A Journey of Personal Growth

At 830am on February 13^th I load my bags into the car, say goodbye to Grandma, and get into the car with my Dads to make the 2 hour drive to the Victoria International Airport. We arrive at the airport in good time and drop my bags off and grab my boarding passes from the Westjet Counter before going into the White Spot to have some lunch before my flight. I am digging my heels in gently; not wanting the time to go to come. I am a bag of mixed emotions throughout the day. There are moments where I am excited, scared, nervous, and points when I just don’t feel like going. I am giving a lot up and putting many things on hold to go on this trip. I am leaving behind clients, a good job, and having to stop working with the great string of horses I have; not to mention I have to say goodbye to my family and some very dear friends. It is during lunch where anxiety takes over all other emotion as my step-dad looks over my shoulder at the monitor where all the flights are listed with a look of concern etched across his face. I turn to where he is looking and there on the screen beside my flight information is the one word no traveller wants to see…CANCELED. At this point our lunch comes to an abrupt end as I dash over to the Westjet counter to find out what is going on and figure out how I am now going to get to Calgary for my connection. I end up having to book a new flight with Air Canada so that I can make it to Calgary in time. The rest of my trip went smoothly and I landed in Amsterdam late on February 14^th ready to start the adventure of a life time.

Everyone is on a journey of personal growth. For some that is improving their position at work and continuing to get an education, others it is growing physically stronger and healthier, and for others it is growing mentally and emotionally healthier.   When I left for Europe my focus was personal growth through continuing my education by taking part in an Equine Program in Holland. I never thought I would gain personal growth through becoming mentally and emotionally healthier. This personal growth came through acknowledging emotional pain I had experienced in the past, learning it is okay to feel the way I do and how  to communicate my feeling constructively, and acknowledging the good traits in myself.

For those of you that don’t know the most recent trip to Europe was not my first. I have gone in 2010 and more recently in 2013. The reason for my trip in 2013 was that I had received a position as a working student for a barn in the small southern village of Hulsberg which is just outside of Maastricht in Holland. My position at the barn was to last the minimum of a year with the hopes of it continuing on if it seemed like the right fit. Nothing turned out as I thought it would. After just two weeks I left my position at the barn and went to live with my Great Aunt and Uncle in the village of Loozen which is in the northern part of the country. The man who owned the stables was verbally abusive towards me in a way that left me questioning my riding ability and feeling worthless and undeserving of the position. He had the attitude of it being my way or the highway with no emotional room to take your feelings and concerns into consideration. He didn’t want to work with you to create a more amicable work environment that left ALL employees feeling respected and like they were a part of the team. I left the barn with very low self-esteem when it came to my riding.

Jump forward to my most recent trip to Holland and you have a woman who is still struggling emotionally with that trip and hasn’t fully come to terms with what happened. It was during the first part of my time at the barn that I fully realized how traumatizing that previous experience was for me and that it was transferring over into my current experience. I ended up breaking down into tears one evening and expressing how lucky I felt all of us in the team should feel to work for these amazing people because not all barn owners are like them. I was living proof of what happens when you work for someone who demeaning and makes you feel worthless. This was a huge breakthrough in my transformation during the next four months abroad. As I cried the long needed tears I began to feel myself truly heal from that experience and was able to forgive, so that I could move forward.  I now look at that experience with sadness at how he could not see all the amazing talent that was coming through his barn that left prematurely because he had to always fight against things. Coming to this point was a huge part in my journey towards personal growth.

After fully acknowledging and healing from the past my, the next challenge was to accept my true feelings and be okay with them. Over time I had learned to just keep my mouth closed and not express my true feelings. This was done to keep the peace and to be the good girl all the time when around groups of friends. In time this led to me feeling that certain emotions were not okay and that when I did react that I was over reacting. This caused a number of different problems for me when it came to communication. Either my voice would not be heard or I would suppress my emotions until it became too much to handle and I would then explode.

The first task was that whenever I felt angry or sad or frustrated was to go “hey this is how I feel and that is okay”. Changing my thought patterns to this new way of thinking was hard but luckily I was at a place where all of us in the team were working on expressing ourselves so it made for a more comfortable learning environment. Once I got more comfortable with my feelings the next task was to communicate these feelings in a way that was non-attacking and helped the others understand where I was coming from.  This took a lot of practice but by the time I left the barn I was feeling more confident about the process and that I could continue to work on expression before it lead to overreaction.

