Friday, February 15, 2013
Saturday, August 6, 2011
San Francisco: Case Closed
It's my last night in San Francisco and I'm standing at my favorite place in the city while I write this: “my corner”. In 2005 I had a dream of living in San Francisco and becoming a 'business woman'. And as I searched for an apartment I was low on my luck and found myself walking away from yet another 'too tiny and too expensive' apartment. And as I waited for the crosswalk I realized I was standing somewhere very special: I was at an intersection where four different parts of the city meet. In 20 steps I can walk south to the financial district.. east to Chinatown.. north to little Italy... or west to the red light district. San Francisco is so tiny and on the corner of Broadway and Colombus I watch people from all walks of life crossing the street. When I first stood on this corner in 2005 I knew I had to live here (in north beach). And I did. For four years. While being a business woman for the biggest company in the world.
I've been unemployed 3 months now. Not once have I second guessed my decisions to quit, travel, and move. My life has done a 180 from where it was previously. And I savor in the feeling of absolute freedom.
It’s been three weeks since my trip to Asia and it’s obvious how much I’ve changed. How much slower I live. How much more I notice. How much more I appreciate. Having these past weeks to be in love with San Francisco and be with the people I love has been amazing. Enjoying the city with long walks and doing things I was never able to do with a day job (typical day: wake up at 10, go to yoga, walk 2 hours to meet someone for lunch, sit in a park, then go home and nap). Life is good.
Tonight I watched the sunset over the golden gate bridge and walked all around the city recalling favorite memories I've had. It was in this city that I was in my element. I worked hard, played hard, and did everything I could have possibly wanted to do. I came to be the turned on woman that I am.
I look forward to New York with bright eyes and an open heart… ready for more crazy adventures.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
My trip is over. But the adventure is just beginning.
It's my last day in Ho Chi Minh. It's my last day in Vietnam. It's my last day in Asia. My trip is over... but the adventure is not. In fact, it's just beginning.
I get 3 weeks to spend with the people I love and appreciate in an amazing city called San Francisco. I get to go home and spend time with my family. And the happy ending to my story - I get to move to New York City with the man I fell in love with.
I get a clean slate. I can be whoever I want to be in New York. I can take whatever career path I choose. I get to create a new circle of friends.
I'm back at the jazz club. I can see, feel, smell, and taste the band's passion for playing jazz. It's that evident. I want to be a turned on woman that lives with this kind of passion. I sit back and close my eyes.. and I smile as the band starts to play 'what a wonderful world'...
I get 3 weeks to spend with the people I love and appreciate in an amazing city called San Francisco. I get to go home and spend time with my family. And the happy ending to my story - I get to move to New York City with the man I fell in love with.
I get a clean slate. I can be whoever I want to be in New York. I can take whatever career path I choose. I get to create a new circle of friends.
I'm back at the jazz club. I can see, feel, smell, and taste the band's passion for playing jazz. It's that evident. I want to be a turned on woman that lives with this kind of passion. I sit back and close my eyes.. and I smile as the band starts to play 'what a wonderful world'...
Playing in ho chi minh
I'm scared. There is a crowd watching me. I'm sweating profusely. And my manicure is ruined. I'm secretly hoping the harness I'm wearing was not made in Vietnam. I reach for the top of the wall, smack it to show the crowd Ive made it to the top, and gently sit back onto the harness with a death grip on the rope (you know, in case anything breaks). I'm scared of heights.
90 meters down Dao gives me the thumbs up and in 3 seconds my feet touch the ground. There is no slow and steady belaying in Vietnam. He dropped me like a rock and I stood up, laughed, and asked Hau which route I should do next.
I'm at the first-ever rock climbing gym in Vietnam. There is a team of three guys assisting me: Dao - he belays for me.. and I think the only English he knows is 'on belay' (which is the ready signal to start climbing). Hau - he ties me in and picks which route I'll do next. His English is pretty good and he helps me to figure out how to climb a route as I'm going up (ie most strategic place to put my hands and feet). And there is the last guy.. who's name I didnt understand. And nor did I understand anything else he was saying. He was my cheerleader.
Apparently women don't rock climb in Vietnam so there is a growing crowd of people watching me. I'm trying not to be embarrassed.
