#174: Go Paragliding

This was an awesome weekend in South Korea. First we went to Seoul and spent the night in the city and then headed out in the morning to go to the Northwestern part of Korea which hardly has any cities. After a few hours we were in the middle of the mountains and started setting up the paragliding. I made the typical mistake of not bringing any sunscreen and being under the direct sun for under ten hours. Which resulted in one of the worst burns of my life that took way too long to recover from. Of course my students were horrified by my red and peeling body which was a bit entertaining. But the actual paragliding was a lot of fun and totally worth the trip. Each of us had several chances to go down the mountain by ourselves. I managed to only fall and make myself look like a fool one time which was a major accomplishment. Who wouldn't want to learn how to fly?

#136: Adopt a Pet

    

     After seeing all the dogs in the tiny glass boxes in the windows of Korean shops I have decided that adopting animals is the only way to go. No one should support those puppy mills that breed sick and designer dogs when there are so many homeless dogs out there. I have technically adopted two different dogs but my first one is a family dog back home in America my second was in Korea and was one of the best decisions I made while staying here. I picked him up from the local humane society that was closing down that I had done several dog walking days for. I chose him because when I saw him in the yard he had jumped up on a chair and had lifted his leg on all the dogs below him…and it was that sassiness that made me choose him. He was a fluffy mess covered in dirt and tangled hair. With his long messy hair and old grumpy personality I obviously had to name him 'Gimli'. But after some intense baths and eventually a complete shave he became the lovable monster I lived with.

      Many can find living alone in a foreign country to be lonely, so having a dog to come home to can be really comforting, especially because that means you are no longer technically talking to yourself in an empty apartment. While I am still convinced that he secretly hates me he was a lot of fun to take on walks, cuddle with and take to the local dog café. My friend also picked up a dog from the same shelter so we enjoyed having them have little doggie dates while watching movies. Due to me leaving Korea for the summer I had to pawn him off on another friend to take care of, so we will be getting him a therapist for his abandonment issues. I have always been a big dog person so having one really helped to make Korea a home for me. While I will miss his early morning cuddles and his ugly smashed face, I won’t miss his loud snoring while sleeping on the same pillow as me and good morning sneezes on my face. Dogs are always the best part of waking up every morning as there is no one in the world who is more happy to see you everyday than they are. 

#154: Meet a Geisha

     This past New Year we went to Kyoto Japan where we got to spend some time exploring the streets that Geisha’s once roamed…and still do. During our travels we saw many different women dressed in traditional kimonos along with the toe socks and wooden shoes, due to New Year celebrations. We also caught sight of some actual Geisha’s while wandering the streets of the Gion district at night. Not only are these women beautiful, but their rich tradition and history makes them even more interesting for foreign tourists to meet. Most of them are very friendly and have no issues of you taking pictures of them as long as you are respectful and ask nicely. Their outfits are very interesting to see as they are all unique and have rich vibrant colors.

       If you ever find yourself in Kyoto be sure to spend some time lazily exploring the streets of Gion as not only will you possibly see a Geisha, the historical buildings and stores will be a special treat. Also the food is particularly delicious in Kyoto as it is the perfect blend between traditional Japanese food and strange Japanese fads. The people in Japan are also so nice and friendly so it makes it really easy for travelling and asking any questions. Japan has such a rich culture, so there is plenty to do within cities such as Kyoto as there are dozens of temples and shrines to explore while taking breaks from people watching and eating. This was one of my favorite places that I have visited thus far.

#140: Holi Festival

   
      Although I was not actually able to get the authentic experience of being in India during Holi, I was able to attend a festival in Busan, South Korea. It was an amazing day as they started off  giving us delicious fresh baked Samosas and soda to enjoy on the beach while waiting for the festivities to start. After registering and receiving hats and paint, the fun began. There were thousands of people from all parts of the world there to enjoy this unique celebration. Soon the music began and the crowd spent the next several hours dancing to energizing music, throwing paint, and meeting beautiful people. It is a completely family friendly event, and is located on the beach so in case one needs to wash off their paint, there is one easy solution to that.
    While most of the music was Indian, they did a fantastic job of mixing in some western music that made everyone feel included without taking away from the experience.  Many people on the streets seemed to be confused as to why all these foreigners were having a dance party at 11:00 am on a Sunday. But many couldn't help themselves and ended up joining in the fun. Even if one went alone, this is a festival where there is no shortage of friendly faces.  It is festivals such as this that make travelling such an amazing experience, everyone who was there just wanted to dance and love life. And who can find anything wrong with that?    Holi Hai 2015 Video

#126: Turkish Bath

  

   Turkish baths are not only known for being luxurious spas but also easy on the wallet. We left from Rhodes, Greece and  took a two hour Hydrofoil  to visit Turkey. We had the chance to explore a Mediterranean Seaside village.  My first time at one of these bath house we had the entire day to spend, which only ended up costing us eight dollars.  After changing, our first step was to do a foot soak until everything was set up. After that we went into a dome covered in white and blue tiles which was beautiful and was exactly what you wanted to see while in Turkey. Each of us was given a full body scrub and exfoliation. After this we just played around in the mineral water and took pictures. After drying off we all headed to the massage rooms where we all got full body massages by a team of Turkish men. 

