Dear Internet: It is with the deepest sense of chagrin that I reinstate this blog after so many years of neglect. While it's only wishful thinking that this small corner of the internet matters to anybody but my immediate family, I do regret the lost opportunities to memorialize my adventures for my own future self. (I imagine an old, grandma Lauren someday - "I promise you kids I was cool! See, read my blog from 100 years ago!" Although by that point we'll be adventuring to the edges of the universe, and my progeny will have no use for my pitifully limited wanderings.)
Anyhow, I'm still alive and kicking after 3 years sans writing, but nothing crucial has altered in that time. I work as an engineer for the same excellent company, which is letting me take lots of time off to travel (you'll hear more about that in a bit), I live in the same apartment, and I'm still friends with some of the people who made appearances in earlier posts. Perhaps my life is better defined by what I haven't accomplished despite reaching the ripe old age of 25: no marriage, no housing purchase, no kids. In other words, I'm having a blast! These past few years have had a double portion of exciting exploits, and exactly 0 portions of traditional life milestones.
Here are some adventures that have occupied my free time:
- Learning! I've been taking German classes the last 2 years, and can now vaunt my mediocrity in the language.
- Loads of reading - my usual classics and Pulitzer/Booker prize winners. I'm a bit of a snob, I'm afraid.
- Podcasts are a new hobby during my transit time. Favorites include Revisionist History and Freakonomics, which is so fascinating that I've seriously considered pursuing an Economics PhD...until I think about the pitiful PhD student stipends.
- Where would I be without mentioning travel? The following consists of a smattering of pictures of my favorite destinations from past few years.
Brazil: Top - Rio de Janeiro, Pao do Acucar (Sugarloaf Mountain). Bottom - Manaus, Amazon: Sloth is a man's best friend, cute monkey, scary monkey.
Iceland: Top - glacier hike & snorkeling between 2 tectonic plates. Middle - mountain waterfall. Bottom - Jokusarlon.
Wyoming: Visited an old friend and hiked up frosty hills in the Rockies!
Mexico: My most recent destination, for work and play. I was accidentally-on-purpose in the country for Día de los Muertos, and celebrated with coworkers in Guanajuato. Top - touristy flower crown. Mid top - the main celebration street, which thrice changes names in its course but is called mainly De Sopena. Mid bottom - most morbid of the portraits. These are made primarily from dyed wood shavings, rice, beans, sugar, and flower petals. Bottom - downtown Guanajuato at night during the celebrations.
Now, you doubtless ask, why is a girl with so many diverting activities reinstating a dying blog? Well (I would answer in this hypothetical world), I am documenting an upcoming period of very extensive travel. To be more specific, I am on the cusp of embarking on a 2 month sightseeing trip around Asia.
Yes, that's right. 2 months off, and I STILL have my job at the end! My friends, I have truly found the Mecca of jobs. Here are some questions :
What? 2 months off? Are you sure? Very.
Do you get paid for those two months? Nope! But like I said, no house, no kids, no husband - I'm free as a bird, and with very manageable financial commitments.
Why Asia? Because I've never been there. Isn't that reason enough?
Where, exactly, are you going? India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan. See map below.
Are you traveling alone? Fortunately, no! I have somehow persuaded 4 of my lovely friends to give up all their vacation to travel with me. I'll only be alone for 4 days total, in Cambodia and Hong Kong.
How do you pack for such a long time? Veeeeery carefully. It's tough because I'll be traveling to multiple different environments - hot/humid and cold - and there are dress restrictions in different places. Asian temples require covered shoulders and knees, women's joints apparently being too scandalous for view. And everything needs to fit in my backpack. I'm taking 2 pairs of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 1 long skirt 4 T-shirts, 3 tank tops, 2 long shirts, some undies and socks, and assorted medicine.
Now, you will all have to pardon my rusty writing skills; I've spent the past 3 years analyzing data and writing technical reports with boring titles like "High Speed Assembly Trial Results." My creative juices need a bit of priming before they'll flow freely, and I'm hoping that is exactly what this inaugural post will do. So bear with me as I gear up and prepare for the whirlwind of the next few months.