Once I had gone through the healing and had acknowledged and learned to communicate my feelings in a positive way the next challenge was to learn to see some of the good traits about me. There are many good traits I do see in myself already such as hard working, a leader, and strong. There are others I did not see in myself though until I got to Holland and we went through some exercises to help all of us in the team see our strengths. The new trait I learned about myself was that I form amazing connections with the horses I work with. This is really important for any committed rider. If you cannot form a strong connection with your horses you will never reach your full potential together.  This was empowering to hear and made me feel more confident in my decision to have riding as a part of my life. The other new trait I learned about myself came from one of the barn owners’. Throughout my time there she came to notice that I never put the blame on anybody I else. If she ever asked why something didn’t get done I would say it was because I forgot or didn’t do it. I never pointed the finger at anybody else in the team even though I could have easily done so. She thought it was admirable of me to think and work that way. It was an eye opening moment for me because it was never a trait I saw as a positive one and maybe sometimes it isn’t, but when it comes to my work with horses I take it seriously. If I know there is something that needs to be done when it comes to the care of the barn or horses and I don’t do it, it is my problem and I will make sure it gets done. The new found knowledge in these traits gave me new insights into myself and my way of thinking. As well, it helped me see that while the trait of never pointing the finger is a good one to have I need to make sure I don’t take responsibility for something not happening that was not a part of my work duties or in my control. All this new information and insight I gained in Holland I could now use for the next part of my adventure.

When I left Holland for the second part of my adventure I left feeling more emotionally secure. I now had the tools to communicate in a more effective way with people and had learned new things about myself that would help me face adversity while in Asia. This new knowledge helped me at a number of different points on my trip. One of the major points was when I was in Indonesia. Jakarta was a very scary and uncomfortable stop on my trip. I did not feel safe and I was not comfortable with leaving my hostel for long stints of time. Using my new communication skills I was able to share with family my discomfort and not keep it to myself just to not worry family and friends back home. This made it so I got the support I needed to make the right choices during my stay such as not leaving the hostel. I had the support in saying that it was a good choice to not spend a lot of time outside the hostel, especially if I did not feel safe doing so. This brought me a level of comfort during my stay there. Another time was when writing my blogs during Asia I felt more comfortable in expressing my feelings about what was going on. Whether that was the sadness from seeing the devastation from the Earthquake that shook Kathmandu or the struggle of working my way through Beijing International Airport’s strict and controlling airport process I was able to express myself better than before because I now had the tools to better express myself through words. As well my new communication skills gave me the courage to talk with the receptions in hostel about things I was not happy with within the hostel. This was a very gratifying aspect for me because I now didn’t feel the need to hide behind a computer screen to file a complaint or just not say anything at all.  It was amazing to go through Asia and see that the unknown lessons of my time in Holland helped me make the most of my time in Asia.

I lug my suitcase through one more train station and hop on the next train heading to Tokyo Haneda International Airport. I am so excited to be heading home after four and a half months away. I miss my family, my friends, and my own bed.  First though I have to get through a night at the airport, three connections, and thirty five and a half hours of travel. It would not end up being my longest day of travel but it would be the most testing. Every flight was delayed, getting through transit in Beijing took way too long and included a strip search, and I did not get any sleep during the night before and could not sleep more than a few hours throughout the two days of travel. As I got closer and closer to home my excitement grew. While waiting to get to Victoria from Vancouver I indulged in some Tim Hortons goodies to welcome myself home and have one of the many things I have been craving for months, an ice cap. Not to mention I needed a little caffeine to make it the last little bit. As I waited for my flight to leave for Victoria I am full of adrenaline. In a matter of an hour I am going to be back with my family and get to receive hugs! Our flight lands and I hustle as fast I can off the plane and through the Air Canada waiting area and blast through the doors and into the arms of my Dad and Brother. After, we pick up my bag and pick up Grandma we head for home. We get home and I get another big hug from my step dad. One would think I would have collapsed into a ball on my bed and floated into a deep sleep but no. My adrenaline had taken over. I was not full of energy but still to awake to sleep. After a bit of talking and down time I finally head for bed around 930pm. At this time I am feeling the exhaustion after over thirty hours of travel and need some sleep. The following day I began adjusting to life back home again and started it off with surprising a dear friend at her home.

This adventure of life time was one I will never forget. I made new friends, I saw new places, and I gained a stronger connection to the Netherlands; my second home. Most importantly though I learned new things about myself and gained new skills that will help me take on the rest of my life with a higher form of class than before.  No one ever stops learning and growing; what changes is what we learn and how we learn it.

The Trip Home

I almost skip my way into Tokyo Haneda Airport on my second to last day abroad. I have enjoyed my time in Europe and Asia immensely. However, I cannot wait to get home, hug my family and friends, sleep in my own bed, and just plain old sleep! I first needed to get through two more days of travel though to get there.

