A Bangkok Surprise

December 17th, 2008

Well, I am now back in Thailand after an amazing adventure through Burma. Bangkok was quite a shock after blissing out in the peacefulness of the Myanmar countryside.

I was in a bit of a hurry to get out of there so I headed to an office to buy a train ticket to Northern Thailand. I had just stepped out of the office and started down the street when I saw a familiar blond woman passing in the other direction. Oh, that's Marian I thought to myself. Wait a second, where am I?? Hey, that's Marian!

It took me a moment to comprehend that half way around the world, in a city of over 6 million people, I had just ran into a co-worker from Washington. She took me over to meet up with my other friend, Geoff. We all ended up hanging out with my uncle, enjoying the famous Bangkok street food and several Beer Chang. It was eerily similar to a strange dream and now as I write this down, I'm almost questioning the reality of the whole thing.

Leaving Inle

December 14th, 2008

Tears unexpectedly jumped to my eyes as I stepped off the dock of our grass hut hotel for the last time. I was not prepared to part with this land that had stolen my heart.

I spent yesterday afternoon touring around in a canoe with my uncle. We weaved through the "streets" of a local village. Westerners normally never go in a boat without a guide so the locals were quite shocked to see us in their neighborhood.

The whole family in each house would run to fill the windows and doorways of their homes built on stilts to watch us passby. Old people and young alike would giggle and wave. "Mingalaba!"

My favorite reaction came from two men that were fixing a bamboo hut. It was in a relatively empty area so they hadn't heard the commotion that are presence was creating. They were both concentrating quite intently on their work so we had almost passed by the time they both casually glanced at us. In unison, they both returned their eyes to their work, shook their heads then wipped back with gaping jaws and bugged out eyes.

I can't imagine they could have looked any more shocked if I had been riding on the back of a swimming dragon.

After our little tour, we paddled a ways away from the village into the middle of the lake. I practiced my leg rowing as my uncle went for a swim. We were quite the spectacle for all those fishing around us.

We stayed out there until the sun had disappeared and the sky and lake were painted with the beautiful shades of dusk.

At the hotel they held a cultural performance for us. They demonstrated some traditional PaO dances including a martial arts dance with fire, a man acting like a marionette, and a dance of a mythical creature that is part deer and part, uh, something else, a lion perhaps.

A resort with this amount of natural beauty would be enjoyable anywhere in the world. However, sharing it with the gracious people and strong, interesting cultures of this area makes it a truly spectacular experience.

Inle Lake, Burma

December 11th, 2008

For the past several hours I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out what I could have possibly done to deserve being here. I am now laying in an oh-so-cozy bed, under a mosquito net in a bamboo house built on stilts reachable only by boat, over Inle Lake in magnificent Burma.

I would pinch myself to see if I am dreaming, but I won't dare risk that because if I am dreaming, I never care to wake. Surely I must live my next nine lives as a cockroach to balance these blessings.

Cruising up the river in a long boat, wearing my banana leaf hat, I feel like I must be in some exotic movie. Wait, that came out wrong, well you know what I mean.

I only catch glimpses into the lives of the small villages as we pass by. There was a novice monk running along the river with his flittering kite in tow, a woman washing her clothes, some water buffalo stopping for a drink. I can only guess on what their lives must be like living along the Inle River.

Yesterday a local boy taught me how to leg row a canoe. At first I could barely manage to balance while sitting on the small platform at the back of the boat. After a little while I caught the rhythm of the boat and I stood up. My legs were shaking and the boat would tip back and forth narrowly escaping capsize. The boy and my friend Jody were getting a good laugh about it safely back on shore.

Eventually I was able to relax and lift up one foot. Once I was proficient at that I slowly wrapped my leg around the oar and pulled it back through the water. As soon as I exerted pressure on the oar, the boat tilted hard to one side. I quickly unwrapped my leg and got both feet back on the boat just in time to keep from going over.

More laughs from ashore.

Pretty soon I was rowing around with my leg. I never quite got to the steering aspect of the whole thing though.

When I got back to the dock, the local boy took over to show me how it is really done. He just jumped right on and cruised that canoe with complete control and unwavering grace. Certainly, he could have rowed circles around me.

Shan State, Burma

December 10th, 2008

Our arrival in Shan State was quite welcomed. We have traded in the hustle and bustle of city life for a peaceful spread out country side. This is definitely a piece of paradise.


