month trip around Europe which I am jealous of. My other two nights two girls closer to my age who were in town for an OT conference took me out. Nothing much but I needed the conversation. I learned UK slang and what sweets to avoid and even some Irish history. Last night as we were walking home two gents were fancy on us and chatted us up. One even took my US phone number and swore to call me (even though he doesnt know my name and called me 'America' all night).

I'll go back to Brighton one day but it will probably be with family.

The thought of 31 more days alone is daunting and I worry that the friends I made briefly in Brighton was a fluke and won't happen again. So I have been proactive and have booked myself a 5 day bus trip in Scotland. Also this way my days will have more direction and I'll have some more history lessons while I'm here. I may be more poor than I thought when I get back to the states but I already look forward to cooking dinner on a regular basis.

Next stop, Liverpool.

Dopplegangers

The most interesting part of traveling alone and reflecting upon home is that I keep seeing look alikes of my friends and loved ones. In a pub, walking down the road, at a cash point. I want to stop and say hello but then I realize they are talking to someone else in Italian.

Adventure #3: Trains

My first day of train travel and lightning storm messed up the electrical. ALL stations between where I am and where I'm going are at a stand still. Apparently a train is stuck on the tracks and can't move. So I am sitting in a great big building with my bag and a wet raincoat with many others sitting with their bags and wet raincoats.

In other news I have a new favorite city name: Dorking.

A horse! My kingdom for a horse!

I spent the afternoon sitting in a cafe drinking some tea when I thought I should walk about and see what was around. What I found was a Chipotle and I was hungry. As I ordered my burrito with too many "what's?" to the person assembling my lunch the young man who rang my order up asked me how my day was going. He was American and he could tell I was as well. I said my day was going fine. I asked him how his day was. He said great, that he was going to go see Kevin Spacey in Richard III. I was stoked. I asked him where and I promptly figured out the quickest route to the theater.


I queued up for a ticket and was sold a return 2 minutes before curtain. Thank goodness I'm quick at peeing. It was amazing. And I had a great seat too, only for 20 pounds! The show starred Kevin Spacey as Richard III and the production was directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty fame). Wowie. I'll be honest to say I didn't know the storyline beforehand so everything was a surprise, but the constant deaths of all the characters weren't. I think I need to stop reading so much Song of Ice & Fire for a while because I kept drawing too many comparisons. Ask me, if you're interested. Most of you aren't.

Adventure #2: More alone than usual

I am sleeping in an 8 bed room and have not been sleeping all that well the past two nights.  Last night I went to bed around 11pm thinking that I'll try to get a good night's rest so I can go do awesome things in the morning.  But it doesn't fail, I wake up around 5am totally awake so I decide to read for a bit because breakfast won't open for awhile and nobody is awake to talk to.  After 30 minutes of reading I try to go back to bed so I can go eat some toast before it's all gone from the kitchen.....

.....Suddenly I wake up with a start to the sound of drums.  What?  I hear a parade outside my window.  Not right outside, but I could very well hear everybody cheering and drums going and brass being blown.  Then I sit up in bed.  Every single bed in my room, save mine, is empty.  All those people I sort of knew, gone.  Their belongings are gone.  The seven beds were made up with new bed linens.  Even the shower was clean.  It is suddenly 12:30pm and I have missed breakfast, 7 people packing up and leaving after getting ready, a cleaning person making up all the beds including my top bunk, and half of a parade.  I guess I was more tired than I thought.  I wish I could say I took some Tylenol PM to help me sleep but I didn't.  That extended sleep was au naturel.  Now I must depart, the guy on the computer left of me reeks of bad cologne. 

 

The adventures I am sure will keep coming so please keep reading.  My first week of travel is done!

I'm here and rested

Yesterday I flew in, exhausted, not sleeping on the plane to face off with the gentleman in customs. I honestly didn't think I'd be asked so many questions like how much money I have, why I can take off so much time from work, if I had a return ticket, where else am I going. I got flustered and started sweating, probably from the lack of sleep, but eventually he let me go. Checked into my hostel, crashed, then re-grouped to wonder about.

