Nowhere like Normandy
In the middle of Normandy this summer, in a tiny hotel in a tiny town, I fell even more in love with France. While the cheese and wine may help, it was more than that. Je ne sais quoi, maybe it was the joie de vivre or the soup du jour. Either way, France was absolutely magical.
The Undignified Demise of a Rummed-Up Slunky
Actually the place wasn’t even called Slunky – that says Slinky now that we’re all sober
Yes, Virginia, there is a Slunky.
Although Thailand was not where I expected we’d meet.
Thailand has always held that wonderful aura of Exotic for me. It’s got the dense jungle, mysterious temples and edible bugs to intrigue me. However on my recent trip there I discovered I am not the only one to whom Thailand beckons.
Nope, turns out I am just a sheep in the herd.
Green Theme in Ireland
Ireland lived up to its Emerald-y reputation this summer. There was green grass, green ivy, green leprechauns dancing about on their wee green shamrocks. But the color that was most surprising was the blue. No, that sky isn’t photo shopped. We had real, live sunny blue sky days as we traipsed to the end of the rainbow. Yowzahs! What a trip! Ireland, I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Losing my Residency
Today I am a little less – fake – South African. As of last week I am no longer a legal resident of the Rainbow Nation. If I go back now I will have to queue up at immigration with all the – ugh – tourists; without any distinction, any recognition or any applause for having already established a relationship with the bergs, straands and chesters that lie beyond the customs desk. My ninety day visitor stamp will belie the fact that I am more in tune with this place than those other schmucks coming to look at elephants.
For the last ten months I’ve felt like nothing short of a traveling badass with my sweet combination of American citizenship, Vietnamese residency and South African residency. I am a walking conversation starter. But according to the visa in my passport, South Africa has decided it’s time for me to be demoted. That’s right: I’ve just been dumped, and by an entire country, no less.
Life in Sa Pa
Can you spot the human?
8 Months In
No scooter yet lies beneath me, but I am suddenly aware of becoming just a little bit Vietnamese. After 8 months here in Da Nang, Vietnam, the previously weird begins to morph into the vaguely familiar. Although Home with a capital H remains Michigan, little guy h home has become right here. The view off my balcony – of five karaoke bars, two lit up neon bridges and the newest Dragon Bridge that really, actually breathes fire – is somewhat normal. I’m comfortable packing my own toilet paper anywhere I go and don’t ever consider drinking water from the tap, even when I’m thirsty and half asleep. Chopstick by chopstick, I’m adapting.
90% to 30
30, the exciting and formidable age of becoming a grown up, is just around the corner. At age 27 I am 90% of the way there. By then I should manage to have a respectable career, respectable bank account, respectable repertoire of amusing life experiences, a push up bra and a toolbox. But what about just before? Where “should” those of us in our late twenties be?
Answer: anywhere.
The beauty of our generation is that the definitions have broadened; the expectations become more second-guessed; the white picket fences more grey. So lads and lasses – take advantage. We are the pioneers of “the twenties”. We are among the first to be gifted a decade with little requirements other than to find ourselves and experience life. So, let’s do our best and do our worst, our sloppiest and our most outrageous. Do it now before babies, mortgages and 401Ks demand otherwise. But let’s do it with a purpose – our own purpose. As my step-mom has told me since we became great friends twenty years ago, “You can do anything you want, but you can’t do everything. So choose wisely.”
For those of you trying to figure out how to spend the remainder of your twenties, here are a few recommendations.
…And We’re Back
Happy Year of the Snake!
Leaving on a Tet Plane
No, don’t be fooled. This is not a real blog post. This is simply an excuse to be a happy pup. Life is good at the moment, Fine Friends. Today we move into our brand new mega house. It would be way out of our range anywhere else in the world but, since we are in Vietnam, it will only set us back a banana and a kiwi. Then, quick, quick, it’s time to pack up again and head out to ring in the Lunar New Year in style – two weeks in Malaysia, Baby! On top of all this, my students rocked their exams – well done, kiddos!- and JD is already good pals with Vietnam.
On that note, Happy Tet to you all. May the Year of the Snake be a good to you!
Ain’t Nothing Wrong With Nothing
And hella then what?
Suddenly you’re more tired than rested and you’ve missed your favorite show for the last half season, lost your spot in that book you were reading and haven’t bothered to blog or tweet or facebook, email, pinterest, text or do any noun that we now consider to be a verb. But turns out you don’t give a what. Sorry, Imaginary Audience and Facebook Newsfeed. I’ve been too busy out there living life to remember to document it with copious blurred photos and drunkenly insightful posts. And, sorry to say, but don’t look like nothing’s bout to change no time soon. The world is calling and this computer screen can only hold me just so long before I succumb to sun and sky and scooterly life.
So off I trot…
beyonddisneytraveltips 