We visited the Pindaya Cave of 9,098 Buddhas. On our way we came across a group of nuns that had been traveling for ten days to reach the cave. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to see it. We gave them a ride in our van for the rest of the jourey.

There was the regular hoopla surrounding the cave, but once inside it was truly a unique experience. The natural beauty of this large limestone cave was enhaced by the presence of no less than 9,098 buddhas tucked into every corner.

As I went deep into the cave I again crossed paths with the nuns. The youngest nun, that was about 10 years old, kept repeating "Mingalaba!" (blessings) to me with a huge smile and a nod.
I took a picture of her and went I bent to let her see, she pressed her head to mine. "Mingalaba!"

Tears well up for me now just writing this down. Buddhists believe that the head is the most sacred part of the body and normally you aren't supposed to touch anyone's head, particulary that of a nun.

"Mingalaba!" I somehow managed to repeat.

The sacredness of this place is not something that I can share with words. Let me just say that if that cave was the only place that I visited on this whole journey, it would have been worth it. It is an experience I will never forget.

Bagon, Burma

December 4th, 2008

We started off in Burma a couple of days behind schedule because of the civil unrest in Bangkok. This required us to fly out the city of Yangon on just our first morning there to get back on itinerary.


So, we woke early and hopped on a small, very old plane for the short flight to Bagon. As we landed I could see the beautiful temples scattered all throughout the countryside. Our first stop was at a market in the center of town.

I was a bit intimidated stepping out of the van amongst women with baskets on their heads, oxen carts and children with painted faces. Suddenly I was immersed in a culutre that previously I had only seen on the pages of National Geographic.

The people seemed to be just as interested in me as I was of them. One brave girl came up to me and smeared "thanaka" on my face just as all of them had. In that country any self respecting woman or child wears thanaka on their face. They believe it protects them from the sun.

Another woman came and wrapped a "longyi" around my waist. Men, women and children alike wear them every day. It is similar to a serong that is sewn together at the ends. She helped me look through all the longyis in her stand until we found just the right one. I purchased it for just a few dollars.

She then wanted to demonstrate to me how to wear it. She quickly opened up her own longyi and said, "easy, one, two, three!"

I watched her skillfull hands maneuver the fabric in just the right way, as she had a million times before.

"Uh, yeah, I didn't quite catch that."

She looked at me with a puzzled expression and repeated, "easy, one, two, three!"

I realized this lesson was going nowhere so I thanked her and walked away with my new purchase.

Flying Out Continued

December 3rd, 2008

Phew, we are here! Five days of traveling and now we have made it!

What a trip it has been. I left Tucson at 4:30 on Friday morning. My folks drove me to the airport in Phoenix to catch my flight.

Crossing my fingers, I tried to use the automated check-in. "Please see attendant" the screen told me.

They would only let me check in for my flights through Tokyo. All I could hope for was that they would have the situation at the Bangkok airport figured out by the time I got there.

"Ms. Lyon?" a Japanese flight attendant asked me as I arrived in San Francisco to change flights.

"Why yes, that's me!" I replied, feeling quite special.

"Please come with me."

Huh, maybe this isn't so good. My mind flew into motion wondering if I had done anything wrong, like perhaps the dreadful offense of smuggling in a bottle of lotion measuring over the allotted 4 oz.

"Madam, have you heard about the problems in Bangkok?"

"Oh, yes. Is the airport still closed?"

"Yes, madam. You can stay here and we can help you find a hotel... or ... you could fly to Tokyo, but we cannot help you there as the hotels are all booked."

"Tokyo please!"

"Hmm... uh, yes madam... I would like to make sure you understand. We cannot help you with a hotel in Tokyo. Hmm..."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to try my luck then."

"Hmm... very well then madam, please follow me."

She rushed me across the airport and through the international security and finally to the gate to Tokyo.

As I boarded the flight I glanced around and noticed that I was the only person on the whole jet that was not Asian.

Let the adventure begin!

After 11 hours on the plane I was in Tokyo still holding onto this great fantasy that I would be able to continue on to Bangkok.

"Ms. Lyon, please see the flight attendant as you exit the plane." they announced over the intercom as we prepared to disembark the plane. Again, foolishly, I felt quite special.

