travel bug

As I sit here with my annual writing project looming over my head, my brand new Fall semester classes staring me in the face, and all the work I have piled on my desk, I turn to you, my dear blog, to satiate my serious procrastination needs. 

I recently planned this epic voyage. Here's the deal: I have to fly to Seattle in late February. The deal has been sealed: a wedding I cannot miss. So that's on the calendar. So I started looking for flights to get me and my boyfriend there. But then my finger slipped or something and I found the perfect flight. To get us to Seattle. But it'll take two weeks.

It's no secret that I cannot get enough of Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman's adventures. It's no secret at all that a part of their trips - both Long Way Round and then the sequel, Long Way Down - struck a chord and buried itself deep down within my soul. Every once in a while if I'm very quiet I can hear the theme song playing faintly just outside. Just beyond...

So I planned this trip and accidentally made a PowerPoint presentation and accidentally emailed it to my boyfriend who immediately (maybe too hastily?) agreed to it. Things are very much still up in the air about it, but now I can't get it out of my head. When I'm bogged down with the stress of every day, I imagine elephants and those pointy boats, and pasta and nights that pass too quickly. I've traversed a decent amount of this planet so far. Moving to the East Coast where the people and cities are all scrunched together hasn't satisfied me. So until I can stave off this hunger, here are some pics of my travels in the last nine months:

(New York City)

(Balboa Park)

(Balboa Park)

(Boston)

(much less impressed in Boston)

(Vermont)

(okay this is a block from my house but WHAT)

(Venice, Italy)

(the Tube in London)

(Seattle)

bravery

I just got back from an incredibly rejuvenating trip. I left last Saturday after a rager that started at 2PM and ended when my body decided to shut down. Cut to three hours later and I’m experiencing one of the worst plane rides of my life. 

After showering and regaining some semblance of my personhood, I surprised my niece, who could not have cared less. We had a delicious lunch, did some last minute ‘stuff-you-cant-take-in-a-carryon’ shopping, and moved into our temporary home. To be honest that night escapes me: residual effects of the night before I guess. Either way, we rested up for the next morning: Disney.

It’s a very interesting reality: reliving your childhood. Allison is like me in a lot of ways, something I thought would change with time and my absence. Still I found myself helping coax her onto “scary” rides - and getting frustrated when it didn’t work. I had already been through the terror of discovering rides that were too fast or too steep or too dark. Her distrust of my experience was baffling and frustrating to say the very least. That first day Allison was dressed as Tiana, and after a particularly excruciating ride, we bumped right into her as she was going to take a break. She graciously walked with Allie for a bit and took a photo. That poor girl had a ride of emotion. Also on that first day we had a reservation at Blue Bayou - the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. From the moment we stepped into the Pirates ride it became Allie’s favorite so the dining experience was particularly magical. 

The second day was for California Adventure. Allison braved the Cars ride and discovered some things that seems scary can be fun! We worked out a rewards system which got her on the Grizzly River Run: her Matterhorn. I finally understood how annoyed my parents must have been when I made them go on Matterhorn over and over because it was the only ride I could trust. Luckily I love GRR and it’s one of those rides that turns strangers into instant friends. The family that accompanied us in the  eight-person inner tube made the initial ride what it was: a laughing, soaking adventure. In our five separate trips down the river, we laughed the whole way. Allie’s confidence was evident as she guided our fellow travelers with commentary like, “this is the boring drop!” And “you’re gonna get wet!” 

(Before Grizzly River Run)

(After the 3rd round) 

I set myself up for a loss by telling Allison i have a fear of some rides and that we have to be brave to enjoy them. This ideology found me all the way up in a ferris  wheel car with some randos because the line was so long they were packing the cars as full as possible. I don’t like heights, and I especially don’t like seeing riders being evacuated from my favorite ride 30 feet below me. The following day as we were walking to the last ride of the trip - Sharaya to Splash Mountain and Allison and I to Pooh’s Corner - Allison turns to us and says, “I wanna go on [Splash]!!” We were shocked, wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into and that we weren’t going to have another ‘blow-up-at-the-front-of-the-line’ moment. She smiled confidently and said, “I don’t really wanna go on this but I wanna make DiDi be brave!” Turd.