An hour of climbing is exhausting - especially when you're not belaying for anyone.. just climbing over and over again. I wanted to do one last route. My arms are shaking and I'm halfway up the wall. I'm exhausted. My hands hurt. Like stinging and burning hurt. Voice in my head tells me to shut up and push harder. I climb a few more meters and catch my breath. I wipe the sweat off my face and I can see why my hands hurt so bad. I'm bleeding. Everywhere.
I'm bummed. how am I supposed to go to yoga later?!
I get bandaged up, thank the team, and head off for more adventures. I duck into a high end department store (in search of air conditioning) and find there is bowling and arcade games on the 4th floor. I'm a sucker for arcades. I head up and grab a snack at the bar.
I have no idea how much the video games cost but they have House of the Dead- ALL four versions of it. I conclude I'm going to be here awhile and buy $6 worth of tokens. Which is apparently so many tokens the guy has to find a plastic bag for me.
30 minutes later I have:
1. used about 10 cents worth of my tokens
2. realized that girls don't play arcade games in Vietnam, especially shooting ones, so I have another crowd around me.
A Vietnamese tiger woods-look alike asks me if I want a partner in my two-player game. I laughed, and played House of the Dead with (a name that sort of sounds like) Vincent - who lives in Atlanta but is in Vietnam visiting family. He wasn't that good at House of the Dead, so I thanked him, left him with $5 worth of tokens, and headed off for more adventures - a cooking class.
Except the they won't do a class unless there are two or more people (damn traveling solo!). so I conclude that I smell awful and go back to my hotel - which happens to have one of the nicest spas in Ho Chi Minh.
In theory, a coconut body scrub is a great idea. In reality, it just makes your mouth water for the entire duration of your spa service. When it was time to rinse off - I looked like I had been running around naked in the snow. HAHA! Got a massage and decided I still needed more pampering.
Headed down the street to a recommended salon and thought: I don't know which will be scarier - rock climbing or letting someone in Vietnam cut my hair.
I walked in and was greeted with some faaaabulous English-speaking Vietnamese divos. Perfect.
I have a new 'do. I dont know how I feel about it but my divo hair stylist claims: 'I make you very attractive!!'
maybe he's right. for a guaranteed good meal I've come back to the nice restaurant I ate at the other evening and several gentleman have asked me to join their table. I guess I could use some company to toast my last night in Asia! turns out they are three architects from England and Australia living in Hong Kong. We had dinner together and toasted to my trip!
90 meters down Dao gives me the thumbs up and in 3 seconds my feet touch the ground. There is no slow and steady belaying in Vietnam. He dropped me like a rock and I stood up, laughed, and asked Hau which route I should do next.
I'm at the first-ever rock climbing gym in Vietnam. There is a team of three guys assisting me: Dao - he belays for me.. and I think the only English he knows is 'on belay' (which is the ready signal to start climbing). Hau - he ties me in and picks which route I'll do next. His English is pretty good and he helps me to figure out how to climb a route as I'm going up (ie most strategic place to put my hands and feet). And there is the last guy.. who's name I didnt understand. And nor did I understand anything else he was saying. He was my cheerleader.
Apparently women don't rock climb in Vietnam so there is a growing crowd of people watching me. I'm trying not to be embarrassed.
An hour of climbing is exhausting - especially when you're not belaying for anyone.. just climbing over and over again. I wanted to do one last route. My arms are shaking and I'm halfway up the wall. I'm exhausted. My hands hurt. Like stinging and burning hurt. Voice in my head tells me to shut up and push harder. I climb a few more meters and catch my breath. I wipe the sweat off my face and I can see why my hands hurt so bad. I'm bleeding. Everywhere.
I'm bummed. how am I supposed to go to yoga later?!
I get bandaged up, thank the team, and head off for more adventures. I duck into a high end department store (in search of air conditioning) and find there is bowling and arcade games on the 4th floor. I'm a sucker for arcades. I head up and grab a snack at the bar.
I have no idea how much the video games cost but they have House of the Dead- ALL four versions of it. I conclude I'm going to be here awhile and buy $6 worth of tokens. Which is apparently so many tokens the guy has to find a plastic bag for me.
30 minutes later I have:
1. used about 10 cents worth of my tokens
2. realized that girls don't play arcade games in Vietnam, especially shooting ones, so I have another crowd around me.
