You know you're a wanderer if...

The desire to wander doesn't come to naturally to everyone. Some of us long to wake up in the same bed, walk down the same streets, see familiar faces, and spend time in the same places. To some of us, home has an unmatched sense of security and offers the chance to put roots down.

For the wanderers, though, there is a whole world just a few hours away. A photo in a magazine can become a destination. A tweet from a secret location explored by a fellow wanderer turns into a plane ticket. A documentary from a far-off land becomes an internet search for a ticket to Bhutan, "just to see". A lifetime isn't long enough to walk all the roads a wanderer wants to walk, but it will have to do.

You know you're a wanderer if...

... You've been back from travelling for longer than a month and you still haven't entirely unpacked your bag, for the simple fact that you know you'll be needing to pack up the same items for your next trip. (Even though that trip may not be planned yet).

... People often think you have been places that you haven't been, because "it seems like somewhere you probably went".

... The idea of spending a month or a year in another country is thrilling and exciting to you.

... You don't own furniture, or you are very uncomfortable with the idea of buying large furniture items. (I promise I now have a dining table after 2 months without one -- thanks to my dad for salvaging a beautiful three-legged old table from the side of the road. No more dinners in bed!).

... You've had more than one conversation entirely in gestures.

... When you go to a party, you somehow become a storyteller who wows the crowd with funny moments from your travels that you didn't realize were great stories until people say to you "that was a great story".

... You google flight costs, or visit any plane ticket purchasing sites frequently.

... Old friends greet you with the words "I didn't even know you were in the country" and it makes you feel a little happy that you are somewhat of a gypsy in their eyes.

... Sometimes you catch yourself encouraging others to go ahead and book a ticket when they tell you where they wish they could travel. Then when they provide reasons why they can't book the ticket just yet, you start listing off reasons why they could technically leave on a plane tomorrow. (This type of conversation is also called "travel pushing").

... (as above) You think you are or have been a "travel pusher".

... Your idea of an inspiring afternoon is hanging out in the travel section of your local bookstore, staring at the beautiful pictures of places you've both been and want to visit, mentally creating destinations for your next travels.

... People have described you as "brave," whether or not you ascribe this quality to yourself or not.

... You dream of plane rides.

... You know exactly where your passport is, when it expires, and approximately how many blank pages you still have left.

"A lifetime isn't long enough to walk all the roads a wanderer wants to walk, but it will have to do."

Guest Post: Volunteering in Western Kenya

My good friend visited Kenya a few years ago, and when I asked her to tell me all about it, before anything else, she grinned and replied "you'll have to see it for yourself."

Since that conversation, Kenya has become somewhere I want to go and stay for a while. The way of living, the food, the natural landscape, and the music allure me. Though I have visited other countries through which the equator passes, I have still yet to set foot in the African continent. Lucky for us, former English teacher in Korea turned blogger Natalie over at Live Teach Alaska has written up a guest post all about her time in Kenya. Here she shares her stories from her time volunteering in the Muhuru Bay area in Western Kenya. Take us into the bush, Natalie...

After six hours of driving over the uneven dirt roads of the Great Rift Valley, my team and I arrived in Muhuru Bay, Kenya, in the dark of night. Our van pulled into a tiny compound with three mud huts on the shore of Lake Victoria. Sleepily, I grabbed my suitcase and headed into my designated hut. I turned on the light, which was but a small, dim bulb at the apex of the triangular straw ceiling, and watched in horror as a carpet of insects scattered towards the walls. Shooting towards me was a creature several inches in length that closely resembled a white scorpion (though I still don’t know what it was). I screamed, my husband raced in, shouted, “Oh my God!”, and attempted to squash the Godzilla bug with a broom.

This was my first experience in the Eastern African Bush. After finally settling in that night, I was destined for one week of plastic bag showers, second degree sunburns, and toilet troubles. However, I can confidently say it was all worth it. My trip to Muhuru Bay truly changed my life.