I found some big named sights like Big Ben and got lost somewhere around Picidilly. I think my favorite part of England so far is how well people are dressed! Men in nice fitting suits and women in sharp looking outfits. Makes me want to step up my game.

I've met some nice people in the hostel but I'm not going out of my way to make best friends just yet. I'm still dazed at the fact I have over a month ahead of me with no obligations. I can do whatever I want whenever. Now I'm waiting endlessly for a bunch of men in red outfits to walk and change places, just like they do everyday.

Adventure #1: Conversions

It all started when I left SFO super early several days ago. When I put down my bag on the scale somebody was doing the same next to me. I was amazed the scale next to my bag said 56 pounds! So I had it in my sleepy head that I somehow really overpacked and was carrying 56 pounds comfortably on my back. I was stressing in NYC on how I'd get rid of 6 pounds so I didn't have to pay extra. I did all I could. I arrive at JFK early so I could weigh my bag to be within the 50 lbs (23 kgs) limit. I was at 24 lbs. What? I did it again. Then I thought. Real hard. Turns out when I first weighed my bag in SFO my bag weight showed up next to the other scale and the guy next to me was he one with the 56 lbs bag. I'm less than half the max weight allowance. This is going to be a long trip in the metric system.

NYC: The appetizer to my trip

Well, my time here in NYC is coming to an end. I've had a great time with old friends, wandering about aimlessly, and taking it all in. Its been hot, well, its been warm. Today it even rained a bit and I got some good use out of my skirts. I spent a good time at the Met yesterday which I loved and got lost several times in Central Park. I even saw old coworkers from SFDS (Ms Phillips and Ms Harris) and we got lunch! Kate has been a wonderful host to have me on her couch for four nights. Now that I have experienced NYC in both the ultra cold months and some summer time action I can honestly say that I don't have that desire many young people have to live here. It is nice and busy, but sometimes too busy for my taste. Everything is so BIG and it does not need to be.

Now I need to re-pack to fly to London. On my flight from SF to NYC my backpack weighed 56 (!) pounds, but I have to get it to 50 or below to fly across the Atlantic. My first of many trials I will need to outwit on my trip. I am thankfully not as nervous as I was while I was in SF, I think now I just want to be there. Everything is in order and I have a window seat. Let's do this!

Weathergirl

From here:

To here:

To this:

One of these things is not like the other....

Wait, how many shirts do I REALLY need to pack??!?

From right now I have 3 days and 9 hours till I board a plane for NYC. I have a fun weekend planned with SV and Zuparko, but until then I have work to do. I keep packing, folding, sorting all of the items I think I need then adding or subtracting. I am almost there. My closet is the cleanest it has ever been since I moved in. I pray the maintenance guys come in tomorrow to fix not only the broken oven but also the light in the closet that has not worked in 8 months.

Today when I got home from work it was a lovely sunny afternoon so I sat in my papasaun chair to read with the window open blowing in a light breeze and Ness curled up on my lap. Eventually we fell asleep. For the next 55 days I'm going to miss these afternoons but hopefully when I get back Ness will remember who I am so we can fall asleep reading again.

My nerves are subsiding, mostly because there is to much to do before I leave.

Want a postcard?

Then send me your address and I'll try my damnedest to write and mail you one. But Grandma gets one first, thems the rules. So after her comes everybody else.

Also, HI MOM AND DAD! I know you read this. And don't worry about sending me your address, I've got that one memorized. But you two will also have to wait till after Grandma gets her postcard mailed.

Less than two weeks

I am in the final days of the school year and that nervous ball of energy in my belly is growing larger. Today I took the backpack, on loan to me from my dear friend Shannon, for a test run around my apartment. After stuffing it full of mostly dirty clothes to try and get a feel for a fully stuffed bag I feel good. I also realized my packing list is way too large. I was toying with the thought of bringing my laptop with me on my trip but that went out thewindow once I realized the weight of everything I need for my trip on my back; taking the laptop is a terrible idea (I should have taken Andy's advice). It'll take a lot to get used to for having so much weight on my back when I travel.