"Yes madam, as you know the airport is closed in Bangkok and I cannot help you find a hotel here in Tokyo. Ok, thank you!" the flight attendant informed me before giving a quick bow and scurring off.

Luckily I hade made a back-up plan with my uncle and another woman on the tour to meet at the Bangkok departure gate if we were to become stuck in Tokyo.

This was a great plan, or I should say it would have been a great plan if I had been given a boarding pass to get past Tokyo. As it was, they would not let me into the departure terminal.

I looked around in each direction, searching in vain for a clue for what to do next. This is going to be a long night, I thought to myself as I reluctantly collected my checked bag and made my way through customs.

"Kelsi?" an american woman asked as I passed through the last gate.

"Chris!?!"

I gave the woman that I had just met a big hug. She was part of the tour as well. I was so relieved to have a partner to face this mess with. Together we waited at the gate and by some bit of fate, eventually my uncle and a woman from the tour named Shirley showed up as well.

By this time it was late in the evening. My uncle and I settled down for the night in the airport waiting lounge as the other two women ventured into the outskirts of Tokyo to stay in an overpriced hotel room.


"Excuse me madam... madam!"

I groggily pulled my blanket off my head.

"You no sleepy here!"

Oh, you've got to be kidding me. I grimaced as I considered the cold Tokyo night and my wardrobe meant for travel in Southeast Asia. "Huh??" is all I could respond with.

"No sleepy here." He repeated. "Come with me."

Fortunately he led us to another waiting area, inside. I resumed my position on the new bench.

The next morning we played the hurry-up-and-wait game. Eventually we did get on a standby flight and were on our way to a military airport outside of Bangkok.

Over seven hours later we landed at the airport but were informed that we must wait for at least 30 minutes to disembark. This was the first of many delays in this ill prepared airport. Such a cruel joke. Thailand was so close and yet, as it turned out, so far.

When we finally arrived in the tiny one room airport we witnessed first hand the hecticness the strike had created. The floor was littered with blankets, bags and whole families sprawled out upon them.

The muslims that were on there pilgramage to worship had been stopped short in the airport. Everywhere there were people praying and chanting and babies crying.

Three hours after landing, we were finally able to retrieve our bags from the single baggage carousel.

We stepped out of one circus environment right into another one. There were shows set up with people in traditional hill tribe clothing dancing and groups of people selling interesting foods, pushing their wares and offering services.

Despite my exhaustion I was ecstatic to be in this new exotic land. Good thing too, because we still had another 3 hour commute to the hotel in Bangkok.

The next morning after some failed attempts to arrange flights on to Yangon we settled upon exploring for the rest of the day.

We took a taxi to the Banglamphoo area. Walking along the street was absolutely exhausting to my senses. People were cooking over little open fires, tuk-tuks were racing by, colorful wears were being pettled and travelers form all over the world were somehow weaving throughout it all. One moment my nose would be filled with delicious odors of sweets and spices, then the next moment a repugnant odor of spoiled fish guts would rush through.

That night we sat on little stools out in the street enjoying large bowls of steaming broth with noodles and a variety of meats and a large bottle of Thai beer. I was amazed at how satisfying a meal out could be for only a couple of dollars.

As we were dining a commotion started across the street. Everyone was taking out their cameras and pointing them towards the sky. When I went to investigate I saw the crescent moon with the points facing up and Venus and Jupiter shining brightly just above. It was as though the sky was smiling down on Bangkok. Somehow right then, I knew we were going to make it to Burma.

That night my uncle got word from a source that it was possible to get to Yangon if we went directly to the Myanmar Airways offices in downtown Bangkok. So, the following morning we took a taxi downtown to make our attempt. Luckily they had just enough seats for the four of us. The plane was to leave in 3 hours from the military airport.

Oh, great! We are only two and a half hours away! but wait, we still have to go pick up our bags from the hotel in the other part of town. Thus began our hectic day.

We rushed to the hotel, threw our bags together, hailed a cab, and settled in for the long ride down to the military airport.

When we arrived at the airport we asked where the check-in for Myanmar Air was located.

"Oh, just over there under the tree."

We trampled over a field through swarms of people and found the fold-away table right under the tree just as promised.

By this time the plane should have already taken off, but miraculously they checked us in and seemed to believe that we would make the flight.