I traveled to Kenya with eight family members and family friends to volunteer at Mama Maria, a fledgling clinic in Muhuru Bay. On our second day in the village, we were unexpectedly invited to a funeral. Despite our protests, we were seated as guests of honor and watched as family members of the deceased mourned by openly wailing.

After the funeral, we sat down at the feasting table and shared a plate of ugali with the people of the village. Children hid behind trees and rocks, staring and smiling at us.

A plate of ugali: maize cooked with water

The next day, we took a small fishing boat to visit a village on the other side of the lake. Despite the very poor living conditions, the villagers flocked over to greet us and show us around. A little girl took my hand as we were shown inside the huts of several of the village people who proudly showed off their pots and pans.

Later that week, we traveled to the only school in Muhuru Bay to teach a lesson about dental hygiene. Because the people in Muhuru Bay brush their teeth with tree bark, standard dental care was foreign knowledge. We passed out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss and showed them how to properly clean their teeth with a toothbrush.

A few days before the end of our trip, we heard about two girls who had fled Tanzania with their father to live in Muhuru Bay. The two girls we met had albinism and were forced to escape from their home because witch doctors were hunting them for their arms and legs. In Tanzania, it is a widespread belief that albino limbs have magical healing powers. The two little girls, ages 3 and 5, were scabbing all over their bodies due to terrible sunburns. We drove out to meet them and brought hats, sunscreen, and two goats for their family.

Although my first trip to Kenya wasn’t glamorous, it was extremely eye-opening and has changed me in so many ways. Witnessing a different culture, getting out of my comfort zone, volunteering, and giving to others made for a trip I’ll never forget. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to the African Bush, I would highly recommend it. I assure you, you will walk out of the experience a different person. 

You can follow Natalie’s adventures in a native Alaskan village at: http://www.liveteachalaska.com/

Or join the conversation at: https://www.facebook.com/LiveTeachAlaska  

When life demands more than you can offer

When it feels like the outside world is a dream, and the only reality is you and a hospital monitor that beeps every second.

I believe every person is allotted an amount of stress that they are able to cope with. It might be higher for some people, and lower for others, but I think that everyone has their own stress threshold. The stresses of normal life - a critical remark from a co-worker or a piece of technology not performing properly - these stresses are manageable, and do not become catastrophic. We manage stress by rewarding ourselves, taking breaks, going to sleep early, and generally just by taking care of ourselves. But, when a person is thrust into a serious situation where every moment of time is used up, the normal stress coping mechanisms go out the window. Without taking the normal breaks and time for oneself, stress can build up to a boiling point very quickly if left un-managed. Unfortunately for me, I experienced a great deal of stress in a few days in a hospital last month, and my own means of coping with stress disappeared, as did my ability to take care of myself. There was no option to put myself or the person in need first - obviously I would eat when my help was no longer needed, or take a seat when the chance arose. At that time, it was more important to do everything I could to help that person get better.

Now that she is back to normal, and beginning life as a new mom, I am happy to see the pictures she sends of her new baby. I am happy for her life, and the way our relationship has become so enriched by this bonding experience. I am also happy for her relationship with her fiance, as I saw firsthand how deeply he cares for her, and how much he was willing to sacrifice for her well-being. I am happy that their lives have become normal, and the stresses they face are now the common experiences among all first-time parents.

One thing that has impressed me in this experience is the great effect that one person's life can have on another person's life. When I went to the hospital to help out, I never thought that I would be forced to change so much of my life. I'm supposed to be studying in New York, right now, but I had to cancel that study program. Instead of spending the summer studying in a cubby hole in the New York Public Library, I'm taking a semester off. I'm supposed to be moving back to Korea in August, but I missed my opportunity to apply for jobs and now feel wiser and slightly wary of my dream-like state of life there. I'm supposed to be living my own life fully, and in many ways I am not yet able to do that. And, ironically, now I'm the one who is taking the medicine.