I have a new girl to stay at my apartment. I may meet her beforehand which would be helpful. Sadly for the four days I am in NYC KT Hartman will be out of town but I'll have Henry and I will get to spend LOTS of time with Zuparko. If you are a friend reading this who lives in NYC and would like to see me, tell me! My dates in NYC are 18th - 22nd.

End of the school year and goodbye parties are all lined up, I just need to make sure I get everything done that needs to be done. I need another pair of pants. I need more kitty food. I need to scrub the heck out of all my floors. I need to do loads of laundry. Want to help?

Oh, and I got a summer haircut. Like it?

A happy surprise in my mailbox

I would happily kiss the U.S. Government right now. It was one week. ONE WEEK of waiting. And I did not spend the extra millions of dollars to expedite the service. Thank you Obama and your minions, you gave me one more thing to mark off my To Do list.

In other news of stress relief, I have decided to donate my apartment while I am gone to a program where I work. The Breakthrough program offers summer school to 5th and 6th graders who may not have access to a successful education in a supportive atmosphere which encourages higher learning. Their teachers are college age students from all over the country and most of them need a place to live. I can provide that! I'll soon be in touch with an awesome girl from Miami who will love my Ness and sit on my couch. Yes, I'll be missing out on a month's rent but I've been saving my money well and I can take this small setback. The Miami girls needs me and I need her so it is a happy match in the end.

I also bought nice walking shoes today. Merrell's.

I have dedicated myself to be a house manager for a drag show to help pay for these expenses. It's a fun way to make money but I am tired of being out so late every night. Time to put on my slippers and watch "Glee" while drinking tea. I live the good life, yo.

Pray for my passport

I just dropped my passport off in the dropbox at the passport office.
If I do not get it renewed by the middle of June I will cry. The woman
in window said it would be 3 - 4 weeks. I hope she's right.

Getting closer

Rail pass? Purchased.

Plane from Glasgow to Dublin? Purchased.

Bit by bit I'm starting to realize that... holy goodness... this is going to happen. Changed my itinerary slightly, now it includes Stratford-Upon-Avon. Thanks for all the love and support friends. This is an exciting journey, I am blessed to have this opportunity.

Week One - Planned

The map to the left is the basic route I will be taking. My trip has undergone several transformations and here is the most updated plan (starting in London, traveling . I will now travel by train while I am on the island of Britain and then ferry over to Dublin. Sadly I will not have enough time to make it to Belfast, the Isle of Man, and the Isle of Skye, but this means I'll have a reason to come back and visit again!

Today I booked my first six nights at a hostel in London very close to Buckingham palace. I can't wait to be a full blood tourist walking along the Thames, watching the changing of the guards, and touring the palace.

Things are starting to get expensive but I guess I knew that would happen. The best thing about planning early is that I can pay off things before they even happen. Google is being a best friend in this planning phase. I have my list in google word of sights to see, a spreadsheet of my costs, a calendar of where I'll be staying and when, and finally many maps of the entire trip and trips around the cities I'll be visiting. Neat huh? Technology!

Inverness or Aberdeen?

I am mapping out a tentative trip schedule and would love to see some Northern Scotland, so my "million" dollar question is this: Inverness or Aberdeen?

A few thoughts from PR

I am sitting in a hotel in Vieques, just outside of Puerto Rico and here are some thoughts on traveling.

1. I miss my bed. Seems like a common thing and that is because it is so true! Nothing ever beats your own sheets.

2. It is hard to explore anything in groups.

3. I'm getting used to being in heat but I still don't like it.

4. I am looking forward to traveling with a future SO to do all those romantic things that don't work alone (for example, paddleboats....).

5. Local PR food is amazing. Just amazing.

6. Older PR men like me. A lot. I don't feel the same about them.

7. Traveling anywhere with 27 8th graders sucks, no matter what.

I bought my ticket!!

I bought my ticket. I will fly into NYC for a couple of days to see some good friends then fly to London on June 22nd. Have my grand adventure where I will fly back into JFK on August 1st then into SFO. It's official. I'm doing this trip and cannot back out. Next step... tell my boss.

