#7: Do something crazy to my hair

   

     Most of what is on my bucket list involves the places I want to go, what I want to experience and the animals I want to play with. But a few on there are about trying something new with myself to see what happens. So this past year I tried a couple of things with my hair to see how it felt to be an evolving unicorn like Lady Gaga. I was lucky enough to have jobs where the color of my hair did not matter. I knew that I would have to get an adult job soon, and they would not be thrilled about rainbow colored hair, so it was my only chance. 
   






     In December, I died my hair blue and thought it was absolutely amazing. People I never expected to commented on it and it made me feel fantastic. Being in Washington state, I was surrounded by other people with various colors of hair so I felt like I was a part of the cool crowd...finally. Walking into Lush, I was always met with a slew of woman all with flowing mermaid hair. Eventually my blue faded into a light greenish color and I covered it up with a dark brown to try and hide the grow outs. After about a month of this I was antsy again to try something new, because why not?



 

     So I headed to the store and picked up some dark purple dye and went to work. This was also a winner for me, but seemed to fade pretty quickly. I also tend to be lazy on touch ups so it was partially my fault. After arriving back to the states and getting a real job, I dyed it back auburn to try and not draw too much attention to myself. But who knows, that probably won't last long.
             

*Two t-shirts were harmed in the making of this blog accomplishment*

#109: Go to Thailand

Thailand has become one of the most popular tourist destinations. While this can be frustrating for a traveler who isn't thrilled to see a lot of other foreigners in the same area, it was still an amazing trip to go to. Though I feel like I barely saw any of what Thailand has to offer. It is a beautiful country with such friendly people, fresh food and beautiful landscapes. I had planned a trip to Thailand two years before but had to cancel due to my boss forcing me to extend my teaching contract in Korea. So I was beyond excited when it worked out for me to go. An added surprise was that I would actually be traveling with two others girls which was such a relief after spending so much time traveling on my own.

One of my travel mates was my former Korean exchange student that I hadn't seen since Sophomore year of high school. The second travel mate was my teacher friend I met while living in Korea. So while they are both from Korea, they did not know each other but were committed to spending two weeks together.

We had the same days off work and it all fell together for us to meet in Thailand for some adventuring. We were going to go to three different areas to try and see as much of the country as possible. We flew into Bangkok and spent a few days there before escaping to the beach in Krabi then heading off to soak in the culture of Chiang Mai.

Our time in Bangkok was mainly spent at the markets and temples. We did the weekend market and night market in the same day and it was utterly exhausting and I bought way too many weird shirts. But is there really a limit to how many funny Asian shirts you can have? I don't think so! We went to Wat Arun which was beautiful and is way better in person as you can see all the intricate carvings that cover the entire temple. There was a funeral for a monk that day, so there was music and free food for all given put by cute old toothless women.

After eating our weight in Bangkok we were off to Krabi for some surf and sun. We did some boat tours to get a better feel of the area.  I put on loads of sunscreen, wore a shirt and sat in the shade and still walked away with a nasty sunburn. I went off on my own to do some scuba diving which was great because I saw an endless supply of box fish which are always my favorites. We went on a really strange sunset boat tour where we were supposed to go to 7 islands but only ended up going to about 3 and spent most of the time confused or transferring back and forth between the big boat, smaller boat and the beach over and over again. It was the strangest trip of my life but the sunset was surreal.

Our final stop was in Chiang mai where the highlight was going to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary where we got to play, feed and bathe the elephants. It was so much fun and one of the greatest things I have ever done. The baby even sat on my lap for a bit, it was so precious.

Overall it was an amazing trip. The people were so friendly and helpful which always makes traveling easier. I want to go back someday and spend more time in the remote areas where there are not as many tourists.

#176: Move to Australia

    I have been here for four months now and I still feel like I haven't seen any of the country. It is so huge and there is too much to see! I am currently living in the Northern Beaches of Sydney where I can walk to the beach for a swim and watch the endless hours of surfing. I was expecting everyone here to have the laid back beach vibe that I became so used to in South East Asia. But here, everyone is always dressed up and looking perfect walking around with their protein shakes and acai bowls. The Northern Beaches is filled with stay at home moms in their active wear and daily brunch dates. So naturally I feel extremely out of place.

   

    I came to Australia for the sole purpose of making buckets of money before making my next move where ever that may be. The only problem with that is how expensive it is to live here and how much I love food. The whole country seems to be on some sort of diet which leaves me feeling like a baked potato while I eat my daily ice cream sundae. 

    

   So far I have made trips to Alice Springs (Uluru Tour), Melbourne and Byron Bay. The next two places I want to get to are Darwin and then of course the Great Barrier Reef before it is too late and the entire reef is bleached. Curse you global warning for ruining everything that is good in the world.  Living in Sydney means lots of beach activities and endless trips to the store to buy more sunscreen and Bundaberg lemonade. I have explored most of the city and the surrounding area. Of course everyone has to go the Opera House, Manly and Luna Park even if it is only for the Insta. 

#114: Learn to Surf

In a way, saying I have accomplished this isn't really accurate as I haven't really mastered surfing in any capacity. In reality, I am terrible. I am not a naturally gifted surfer that can just pop up and read the water and find the perfect wave. But that is alright, because I am sure that I have some other talent that I will discover someday that will make up for my lack of surf skills.

I first tried surfing when in Hawaii with my family when I was 12. Of course when you are so young it is a lot easier to do those sort of things because you are so light you can just pop up and you are good to go. This time was a little most difficult as the waves were much bigger and less forgiving than they are in Hawaii. I went to Byron Bay for a quick get away from Sydney last weekend. It was a short flight and yet seemed to be a different world. I was surrounded by hand painted vans, dreadlocks, barefoot feet and ukulele's. It was a beautifully perfect little town that I felt right at home in.