A Vietnamese tiger woods-look alike asks me if I want a partner in my two-player game. I laughed, and played House of the Dead with (a name that sort of sounds like) Vincent - who lives in Atlanta but is in Vietnam visiting family. He wasn't that good at House of the Dead, so I thanked him, left him with $5 worth of tokens, and headed off for more adventures - a cooking class.
Except the they won't do a class unless there are two or more people (damn traveling solo!). so I conclude that I smell awful and go back to my hotel - which happens to have one of the nicest spas in Ho Chi Minh.
In theory, a coconut body scrub is a great idea. In reality, it just makes your mouth water for the entire duration of your spa service. When it was time to rinse off - I looked like I had been running around naked in the snow. HAHA! Got a massage and decided I still needed more pampering.
Headed down the street to a recommended salon and thought: I don't know which will be scarier - rock climbing or letting someone in Vietnam cut my hair.
I walked in and was greeted with some faaaabulous English-speaking Vietnamese divos. Perfect.
I have a new 'do. I dont know how I feel about it but my divo hair stylist claims: 'I make you very attractive!!'
maybe he's right. for a guaranteed good meal I've come back to the nice restaurant I ate at the other evening and several gentleman have asked me to join their table. I guess I could use some company to toast my last night in Asia! turns out they are three architects from England and Australia living in Hong Kong. We had dinner together and toasted to my trip!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Making it feel like a vacation
my crazy 2 month trip is coming to a close. at times it's been a crazy adventure. or a life learning experience. or physically demanding. and sometimes it's been hell. I've decided I'm going to end it as a relaxing vacation. it hasn't always felt like a vacation- so I thought I'd kick off that idea by skipping my already paid for tour and going to a day spa.
I was going for a long walk down the main drag in mui ne and found the highly recommended spa I had been reading about. I realized I didn't have enough cash on me so I had a motorbike taxi scoot me back to my luxury apartment, wait for me, and then drive me back - all for 2 bucks.
Armed with $32 I did the 2.5 hour package - deep tissue massage, facial, and mani/pedi. I asked them to do it in 2 hours so I could make it to yoga in time.. and they were happy to accommodate. however, this meant getting a facial while getting a deep tissue massage. I lay on my back getting my legs beaten up (yes I love that kind of a massage) while my face was gently rubbed and cleansed. it was ridiculous. I had a hard time keeping a straight face... and I'm sure they did too. at one point my face was wrapped in aloe while someone is making the lower half of my body do acrobatics (ie stretching was part of the massage). I should have had them take a picture.
after my mani/pedi dried.. I thanked the team of four people for making me beautiful and getting me out on time. tipping isn't expected and I tipped them 20% because honestly.. they deserved it... then walked to yoga with my bright pink nails.
said goodbye to the beach and headed back to the madness of ho chi minh... where the smell of shit and sound of horns and motorbikes fills the air. wonderful.
had such a bad headache checking into my (supposedly) five star hotel. took me three hours to get them to sort things out - but in the end I'm comfortably setup in the 'governor suite'. No it doesn't make sense that I have two bathrooms and a separate living room... but my room is right next to the gym. so in my head it makes sense.
I was going for a long walk down the main drag in mui ne and found the highly recommended spa I had been reading about. I realized I didn't have enough cash on me so I had a motorbike taxi scoot me back to my luxury apartment, wait for me, and then drive me back - all for 2 bucks.
Armed with $32 I did the 2.5 hour package - deep tissue massage, facial, and mani/pedi. I asked them to do it in 2 hours so I could make it to yoga in time.. and they were happy to accommodate. however, this meant getting a facial while getting a deep tissue massage. I lay on my back getting my legs beaten up (yes I love that kind of a massage) while my face was gently rubbed and cleansed. it was ridiculous. I had a hard time keeping a straight face... and I'm sure they did too. at one point my face was wrapped in aloe while someone is making the lower half of my body do acrobatics (ie stretching was part of the massage). I should have had them take a picture.
after my mani/pedi dried.. I thanked the team of four people for making me beautiful and getting me out on time. tipping isn't expected and I tipped them 20% because honestly.. they deserved it... then walked to yoga with my bright pink nails.
said goodbye to the beach and headed back to the madness of ho chi minh... where the smell of shit and sound of horns and motorbikes fills the air. wonderful.
had such a bad headache checking into my (supposedly) five star hotel. took me three hours to get them to sort things out - but in the end I'm comfortably setup in the 'governor suite'. No it doesn't make sense that I have two bathrooms and a separate living room... but my room is right next to the gym. so in my head it makes sense.