    After this we spent some time in the pools outside under that hot Middle Eastern sun. After leaving the Spa we spent the rest of the time at a seaside market buying Turkish Delight and other useless random tourist trinkets. Of course while shopping we were continuously stared and heckled by the shop owners who did not have very much experience seeing American girls, which of course is always flattering.  My only regret is not being able to spend more time exploring this beautiful country, but I can’t wait to go back and spend some more time there again. This is a must do for anyone travelling not only in Turkey, but also anywhere that these are offered. When in Budapest, there were many more Turkish baths that gave you the same sort of deals. However the one I went to was more of a spa that offered different temperature pools and saunas instead of massages, so it is all in what you want!

#151: Visit the Eiffel Tower

 
        This is the one place that everyone and their mother wants to see at least once in their life. And it was one of the few things in Paris that was exactly as pretty as I expected it to be. This was one of the first things that I saw when I went backpacking in Europe for the summer when I was 17. Once it was dark we even got to see a light show on the tower...which may happen every night but I have no idea. There were not as many tourist around as I was expecting, but it was still more crowded than you would want it to be. We spent some time laying on the law next to the tower eating some glorious French food and people watching all those beautiful Parisians who put us fat Americans to shame. It was a sweaty walk up the tower, but the 360 view of the city was completely worth it. Of course this is a place that I would recommend visiting, but making t-shirts, furniture and pencil cases dedicated to this metal structure does seem to be a bit extreme. The best part of this trek was actually being able to sit down and relax in the grass for a bit after walking for miles around the city everyday.

#98: Teach Abroad

  Teaching English Abroad has been a goal of mine since High School. I wanted to not only travel the world, but also make money while doing it. Mostly because that college debt really starts to rack up after a couple of years. Korea was the best choice for me not only because of my connections through my former exchange student and my brother but also because of the wonderful perks that they provide. Most countries do not give you extras such as housing and airfare but Korea takes care of it all! As long as you don't let your heating bill get out of control almost all of the money you make goes straight into your pocket. It is quite a refreshing change since you don't have to worry about things such as a car, rent and other silly bills that always pile up.
  Korea is also one of the easiest places that a person can live in. Not only do they go out of their way to make things easier for you, but most people that you meet can speak a decent amount of English so communication is not too much of an issue. I could go without being stared at where ever I go in public, but people being interested in you is much better than being completely ignored. Most Koreans that you meet are eager to try out their English skills on you, which makes it very difficult to practice your Korean because you do not really get much of a chance. Unlike what most Americans think of the world, everything you could possibly need you find in Korea whether that be a coffee shop on every corner or your junk food fix. It is a country where it would be really easy to live in for a couple of years and not have any regrets.

#151: See a Broadway Musical

   Being a theater geek this was something that I was beyond excited to be able to experience! My first time seeing a Broadway show was on an 8th Grade trip to the East Coast. On the last night of our tour we went to see The Phantom of the Opera, which remains to this day one of my favorite shows of all time. It was one of the most beautiful things that I have ever experienced, most of the other kids on our trip fell asleep for some unknown reason, but my best friend and I were completely sucked in to the beautiful show that is Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.
  After this I watched several other Broadway shows while they went on tour. I have yet to be disappointed with a single on of them. In Seattle I have seen The Lion King, Grease, Phantom (again), Mamma Mia, and Wicked (two times). The opening number of the Lion King completely took my breath away. Not only were the actors amazing at making their animals come to life, but they also had a giant elephant that roamed through the audience, that came our of no where. The singers were also very impressive and reminded me of how beautiful live theater can me if you let it take you away. And of course if you know anything about musicals, you have heard about the beauty that is is Wicked. I managed to win tickets to sit in the first few rows instead of being stuck up in nosebleeds that I usually tend to settle for. This made my first experience seeing this show even more wonderful than I could possibly imagine.
   I went back to New York City my Senior year of High School to do a choir concert. Of course while we were there it was hard not to go and see another show. This time we went and saw Mamma Mia! which is the sort of show that makes it almost impossible to stay in your seat. Not only is the music ridiculously catchy, but the energy of the cast is always something that leaves you wanting more. Which of course you do get after the curtain call in the encore where they all replace their beach where with metallic disco suits and have some fun with more ABBA songs.
   Of course I can't wait to go back again someday and see some more shows up on that big stage.

#99: Live Abroad

     This is one of the oldest items on my bucket list.The idea of making another country with a different language and culture my home sounded way too tempting to possible ignore. The world is such a big and beautiful place that not spending as much time as possible exploring it seemed like a bit of a waste. One of the many benefits of moving to the other side of the world means that it is cheaper for me to travel to nearby places which would be way too expensive if I was back at home in the states. During a non-holiday weekend I can travel to Japan for less than a $100 dollars round trip if I was so inclined.
    Since I wanted to have a guarantee of a job before I moved, it made it a bit harder to just pack up and go. Thankfully before I graduated college I had a job lined up in Daegu, South Korea teaching English, which I had gotten certified to do several months before. Not only is the location great but the perks within the country are amazing as well, such as free housing and round trip flights. It is a pretty great job to have straight out of college! My contract here is a year then I will be going stateside for the summer.
   In the fall it will be very tempting to try and come back and teach for another year. Not only is the opportunity great but the people you meet make it even more worthwhile. It is a very low stress lifestyle and you have the freedom to not only travel but accomplish all those other little projects that everyone is always meaning to get too.