They must not have seen the line for the security gate. The airport was stuffed to the gills with people trying to squeeze their way up to the single x-ray machine.

Somehow Chris and Shirley managed to negotiate their way through and recruited some airport officials to fetch my uncle Don and myself.

They shuffled us through security and rushed us to the already loaded plane. Judging upon the expression displayed on the faces of the other travelers, they had waited for quite some time for us to board.

After all that, somehow we have made it to Burma, and oh how we are reaping the benefits! We arrived at the most beautiful, peaceful hotel I have ever been to. There are gardens and little bridges over koi ponds, and most importantly a large soaking tub inside a beautiful bathroom. There is a light breeze traveling throughout the hotel that carries the scent of jasmine and everyone I have met has been incredibly gracious.

We enjoyed a delicious four course meal in the garden before I slipped into a deep and peaceful slumber filled with lovely dreams of this magical land of Burma.

flying out

November 27th, 2008

"Chaos continue in Bangkok with second airport shut, more explosions..."

Normally this is the type of news that tends to go in one ear and right out the other. However, it is a bit more significant to me this time as I prepare to leave in a few hours to fly to Bangkok.

Well, I'm not sure how this one is going to turn out. Wish me luck!

Tucson

November 11th, 2008

OK, I'll admit it, I am staying at my parent's house. It is the first time I have lived with them in nine years. It has actually been pretty good so far. (And I'm not just saying that because there is a good chance that they will read this.)

It is nice to have a home base for a month before I spend the next three months in South East Asia. It has given me a chance to get caught up with various things in my life, make some money, and do a lot of hiking.

I got a job here as a cashier that I just started on Monday.

It was my third interview. My first was at a call center. It was a group interview that basically consisted of watching a video and making sure that we could read in English. There were about a dozen people there. There was one woman wearing a suit and the rest of the bunch looked as though they were trying not to get hired. One guy had a picture of a naked woman on his hat. Another man smelled as though he had been doing some serious dumpster diving. I think that I was the only person not to stumble through the two paragraph reading, including the woman conducting the interview.

The interviewer told us to call back in a few hours to find out if we were hired. I left feeling that I really didn't want to work there, but that I should because I could start having money come in the next day. I decided I would take the job and I would keep searching for something better.

I called back a few hours later. The woman put me on hold for several minutes. She came back on the line to inform me that the positions had been filled, but to please try back in 90 days.

I could not believe it. Yeah, I was relieved not to have to work there, but come on! How embarrassing. I couldn't even get hired at a two bit call center. That was my safety job. It was a terrible way to set up my self esteem for my three interviews the following day.

The next morning I got up early to go across town to another interview. It was a much better atmosphere than the last place and they hired me on the spot. However, the training doesn't start for a couple of weeks and the actual work doesn't start until after I leave for Asia.

I didn't feel right taking money for a training when I knew that I was never going to do any work. I declined their offer. But, at least it gave me my confidence back.

I rushed out of there to make it to my next interview. This one was at a little market that is really close to where I'm living. The first part of the interview was to take a test that consisted of several problems similar to what a fifth grader might see on a math test.

The manager told me that I was the first person to get 100% in a year and a half. I'm not sure what that has to say about my co-workers. He hired me under the condition that I pass a drug test.

I skipped my last interview of the day and headed over to the clinic to pee in a cup. What a hassle just to get a couple of paychecks.

The next morning I got up well before sunrise to set out for the Catalina Wilderness area. My dad and I had a hike planned that we needed as much daylight as possible for.

The sun rose over the saguaros as we headed up the trail. Our first stop was a few miles in at a little oasis of pools carved into a granite basin. We continued up, struggling to keep track of the non-maintained and rarely used trail. I used my hiking stick to clear paths through the brush, trying in vain to avoid getting scratched. Why must everything in the desert have thorns?

By lunch time we had somehow managed to stick to the trail for the most part and had gained about a mile of elevation. It's really interesting to see how everything changes as the elevation rises. The saguaros were quickly replaced by pines and thankfully the temperature dropped dramatically.

We pushed on, dropping down into little canyons and then climbing back up on the opposite sides. We went on this way for the next several hours, pausing occasionally for picture and snack breaks. We still had a couple of miles to go when the sun shined its last light. We put on our headlamps and kept on walking.