"What does not destroy me makes me stronger"

- Nietzsche

I've always believed the above quotation, and had applied it to the difficult times I had experienced in my life. Before this trauma, my most difficult times were break-ups and travel horrors - but these difficulties don't compare to staring death in the face and singing someone to sleep not knowing if they would awaken. They don't compare to feeling like the outside world is a dream, and the only reality is you and a hospital monitor that beeps every second. When you cry because you hear the songs of birds for the first time in 3 days and realize the outdoor soundtrack you've taken for granted all your life. When you don't want to talk to anyone, or be talked to by anyone, and miss the opportunity to spend an afternoon alone. When every phone call is needy, and every minute demands a new task. When all people within arms reach are asking for you, wanting your time, needing answers, and haphazardly offering suggestions to you. When all your muscles ache but you didn't notice until that moment in the shower. When your brain betrays you, and won't allow sleep when it knows you've been up for days. When you feel wrinkles burrowing into your skin and long for the morning routine of grooming yourself. When you consume nothing but tea and muffins courtesy of someone else, and seek only a moment to sneak down to the hospital food court and order your own take away meal. When every eventual morsel of food you eat is the best you've ever had. When you think just a second anonymity would mend you. When every part of your body and mind feels like it can't keep going.

Something inside of me kept pushing me forward, onto the next step. Something told me to keep going, to keep moving, to keep walking.

During my worst moments, I felt nearly clairvoyant. I had the ability to x-ray anyone around me and determine if they were mentally well or in need of professional help. I felt lifetimes smarter than everyone else, and I felt ecstatic to finally see my whole life through a crystal clear rear view lens. A natural analyzer, I examined all of my friendships to determine who was safe for me to be around. I examined every person that I knew, and decided whether they were healthy or not. Now that I am returning to my quotidian life, I feel that my emotional intelligence will be better than it has been. I also think I will be able to take care of myself better, and be able to recognize when I am giving too much.

"Time heals all wounds"

- Unknown

It's not true that time heals all wounds, because every wound is different. Some wounds might never heal, and perhaps the inevitable distance of time from an unhealed wound is all the healing one can wish for. I certainly feel that the distance in time since this trauma to now - over 5 weeks - is helping me to heal. With each passing day, I feel closer to me. Closer to what I know to be me.

With persistence, professional help, and a lot of hard work and self reflection, I want to come out of this stronger and wiser, with the ability to take better care of myself.

Insta-Toronto

Recent photos from the place I am temporarily calling home.

 

 

 

Tasting freedom

 Frame Lake. Yellowknife, Canada

I just submitted my last project of the semester. Just, right now. After being under the constant looming pressure of studying online since March, I'm finally finished the semester. If you're wondering what it feels like to study a Masters online, allow me to explain.

 Enjoying sister and doggie time in Yellowknife

Every day, when I wake up, I think about what readings I haven't completed yet. Then, while I'm at work, I make a mental plan about going straight home after work to do my readings and get a head start on the assignment that is due next week. Inevitably, a grandmother or a friend or someone in between sends a message and I don't end up going home right after work. When I do get home, at last, I make something to eat and turn on my computer to check what pages the readings were. After logging in, I realize I actually do have something due sooner than I think, that I just didn't click in the right folder and didn't see it until right then. I get a little stressed. I then start working on the other assignment which is due more immediately, and don't end up getting a head start on my readings after all. The next day, I repeat this same routine with a spontaneous dinner with friends and a skype date, so again the readings are put on the back burner. I also find another random folder wherein a 3-day discussion has been taking place in my class about which I was unaware. The stress builds.

The bright night skies of the north country

Repeat this for 3 months. And add some group work, and some long, challenging readings, and a few short essays. Then you can feel the weight of the online Masters.

It ain't easy, but I'm truckin' through. Or should I say, tappin' through.

In June, I am so lucky to be attending onsite courses at the New School in Manhattan, and I will be able to study under some of my ESL idols, Jeremy Harmer included. Although the online courses are convenient and challenging, I really miss the in-class conversations and thoughts that can only be generated among a group of people all in the same room, thinking on the same topic. I miss that sense of group thought from my undergrad, and I'm so looking forward to feeling that inspiration in New York this summer.

