Oh no! It has been so long since my latest entry. But can
you blame me? I have been so busy seeing new sights, moving to different
places, and visiting important people. After a quick recap of the past six
months I hope to push forward to writing about my current endeavors!
Summer in Alaska rolled to an end. The temperature started
to drop, fewer rafters came each day, and the date of my departure flight
inched closer. From the arctic line and monstrous Denali, to the steamy heat of
Mexico City, I went searching for something new. And Mexico had it! It had
everything! Lively colored streets, the powerful art of Frida and Diego,
ancient Mayan ruins, tribal runs, autonomous universities, real cowboys,
underground cenotes, busting ceviche flavors, and small sand islands where you
lose sense of time and the world around you. We were constantly on the move
over the course of the next month; staying in some locations as little as one
day but never longer than a week. We saw Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende,
Guanajuato, Merida, Yokzonot, Tulum, Coba, and Isla Holbox. It was so exciting
to try out my Spanish, with what few words I knew. My skin quickly absorbed the
sun it had been denied under bulky layers in Alaska’s chill. Even after I was
ready to leave Mexico, I continued to focus on traveling in the sun’s rays.
My next stop, Goleta. California is full of thrilling
tourist destinations, but none as personally sought after as my sister’s
apartment! Family! I needed this time with my family. How lucky am I to see my
sister and brother-in-law with the added twist of my parents visiting at the
same time too! It was one week of perfection for me, including hikes, beach walks,
picnics, pier art, fine eats, cold beer, rose gardens, and simple time in the
living room surrounded by those I love.
It rejuvenated me enough for my next big step, Big Island Hawaii! The first two weeks we lived in luxury
thanks to the kindness of Mrs. Morrison.
Waikoloa resort life made us feel like a tourists, but we quickly were
reminded that unlike visitors, travelers needed a more affordable and permanent
set up. Kona is where we landed, to stay in a sweet couple’s rental space. We got a moped, looked for jobs, and attempted
to fit right in. We enjoyed local spots, snorkeling, hiking, and bogie
boarding, but seemed to spend more time distracted by finding the right housing
and jobs to line up. (A tricky thing to balance in one of the most expensive
states.) Hawaii didn’t seem to want us to stay for too much longer. So after a
month we decided to listen to what the island was telling us. We picked up our
noses from the grind and actually enjoyed all of the land’s wonders on our last
two weeks with an epic camping road trip. That is how you should see this
magical place! Forget about beaches and palm trees, imagine instead bubbling
volcanic craters, black ashy lava fields for miles, steam vents seeping from
the ground, vapors exploding as magma spills into the ocean, and hallowed
tunnels through the earth from where Goddess Pele must have once shown her
wrath!
With a quicker departure from Hawaii than imagined, and
Christmas season making me feel nostalgic, I headed home to New Jersey. It was
a strange feeling being there after so much time on the go. My heart grew full
from the time I got to spend with my mom, dad, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles,
and friends. I tried to absorb all of the love like a recharging battery
because in only two months I would head out again.
This time… South Korea!