The trail was a lot more defined in this section, but we had some disconcerting moments involving intersections with trails that were not on our map. At this point we were up at about 8,000 feet in the Summerhaven area and it would be a chilly night if we couldn't find our destination.

Needless to say, I was quite relieved when we finally saw my mom's car parked in the dark lot, patiently waiting for us.

Ocean Beach

October 28th 2008

Oh, Ocean Beach. I love it here! I reunited myself with my favorite beach and called some friends to announce my presence.

Erika came down to meet up with me and we hit up all of our old favorite haunts. I spent the next several days reconnecting with my old community and spending time with good friends.

The morning of the 27th I sat out on Sunset Cliffs reading The Lizard Cage and chatting with a local street kid. We watched the crabs bask in the sun, then scurry back into the tide pools when people walked by.

Aisling ended up coming down to San Diego for a visit and to babysit for a friend of hers. She called me up to hang out and invited me along to collect on her babysitting payment. Free whiskey at Winstons. Oh, how it pays to have friends in low places!

As we were hanging out, I got a call from my co-worker at Outward Bound.

"Hey Kelsi, are you in San Diego at the moment?" Ruth asked.

"Uh, yes... why do you ask?" I paused because this was a strange question coming from a European that I had last talked to in Washington.

"Well, it's a long story, but I have found myself in San Diego. Can I crash on your floor?"

"I don't have a floor, but you can crash in my truck." I responded half-joking.

"Alright then, where shall I meet you?"

She took a bus down to Ocean Beach and before I knew it she was sitting in the pub with us. By this time an amateur poetry reading had started at Winstons.

Now, I'm all about expressing yourself creatively and I generally have a pretty opened mind to these things. And there was some good stuff, but with that being said, I had suddenly found myself after a few drinks witnessing some really bad poetry.

I tried to keep myself composed... but couldn't quite do it.

During a particularly bad piece that involved some even worse singing, I had to excuse myself.

I walked outside and released my giggles. Just then a guy comes up and starts talking to me. I was grateful for a distraction.

He chats me up a bit, then tells me he's the next poet up. "You should come back inside and watch my set!"

Whhyyy!!! I cried to myself. Now, I'm going to feel like a jerk because I can't make myself go back in there.

My friends came outside just as he was getting called onstage.

"Lets get out of here."

"I have to put my stuff in your truck." Ruth reminded me.

We loaded up her two big backpacks and huge box of food into my already overstuffed truck. I had almost escaped when the poet came back out.

"Did you hear my stuff?" he innocently inquired.

I admitted that I had not.

"Don't worry." He told me. "I have my poetry book inside! Wait here." He smashed his cigarette in the ash tray and ran inside.

I contemplated running as well. I cursed to myself. Why have I never learned not to talk to strangers!

I awkwardly stood on the sidewalk as he proceeded to read several entries from his book. My friends threw me a smirk.

"Alright, thank you, I really have to go now." I finally cut in trying to let him down gently.

I grabbed my friends. "Lets go, now!" I was in no state to endure anymore.

Route 1

October 21st, 2008

The next afternoon I finally bid adieu to Half Moon Bay. I drove down the coast until the sun began to set.

I pulled off at a beautiful campsite along the coast, cooked some dinner and crashed out. There was a little fire on the hillside that I watched glow until I fell asleep.

I got up early the next morning to continue down the 101. I was about to climb into the driver seat when I noticed paw prints all over the seat. A raccoon had explored my truck! I slammed the door and inspected from the outside. Luckily he had not taken up residency.

I stopped along the road to see a colony of elephant seals. They are hilarious!

A couple of them would get really wound up and start making a big fuss like they were going to brawl. They would shout barks and begin to charge, make it a few feet towards each other and then.....plop!

They would just lay down mid-charge and apparently forget what they were doing. Occasionally, they would eventually remember that they were upset and repeat the process. Even more rarely, they would actually repeat until they made it to each other and fought for a moment.

Now, I've known some serious stoners in my life, but these guys take the cake.

The rest of the seals would just lay around and cuddle, apparently not phased by the ruckus.

My next stop was an outdoor education school near Santa Barbara. My friend Jess works and lives there.

She gave me the tour and we went into a small town nearby to play the catch up game. There's an Indian casino there that Jess had never been to. There's not a whole lot to do in town so we decided to try it out.