Monday, July 4, 2011
let go. accept and take your journey.
it's 85 degrees out and I have goose bumps. I'm sitting across from Lex- a gorgeous Aussie I just did a yoga class with in Mui Ne, Vietnam. Were sipping protein shakes and talking about the journeys our lives are taking... and it's giving me the chills.
His journey: a financial investor from Australia who gave up everything he had, traveled the world practicing yoga, then opened his own gym and yoga studio in mui ne, Vietnam. he's in his 30s, he's made the jump, and he's happy. the kind of 'happy' that fills a room and makes you wish you could put it in your pocket when he's not looking and take it home with you.
as he unraveled the story of his journey he leans forward and with an intense look in his eyes says: 'sometimes we need to just let go. we need to let go of expectations to be able to receive what the world has to give us'.
thats a loaded statement.
To embrace our journey is to truly live and become alive. no more wondering 'what if'. no more waiting for things to come to you. follow your dreams, take your journey. the universe will come together to help you. I am living proof of this.
By 'journey' I am not referring to some hippie and granola concept. no I have not grown dreadlocks on this trip.. and nor have I been smoking anything (except all the motorbikes that I whizz past on my mountain bike. booyaa!). by journey I mean your dream. or dreams. If you could be doing anything in the world right now- what would it be? everyone dreams and everyone has an answer to that.
do more of the things that make you happy. and less of the things that make you unhappy.
Its that simple.
I think of my mom and the transformation I've seen her go through in the last few months. she retired and became a nanny for my nephew. I have never seen her so happy. Nikko brings her so much joy and I get teary eyed just thinking about how happy she is.
life is beautiful. I'm thankful to lex for sharing his yoga practice with me and re-inspiring me. Vietnam had me down for a bit. but I'm a turned on woman again. my last days here will be spent celebrating. celebrating the jump I've made, celebrating the journey I'm on, celebrating the love I have in my life, and celebrating the 4th of July. cheers!
His journey: a financial investor from Australia who gave up everything he had, traveled the world practicing yoga, then opened his own gym and yoga studio in mui ne, Vietnam. he's in his 30s, he's made the jump, and he's happy. the kind of 'happy' that fills a room and makes you wish you could put it in your pocket when he's not looking and take it home with you.
as he unraveled the story of his journey he leans forward and with an intense look in his eyes says: 'sometimes we need to just let go. we need to let go of expectations to be able to receive what the world has to give us'.
thats a loaded statement.
To embrace our journey is to truly live and become alive. no more wondering 'what if'. no more waiting for things to come to you. follow your dreams, take your journey. the universe will come together to help you. I am living proof of this.
By 'journey' I am not referring to some hippie and granola concept. no I have not grown dreadlocks on this trip.. and nor have I been smoking anything (except all the motorbikes that I whizz past on my mountain bike. booyaa!). by journey I mean your dream. or dreams. If you could be doing anything in the world right now- what would it be? everyone dreams and everyone has an answer to that.
do more of the things that make you happy. and less of the things that make you unhappy.
Its that simple.
I think of my mom and the transformation I've seen her go through in the last few months. she retired and became a nanny for my nephew. I have never seen her so happy. Nikko brings her so much joy and I get teary eyed just thinking about how happy she is.
life is beautiful. I'm thankful to lex for sharing his yoga practice with me and re-inspiring me. Vietnam had me down for a bit. but I'm a turned on woman again. my last days here will be spent celebrating. celebrating the jump I've made, celebrating the journey I'm on, celebrating the love I have in my life, and celebrating the 4th of July. cheers!
I miss America
We live in a great country. one worth celebrating. it's always fun to BBQ and watch fireworks on the 4th. but this is the first time in my life that I wanted to be home to celebrate my country. I'm lucky to be an american citizen and being on this trip really makes me love and appreciate where I'm from. I miss home. I miss the English language. I miss feeling safe in a non-corrupted place. I miss clean food standards. I miss drinking water from the tap. I miss flush toilets and toilet paper. I miss driving on the right hand side of the road ... and in actual lanes. I miss the music. I miss my country.. my friends.. my family.. my boyfriend.
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