Vlog 6 - Colleagues in Boracay

I spent a week in the Philippines reconnecting with my colleagues. I love this group of people - it's always a blast when we get together :)

Boracay: Round 2

The beach in front of our resort. Low tide.

Best mango shakes and lemonade in the world.

Scenes of Boracay.

View of Manila. Few hours before departing to Bangkok, Thailand.

We stayed in the red light district of Manila after returning from Boracay. After a few days in paradise it was a bit of a culture shock to be in a part of the city where transgender prostitutes, begging babies, and street hustlers crowd every corner.

I was walking back to our hotel around mid-afternoon when I was aggressively approached by a man selling weapons. WEAPONS. Having a live taser, brass knuckles, and a baton pushed on you is incredibly uncomfortable. Do I acknowledge a man holding so many dangerous items? Should I consider buying something for defense? Do I NEED to buy weapons to protect myself on this street? I ended up not making too much eye contact and shoo-ing him away... but geez, I've never been encountered by a weapons dealer before.

Boracay

Our editor/photographer pro asked me to help him out - this was taken after a swim with some colleagues outside our resort.  I felt a little silly doing this pose but he did some great work.

Highlights of My Winter Vacation - vlog5

I travelled through Fiji for one day - It was a weird 14 hour layover. I couldn't go surfing or snorkeling because the sites were wrecked from the hurricane that passed through earlier. So I took a public bus into town. Fijian men are beautiful. Walked around the markets. Waited for a bus to a beach while an Indian man and his creeper friend chatted me up. Decided he was too inquisitive for my own good and too much of a coincidence that he was headed in the same direction, so I went back to the airport to get nap on terminal benches. Flight was delayed and the power went out at the airport - being in a complete darkness with a hundred strangers is bizarre.

Vendors pile their produce - it's an art.

I was in San Francisco over Christmas - I am happy I got the chance to spend a few days with one of my college girlfriends. Got a bit boozy, kicked ass in shuffleboard, lost my Nana's scarf but found it the next day, and had a delicious Christmas dinner with a few friends.

No feeling like having someone waiting for you at the arrival gate <3 td="td">

I spent a week in Vail - It was my first experience at a ski resort. The hospitality was amazing even though I didn't even pay to stay at the resort! Free cookies, awesome employee discounts, and nonstop beautiful views. I learned how to snowboard and spent four days on the trails. I got to reconnect with two of my favorite men. Went to the bar for the first time with the younger brother. Rang in the New Year at a little Americana bar and free champagne.

View from my window.

I've been in Portland, Maine - spending most of my mornings in bed under a dog pile. I missed my dog so much. We've been playing in the snow and cuddling for most of our days. I had a weird redneck experience where the n* word was dropped, a fight broke out, and I was called foreign - not a big deal, but I haven't had to deal with uneducated men in a long time. Nonetheless, I have really enjoyed my time in winter wonderland.

A Mokey hug.

Off to New York City tomorrow - to see some of my best girl friends and an aunt. Will be a whirlwind the next 36 hours before I board my day long flight back to Asia.

Shift from Bohemianism

I've been living a modern-day Bohemian lifestyle.

I've been moving from country to country, without any responsibility or ties, working hard with the hopes of becoming creatively and professionally-inspired. Luckily, I've been on this journey with a great group of people - some of which are my colleagues, others just great friends.

I haven't saved any money... anything extra has gone towards traveling, not things. But my experiences have been priceless.

I find myself being more attached to the people and places that allow me to remain the free-spirit, selfish little thing, that I naturally am. I'm drawn to cities with awesome public transportation and big green spaces, friends that have an easy time saying goodbye but will visit later, and single-girl accommodations. I never thought I'd appreciate living alone so much.

But I think 2013 will be the year for change.

I won't call this a resolution - that's too definite for my commitment issues - but my goal this year is to take an aggressive step towards settling into my career, establishing a home, and focusing on personal relationships (friendly, familial, and romantic) and finding happiness through it all. I'm turning 25 in a few months, and I'm doing my best to not compare myself to people my age that already have it figured out.

It's an ambitious goal. It's also incredibly scary. For someone without many ties and quite comfortable wandering around - making roots feels much riskier than the nomadic life.

So, please wish me luck while I decide what career path to take, what hemisphere to live in, and the community of people I decide to become a part of. Good luck to all the other twenty-somethings trying to find their place in this world, too.

Happy New Year.