Unfortunately it was not the kind of casino where you get free drinks. It was quite the opposite in fact! You are supposed to buy an expensive appetizer to go with each drink. We each bet one dollar, lost immediately, and went on our way.
Jess had to work early the next morning but she graciously offered to let me stick around and take advantage of her bathtub. Yay, I finally get to shave my legs! I thought. It was amazing.

I got back on the road and continued south along the coast.

I had planned to stop in LA to visit my friend Aisling, however when I got to LA I remembered that I can't stand it there. I slowly worked my way through way too much traffic and continued down to San Diego.

Half Moon Bay

October 19th, 2008

After I had my tires replaced I drove down to Half Moon Bay. My good friend Adria recently moved there to stay with her dad while she figures out her next step in life. I had not seen Adria in nearly two years. However, after moments together it was as if we had never been apart. We bantered on just as we always do.

Adria had to work that night so I walked down to the harbor to watch the sunset. I saw a kayak outfit down there that made me daydream of living there with Adria and guiding tours. If I did that I would also have the chance to associate myself with some people that had sail boats and maybe work my way onto a crew.

I was pondering that idea as I walked out onto the docks. A replica of Columbus' boat"The Nina" was in the harbor. It was a lot smaller than I had imagined. I also never pictured it with a giant flat screen TV on deck. The history books always leave out the good stuff.

I sat on a rock jetty and watched the bay turn all sorts of magnificent colors as the pelicans dove for fish and the clams squirted water up from the sand. What a magical place.

Later I went out to dinner with Adria's dad at the restaurant that Adria works in. It was nice catching up with him. Especially because I really had not seen him since I stayed in his house when I was 18. I will always appreciate his generosity and understanding for me during that time.

When Adria got off work we went to one of the two open bars in town. It was a little dive joint in the marina. There was a whole cast of interesting characters there.

Adria and I had a great time swapping stories and being entertained by the bar folk. The two of us always have a good times, especially when whiskey is involved.

I had planned on only spending one night in Half Moon Bay. I was behind from my tire fiasco and I had told my friend Jose that I would meet up with him in San Diego while he was there. However, during the previous night I realized that one night was just not going to cut it. Adria and her dad were pretty convincing on that tip as well.

When Adria got off work we headed to the beach. It was an especially beautiful sunset. What an incredible place to stay!

The next morning I would have had to leave if I was to meet up with Jose. At this point I would have to cut over to I-5 and head straight to San Diego without stopping to see anymore friends. I called Jose and although he gave me some guilt he also said he understood. I was bummed to have missed out on a night out with him and my friends Jessica and Erika. We would have had the whole old crew together. But I was also relieved to not have such a rushed schedule.

So, I was convinced to stay another day. I mean how could I possibly miss the World Famous Half Moon Bay pumpkin festival? I just had to see a 1,524-pound pumpkin for myself.

There was a pretty good band from the festival that was also playing at a local brewpub later that night. Adria's dad dropped us off there after dinner.

We ended up barhopping until the last bar in the area closed for the night. I have such a good time with Adria. We talk about everything. We laugh until my cheeks feel as though they will explode. We discuss theories and share heartbreaks. We cry, then laugh again, then laugh until we cry. Then we usually do something really stupid and narrowly escape trouble. We went on this way until 4 in the morning when I finally fell asleep mid laugh.

Willetts

October 15th, 2008

I spent last night at Golden Bluffs in the Redwood Forest. It was a long and winding dirt road to get there. I arrived at the beach campground just before sunset. I grabbed my wine glass and walked out onto the deserted beach.  The sea was agitated by strong winds. Heavy waves crashed as I said goodnight to the sun.  

As the skies were still pink, the full moon began to rise over the Redwood forest and the golden bluffs. I stood on my head for awhile then eventually wandered back to my truck.  I cooked some dinner on my tailgate then sat on top of my truck watching the moonlit waves lap against the beach until my eyes grew weary.

This morning I woke up slowly. It was cold outside but I was nice and cozy in the bed of my truck.  I showered in the campground bathroom.  The water was warm but not quite warm enough to make up for the drafty room.  I danced around as I sudsed up to keep myself from shivering.

I stopped for lunch in a redwood grove.  I wandered around with my eyes up in the sky straining to see the full expanse of the magnificent trees.  I could feel their strength as I pressed my hand to their trunks.  Their energy seemed to pulsate through me.  I soaked it up and left feeling powerful and with a a sense that a great wisdom was just at my fingertips.