As for now, I'm in the north country, the most northerly capital city in Canada, and current home of my sister: Yellowknife. It feels right that I'm finally feeling this long overdue freedom in such an outerworldly place. A place where the sun never sets, a place where the blue skies stretch on forever, a place where the beautiful lake is a 5-minute walk from your door.

With a population of 20,000... it sure ain't New York. But there's something here that New York doesn't have: the sanctuary of silence. And doesn't silence lead us to the deepest freedom of all - freedom from our surroundings, and the freedom to look into ourselves?

My Packing List! 6 months in South America

6-months backpacking in Central and South America

My (light) Packing List

Bags:

- 1 MEC 60L travel bag

- 1 small backpack (which can fit in my large travel bag)

- 1 over-the-shoulder purse

Clothes:
- 3 sundresses
- 1 long skirt (which doubles as a tube dress when hiked up and belted)
- 1 pair of leggings
- 1 pair of jean shorts
- 3 short sleeve shirts
- 1 long sleeve shirt
- 2 bikinis
- 3 pairs of socks
- 1 bra
- 5 pairs of underwear
- 1 sunhat

Shoes:
- 1 pair of Blundstone boots
- 1 pair of flipflops
- 1 pair of Birkenstocks
- 1 pair of cute flats

Gear:
- Acer Notebook
- iPhone 4s + charger + earphones
- 4 cameras (GoPro Hero, Canon ELPH 300, Canon F4000, toy film camera)
- extra batteries + chargers
- 6 memory cards of different sizes

Toiletries:
- shampoo + conditioner (small bottles)
- face wash + lotion
- toothbrush + toothpaste
- tweezers + nail clippers (which double as scissors)
- makeup
- hairbrush + hair clips + elastics
- razor + extra blades

Practicalities:
- passport (and photocopy of passport photo page)
- 2 credit cards
- around USD $100 in cash
- guidebook
- compass
- camera stand
- extra passport photos (for visas)
- 1 quick-dry travel towel
- 1 silk sleepsack (which I only used once)

Medicines:
- chewable Pepto Bismul tablets
- motion sickness pills
- Acetazolamide tablets for altitude sickness (Diamox) 

Extras:
- red nail polish
- jewelry

Stuff I needed to buy while travelling:
- rain jacket
- sunscreen
- bug spray
- warm alpaca sweater

On this trip, I tried to pack light, and bring only the things that I would use at least once a week. I didn't bring any pants, and used my leggings as a substitute for pants (which actually worked out well). At times, I wished I had more variety in my clothing, as it got a little boring to wear the same clothes every single day. I went shopping a few times, and bought a few extra sundresses to add to my minimal wardrobe.

Overall, I would recommend a light backpack, as you naturally acquire lots of little extra things while you travel. Having a light bag allows you to pick up things as you go, without your bag getting too heavy. That being said, after I bought a giant painting in Cartagena, and then a huge poncho in the Otavalo market in Ecuador, my backpack got too full and too heavy to carry comfortably for long distances. At that point, I took those items out of my bag and mailed them home to Canada in a box through the post. It was easy, and not very expensive, either. I felt like a new person when I put my backpack on without those heavy items in it!

Are you a light packer like me?

Or do you like to pack for precaution and carry lots of stuff with you?

First impressions of Mexico

When I take pictures or videos, people are sensitive to what I am doing, and either stop in their tracks or walk around me to avoid interrupting my picture.

Everything is delicious...

I love riding the subway even though it's hot and sweaty...

The downtown streets feel much more modern and chic than I expected...

There are lots of interesting neighbourhoods in which to walk around and get lost and found...

And there are also many pockets with cool arty streets...

The weather was fresh but not too hot...

And the new foods I tried were some of the best I've had in all my travels!

Have you been to Mexico?

What were your first impressions?

Are your first impressions often correct about places you visit?