So I'm in Asia now...

I left NYC on Friday, January 13th for the Philippines. The plane ride was relatively painless and 24 hours later I was in my hotel room in Manila. I slept 16 hours only an hour after checking-in which was a wise decision because the following few days would be non-stop late nights and early mornings in Boracay.

First and foremost, this past week has been a magical experience. I LOVE my company and my colleagues. I would never have guessed that a small, intimate, casual organization could work shoulder to shoulder with big corporate clients... but it happens. Our employees are all beautiful, young, outgoing, and friendly individuals with an appreciation for adventure and living in the moment. From day one, these strangers felt like friends. I have never felt so comfortable being myself with a group of strangers as I did during my time at the training summit. By the end of the week, I was sure that I was exactly where I needed to be.

Paraws at Sunset

It's very easy to make friends when you're staying in a beach-front resort on a beautiful island in the Philippines. The Pinoy are the most hospitable people you will ever meet. The mangoes are delicious and daily mango shakes are encouraged, along with $10 one-hour massages. You travel on the island by trikes (dirt bikes attached to carriages) or paraw (sail boats with nets for sitting on). But, for all the beauty and friendliness encountered in Boracay, it is still a third-world country and the signs of poverty are everywhere. The locals live in huts, the stray cats and dogs roam the roads and beaches, and everything is dirt-cheap. It is a fascinating place and I hope to go back soon...

View from our resort.

Only mode of transportation.

My week was filled with many 'firsts'. I tried new foods, met new people, and learned new sales tactics. But my most memorable moment was the company's Amazing Race. Without any money (or camera, they took our belongings) we had to find hidden gemstones, eat balut (hard-boiled chick fetus), get henna tattoos, sell ferris wheel tickets, and haggle for a paraw to take us to a pretty little cove where we watched the sunset.

I'm in Hong Kong now and my apartment is in the hub of all festivities. I'm only a few blocks from Times Square (yes, it's pretty much the same as NYC) and all the tourists and locals are out celebrating the Chinese New Year. There are lights, banners, mini orange trees, red envelopes, and dragons EVERYWHERE.

A few little facts about the Year of the Dragon that I like:
People born in the Year of the Dragon (like me!) are free spirited and believe rules and regulations are for other people. They are naturally confident and fearless. The Dragon is the only creature in the Chinese zodiac that is mystical (all the others are actual animals). The Year of the Dragon is for new beginnings, good luck and fortune.

Happy New Year! Hong Kong.

Things are off to a great start :)

Vegas and Zion, part 1.

Wow.
The last week has been a whirlwind of adventure out West.

Day 1: Vegas, baby!

Raquel Minh and Carrie Lynn together again.

Free vodka cranberries all night.

The boyfriend and I spent a night out in Vegas with my best friend from high school. We managed to get ourselves into the Caesar's Palace club without any cover charge and had free drinks until midnight! It was a 4 hour time difference from the east coast so we were exhausted by midnight and headed back to our hotel shortly after...

Day 2: Rock climbing in Red Rock

That little spot is where we'll be climbing.

That little spot is actually very big.  

Climber's paradise. Check out all the climbers on the walls of these cliffs.

We spent Friday in a park outside of Las Vegas. Ryan's brother and his girlfriend took us sport climbing. This was the most amazing place to have my first climb outside. We climbed two different routes on a rock called the Magic Bus and took a trek through other spots before calling it a day.

Day 3: Angel's Landing in Zion National Park

We're climbing to the top of the rock behind him.

Last set of paved switch backs. Easy part is over.

The last 30min of the hike is narrow ledges, climbing over steep boulders, and shimmying cliffs.

The top of Angel's Landing.

The view from one side.

The view from the other side.

We're on top of the summit as the sun sets.

Heart. Stopping.

As soon as we got to Ryan's brother's house. We headed out to Angel's Landing in Zion for a 2 and a half hour hike. We biked uphill between huge cliffs and then started our hike up Angel's Landing. It was the most rigorous and steep hike I've ever done. There are countless switchbacks, boulders, and cliffs to climb before reaching the top... but all the hard work was worth it. At the end, Ryan and I had the entire summit to ourselves as the sun was setting. It was otherworldly.

We hiked back down and I started to worry about biking through the canyon in the dark. Right before we got on our bikes, the full moon came over the cliffs and lit up our entire path. It was like we had a street lamp turned on behind our backs lighting up the huge cliffs. We didn't realize the road was uphill on our way in so it was an an exhilarating surprise to speed through Zion on our way out. 

This might be my favorite day of all time.