It Has Been Almost a Year....

Since I started this blog. Looking back on my life; In the past 11 1/2 months, I have

*lived in 3 apartments, one house, and am moving into another house.

*had 22 roommates [yes, 22!!!!], lived in two cities and two towns in three different countries.

*been on 17 flights [plus one next week and one the week after], 7 ferries, 16 trains, and 5 LONG bus rides, not to mention the countless metro rides and public buses [of course].

*Been in 11 countries on four different continents.

*gotten to ride a really slow camel that spit A LOT.

*Met heaps of amazing people.

*Spent way too much money on Corso.

*Lived among ruins.

*Been in desert, country, valley, islands, beaches, mountains, snow, sand, dirt, rock, water, heat, cold, rain, hail, sun, wind...

*Been in a multitude of mosques, and even more churches.

*Climbed to the top of the holiest church in the world and scrutinized religion.

*Sat upon the sand in the middle of the Sahara, gazing at stars with the Berber people.

*Spoken in a combination of five or six languages.

*Spent every penny I have made and saved.

*Partied with people from all over the world.

*Eaten lots of fruit, even more amazing cheeses, and the most pasta and falaffel that one person could possibly consume, not to mention the chocolate...

*Watched non-English movies with other non-English subtitles.

*Visited friends I have not seen in years.

...And so much more. I have had some incredible experiences both at home and abroad, ones that have tested and challenged my mind, and forced me to learn and grow.
I think of my life as pretty mellow, but fun, of course; however, when I look back at things I have done, especially when written on paper, I am astounded at the crazy things I have done. My life to an outside must seem pretty exciting, but to me it's normal.

I thrive on instability and adventure, but within those adventures life seems slow and mellow. I don't know how to describe it in a better way than that.

Friends come up to me quite often and say "I wish I could do what you're doing. All I have to say to all of you, is GO OUT AND FLIPPIN' DO IT!

All you need is a ticket, and tickets come cheap on STA Travel or Skyscanner.net. Travel alone. Don't tell me that BS like "I'm not like you, I can't do it alone, blahhblahhblaahhh."
There are people ALL AROUND YOU. If you want to be alone, you're alone, if you want to hang out with friends, there is an entire world of interesting people with completely different worldviews that will enrich your life in the least by chance encounters. If you're worried about safety, just make smart decisions and trust your instincts.
If you're worried about money, there are under the table jobs all over; just ask around. A lot of times, people even approach you to see if you want to work for them. Sometimes the pay is good, but most of the time it's just enough to get by.

Really, go to a place you've never been before. Suck it up. I don't care WHAT age you are, old or young, at least go out and experience the world beyond your home town at least once. Obviously, when your body is young, and you don't have kids to take care of, that's the best and easiest time to go somewhere. Screw your job. Sort it out. If you're old, you're only as old as you feel. Some of the most adventurous and hardest partying people I have met in my life have been in their forties and fifties, sometimes sixties; not to mention the two 80 year old women who came on Pub Crawl in July....hahahaha

So go on an adventure, it doesn't have to be a long one. If you're going to somewhere where I have friends and want a local perspective, by all means contact them! The world is small when you observe the interconnectedness of all your friends and peers. I know I'm not the world traveler, and there are many places that I have not been but WILL go to [ie India next spring?], but seriously; ENJOY YOUR LIFE. Enjoyment also comes from experience, both good and bad.

Enough of the writing, it's nature-hike time in sunny Stockholm. I don't know where I'll be a year from now, but I know I'll be happy.