My hostel provided us with bikes, body boards and surf boards and was right next to a perfect white sand beach. The sand was so bright and squeaked beneath our feet.  I still am not sure what makes the sand squeak, but it is wildly entertaining. We tried surfing for a few hours but spent most of the time trying to paddle out and avoid some of the monster waves. But overall it was really relaxing and it was nice to be outside in the cool water. The sunburn at the end of the day wasn't as nice though but it seems no matter how many layers I put on I still get burned.

Being that I am now living in Australia it makes sense that I should keep learning in order to truly fit into the Australian stereotype. The area I live in, the Northern Beaches is known for having amazing surfing. It is such a beautiful and peaceful sport that it would be amazing to be able to do.

#177: Go to the Kangaroo Sanctuary

   

   The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia is such an amazing place. I had been following it on Instagram for years so I was thrilled to finally have had the chance to go in person. The sanctuary got started by one man who started rescuing orphaned kangaroos whose mothers had been hit by cars. Kangaroos are seen as pests in the middle of Australia because there are so many of them and they often cause car accidents. This sanctuary is not a zoo or a tourist attraction. It was only after BBC did a special on the sanctuary that it finally became open to the public. But only during certain times and days in order to not bombard the kangaroos with tourists. This makes it so the kangaroos are free to live their life without being in a cage always being watched.



      The tour picks you up at your hostel and drives you outside of town where you see a small tin house with no modern amenities with an extensive backyard. This is the sanctuary. They are currently building a kangaroo hospital but that has not yet been finished. You get a history and tour of the sanctuary and get to meet all the kangaroos. The owner knows all of them by names and their personality quirks so you really feel like you are getting the inside scoop.






    The highlight of the trip is getting to hold your own baby kangaroo. All of the babies are carried around in little pillow cases in order to simulate them being in their mothers pouch. They are really calm, cuddly and soft. You get to hold them for at least 5 minutes and just walk with them in your arms on the tour, it is everything that you could want out of a tour.





   I was also given the chance to feed some of the younger kangaroos by giving them a bottle. While they are drinking they grab on to your hand which was absolutely adorable. During the tour you learn all about the different kangaroos and their backstories. One of the kangaroos, Roger was the former head of the kangaroo family. He has become famous for his insane muscles that make him look like a body builder. This is the result from years of boxing the others males in order to keep his claim.




 Overall the tour was amazing and was one of the best birthday presents that I have ever given myself. I would highly recommend going.  You get an amazing experience out of it and get to support a great cause.

#100: Do Yoga in Bali

Bali has for sure been one of my favorite places I have visited so far. Everyone speaks English and is really friendly. The island is dependent on tourism so everyone goes out of their way to make you feel welcome and relaxed. Every part of the island has its own quirks and charm. During my stay I spend my first week in Ubud and my second week in Lovina. 

Ubud became popular because of the Eat, Pray, Love book by Elizabeth Gilbert that every millennial has read and become inspired by. Since this books release, tourism has boomed in the city. But despite this, many things are still uninterrupted such as the daily offerings of flowers and incense that cover the streets. 

Ubud has become know as a yoga haven with endless shops and classes that devoted yogis can wander between. For people who do not have the flexibility and body control for yoga such as myself, it is a great place to learn the basics as the whole city automatically makes you feel more centered.  I opted to do yoga on the front porch of my guesthouse every morning because I didn't want anyone else to see how bad at yoga I really am. Every morning I would be given fresh tea and fruit on my porch table then I would spend a bit of time trying to master basic yoga skills while watching a family tend to its rice field.

There are many other classes that you can take through out the island for your varied interested. I did a jewelry making class where we made our own silver rings which I would highly recommend. I also did a cooking class where I was taken to a locals house and he taught me traditional Balinese delicacies.

In Lovina, I spent hours at the beach and by the pool reading and relaxing as I was the only guest in my hotel. I rented a motor bike and only got into one accident in which I slowly ran into a tree. Thankfully the bike was able to zoom away unharmed. I did a 3 day scuba diving course in which I was able to a get a new certification as well as do unbelievable things such as night diving and shipwreck diving. My last morning I was woken up at 4 to go on a boat and chase dolphins across the ocean which was an amazing way to end my vacation.

                                                                                Overall Bali was exactly what I had hoped it would be and more. It was easier to get around than I expected and hiring a driver was beyond simple. There is no wondering about how this little island in the middle of Indonesia became one of the most popular destinations in the world. 

#142: Explore a shipwreck

Bali Shipwreck Diving Video

Above is the video to my amazing scuba diving experience in Lovina, Bali. This was for my advanced scuba certification. For this we went on 5 different dives on the island. This includes a navigation, shipwrecks, night and deep water dives. It was amazing to go on all these different dives because each dive was unique and made me feel more confident in my diving. 

When you are doing a deep dive while scuba diving you are under so much pressure that it is almost impossible to crush an egg. When it does break the eggs will hold their form which is really entertaining to watch the fish try and eat it. 

The night dive was a little nerve racking at times. All my dives were done with just me and the instructor and so for the night dive that meant there were less people around. We were not connected to each other so that made it so you had to know where the other person was at all times, otherwise you would lose them in the pitch darkness. The ocean at night makes strange sounds that can really throw you off guard considering you can't see your surroundings. I was even more concerned to realize halfway through my dive we were in an area with a lot of large eels. The only thing I am truly scared of it water snakes so that was quite startling to see one slithering past out of the corner of my

eye. Of course my guide failed to mention that before the dive started. There were also random statutes in the water that at first I thought was a floating body which caused me to scream and lose quite a bit of my air supply. But despite all that, it was an amazing dive that really showed a part of the world that we don't usually get to see other than on David Attenborough documentaries.