Thanks Obama!

I just finished up my taxes. I got a good amount too. Thanks Obama! You helped pay for my plane ticket! Anybody know his address so I can send him a thank you postcard? Maybe I'll just send some trinkets to Sasha and Malia.

S.Varki is a GREAT person

Just when I thought one friend's kindness could not be matched, I am surprised. SV is a kind-hearted soul who is so giving and great I am honored to be her friend. Her support to me regarding this trip, and my life in general, cannot be described. I am a lucky lady to have such great love in my life. Thank you SV. Visit the bay area soon, we miss you!

Jennifer Dong is a GREAT person

Yesterday I publicly shared this blog via Facebook with my friends and family. I had a great response and felt the love. Comments galore. Advice. Offerings of travel equipment and travel ideas. I was so very thankful. But then, today, an old friend made a contribution to my Travel Fun(d) and I couldn't be more surprised. I set up in the top right corner of this blog a link to my PayPal account to those who wish to donate to my travels, not thinking anybody would actually do it. Jenn did. She is an awesome friend and for her love and support I will send her something pretty from my travels.

Hugs and kisses Jenn! Thank you a million times over.

HAY EVERYBODY

I'm going on a couple of upcoming trips. Read my blog! I can't promise it'll be interesting. I can't promise I will update in a timely manner. But I'm doing this and I want to share it with all you lovely friends and family members. Please keep encouraging me, I don't want to wuss out last minute.

Suitcase or Backpack?

I've been weighing the pros and cons to taking either a small travel suitcase with me or a large travel backpack. One makes me feel like a tourist. The other makes me feel like a young tourist. Thoughts? For some reason I am leaning towards suitcase but I want to hear what my friends think.

Being PC in the UK/British Isles/GB

I've got a lot to learn.

This trip is meant to be

They Might Be Giants updated their blog to say that they will most likely be in the UK this summer for a festival and a show. I'm on my way.

Oh yeah, Puerto Rico

I forgot to mention this too. My 2011 resolution is to travel more. Another way I am achieving this is by being a chaperone on a school trip to Puerto Rico in mid-February. Nine days. Twenty-seven 8th graders. Two chaperones and myself. It'll be exciting. Well, in the very least, it motivated me to get many of the shots/vaccines that I was behind on.

I'll post some pictures and stories from the PR trip is said and done. Look forward to it.

A new year, A new plan

It has been awhile since I posted. I have thought and re-thought my summer plans. Oh yeah, I should post that I did not get the job I was talking about in the previous post. But it is okay because it is better this way.

The new plan is this: One month, one month and a half in the U.K. The biggest thing that makes me nervous about traveling by myself is that I speak no other languages. I have talked with many people who have traveled alone and only speak English and they say they did not have any problems. Also I am thinking that since this is my first trip alone why not focus one 1 - 3 countries like England, Ireland, and Scotland! If I see everything I wanted to see really fast (which I doubt will happen) I could head over to France or Spain for a while. If I leave countries unseen then I have something to come back to. I think I would like to spend the summer in England drinking tea and looking at rolling green hillsides. I like castles too so I think this might work out very well.

The biggest thing I am worried about is what to do with Ness and my apartment. I don't know who I can get to stay at my place who I trust. I got an AmEx card that will be my cat-card so for vet appointments, emergencies, and food/toys it will be taken care of while I'm away. Forward thinker, right? If I can get a person to stay in my apartment and give me most of what my rent is while I continue PG&E and internet/cable, I would be happy. Who wouldn't want to live in SF for a foggy summer?

List of UK sights I want to see:

• Windsor castle
• Stonehenge
• City of Bath
• Westminster Abby
• Irish pub
• "There once was a Pattison in Limerick"
• Aberdeen
• Prince Harry
• Tower of London
• The Tate (hehehe)
• More Loch's
• What else am I missing?

Ideas submitted by Zac...

• The Globe (in London).
• Guinness Factory Tour.
• Dover / Canterbury.
• Portabello Market (Notting Hill!)
• Rosetta Stone / Elgin Marbles in British Natural History Museum.
• Look for Big Nessie.