Perhaps it was karma for ditching out on the camp fees, or perhaps I had just pressed my luck a little too far with my balding tires.  As I continued down the 101, singing along to the radio my truck began to shake.  I instantly knew what it was.  I took my foot off the gas and pulled hard on the steering wheel to slowly get off the road.  The rubber peeled and flew and the sound of metal against road sang out.

Of course, just outside cell service.  I locked up and jotted down the mile marker.  I stood next to my truck with thumb in air.   Two cars passed with reluctant looking passengers.  The third car pulled off.  Sometimes it doesn't hurt to be a tall blond. 

"Do you want help putting on the spare tire?" he offered. 

"That was the spare" I shamefully admitted. 

The car had a State of California Fishing & Wildlife decal on it.  What luck! I wasn't too worried hopping into the passenger seat. 

He dropped me off in the next town to the South.  I arranged the tow truck but was informed that I needed to be with the truck for it to be towed.  This might be harder to catch a ride from here without my broken down truck to stand next to.

I again stuck my thumb in the air, only blank stares from the first car.  Oh my god, that one's a cop car!  Great, on top of all this I'm going to get a ticket I thought.  Wait a second, he didn't even notice me.  Maybe I should ask him for a ride.

"Do you have any weapons?" he asked.  I confessed to the knife in my pocket. "Just keep it there!" he ordered and before I knew it I was riding in the back of a cop car.  The experience was a lot more pleasant than I had always imagined it to be.

An hour after the E.T.A. the tow truck showed up and drove me down to the town of Willetts. We pulled into the tire shop. The lights were off inside.  Well, I guess I'm spending the night in the parking lot.

So, here I find myself in the highway diner, wondering how long they'll let me sit here pretending to sip on my beer before I must retire to my truck.

Catch Up

I have always  been kind of a private person.  So, this feels a bit strange to be writing about my life and putting it up on the internet.  However, I have been convinced that this is my best avenue to stay in touch with all the amazing people in my life. So, here it goes...

I'll start with a little catch up of my year.

I graduated last winter with a degree in Recreation Administration from San Diego State University.  Yeah, I know... it took me until I was 26 years old to get a degree... in recreation.  I've never been too interested in taking the traditional route though, and sometimes it takes a little longer when you're out there bushwhacking. 

I celebrated my graduation by flying down to Los Cabos.  I had a feliz navidad in San Jose Del Cabo with my parents, my brother and my sister-in-law.  You know, just a typical winter holiday of marlin fishing, sailing, and margaritas on the beach. We then began the drive up the coast of Baja California.  We stopped at an oasis up in the mountains and went kayaking for New Years.  

Several days later, I met up with a group from school in Guerrero Negro to participate in a Wilderness Education Association course.  We spent a week backpacking through canyons to see the Sierra de San Francisco cave murals.  Then we spent a week sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez and ended with an unexpected evacuation by a local fishing boat. You'll have to ask me about that one.

I spent the next several months dividing my time between my Ocean Beach life and leading canoe & kayak trips for Aztec Adventures. I spent more nights on my therma-rest or on someone's couch than in my bed.  It was great.

In April, I finally decided to let go of my home in San Diego.  I loved the house, the rent was cheap, and I could see the ocean from my front door, but I was ready for new adventures. I was ready to fully give in to my wandering tendencies. 

I sold and gave away all my belongings that I didn't need. Ok, well most of them. And moved into my truck.

Over the summer I worked for Outward Bound Wilderness instructing sea kayaking courses in the San Juan Islands of Washington. I worked with 5 groups of students ranging in age from 15 to 54.  The courses lasted anywhere from 7 to 14 days.  It was an incredible experience. More on that later.

I finished my season with Outward Bound a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm back on the road. I'm currently at a friend's house in Halfmoon Bay, California. Not a bad place to hide out for a few days. 

I plan to wander around for a while longer on the West Coast, then head over to South East Asia at the end of November.  

I will tour Burma for a couple of weeks with my uncle's photography expedition, Close Up Expeditions, then I want to work in an orphanage in Cambodia for a couple of months and do some more traveling.

Well, that's my story so far this year.  No promises, but I'm going to try to keep this up with short stories from my adventures.

Much love, Kelsi