Passenger after Passenger comes in carrying bag after bag of duty free. Some even bring on 2-3 bags PLUS their own carry ons. What ever happened to the 1 carry on plus a personal item maximum? My first day of travel started early. After a rough night of sleep on an airport bench I made my way through check in and security before grabbing a seat to wait for my already one hour delayed flight departing for Beijing. Once on the plane we were delayed another forty minutes due to weather. Once we finally took to the air we made a smooth trip into Beijing. We disembarked the plane and took a short bus ride over to the terminal. You would think all I would have to do once getting to the terminal would be to find my next gate right? WRONG! Instead I had to go through the 24 hours layover line to get my boarding card stamped then go down stairs and then go through customs to once again get my boarding card stamped before going through security. Just to get to the rest of the international terminal. Part way through security I am getting a pat down and scan because I set the electronic scanner off. Perplexed by the metal clips in my bra the proceeded to drag me all over the security area; eventually taking me over to a private booth to search more. By this time I was starting to get really aggravated with them as they would not explain the problem to me and only spoke in Chinese. After pulling up my shirt and undoing the top part of my bra they were satisfied that there was nothing of danger to the rest of the airport on me and let me go. I am so grateful I had a four hour layover to accommodate my late flight and the tedious and violating transfer process in Beijing. I could not wait to get onto my flight to Vancouver!

Once boarded onto my flight to Vancouver it was time to sit back and relax as much as possible. It was about to be a very long flight across the pacific. Of course like basically every flight in and out of Beijing we left the terminal late. The flight went as smoothly as it could possibly go considering the length, amount of tired people, and mediocre food. Amazingly we arrived into Vancouver early. After we disembarked I made a beeline for customs and luckily got through quickly. (the bonus of being on an international flight sometimes) After it was a LONG wait for our bags to arrive.  Once mine came around I grabbed it and made my way to the Air Canada section of the airport to drop it off and find some lunch (ya for Timmys!!!!!) and wait to board my puddle jumper flight to the Island!

Apparently I could not catch a break when it came to my flights. My final flight to Victoria was late as well but fortunately not majorly. For once I got a window seat and got to watch the beautiful place I call home go by as we flew across the ocean. Once landed in Victoria I made it off the plan as fast as my tired and sore legs to take me through the airport and into the arms of my Dad and brother. While we waited for my luggage I quickly changed into some fresh clothes that my Dad brought and changed my shoes. Then it was off to pick up my Grandma and head for home.

I arrived home shortly after 7pm on the 23^rd of June. That resulted in a total of 38.5hours in transit from the time I left my Tokyo hostel to the time I walked in the door at home. The trip around the world was a once in a lift time adventure. It is one that I will never forget and will hold many great memories to share in the future. When is the next adventure? I don’t know and for now I am just so happy to be home.

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Tokyo, Japan

I wake from a night on airport benches feeling okay considering the constant light and noise of the airport. It is going to be a short day ahead of me but not without its challenges. I thought my challenge was going to be my VERY short connection time in Hiroshima but instead it turned out to be how I was going to make it Tokyo as my flight into Hiroshima was canceled due to weather. In the end, I got a direct flight into Tokyo and got in early to boot. All in all, it was not a bad outcome at all.

The smell of sea air fills my nose as I walk along the river and head in the direction of the pacific and home. My first day in Tokyo did not start off happily. I got an okay night of sleep but when I went into the hostel fridge to grab some of my food I found it to be gone. Yup stolen by another hostel guest and I wasn’t the only one to have stuff taken. Thankfully it was not anything very expensive but considering the price of food in Japan it still stung.  I am also glad I didn’t leave all my food in the kitchen. After having some breakfast and getting a drink from a local convenience store I sat down to plan my day.  In the end I did A LOT of walking. I started off by going to Hamariku Garden then it was a quick stop for some lunch before head off to the Tokyo Tower, Hibiya Park, and the Imperial Palace. The palace was really disappointing because there was nothing to really see. After I made the trek back to the hostel but stopped along the way to pick up some dinner. I collapsed into my bed once I got into my hostel room. My legs were very tired and feet sore so I was in much need of a rest for a bit. A little later on I went up to the kitchen with my food to have some dinner. Then it was back to the room to write my blog for Korea, have a little chat with a roomie and have a shower. By this time my bed was calling me and I was so ready for sleep.

There is a sprinkle of rain as I start out in the morning; I hope it will pass but alas it turns to a torrential down pour that soaks my jacket and jeans right through. My second day in Tokyo started off better than the day before but I was very tired because of not getting very much sleep in the night. Unfortunately by five in the morning our hostel room is full of light and I am awake around then and cannot get back to sleep. Finally got up around eight and went to pick up some milk to add to my breakfast then headed to the kitchen to eat and slowly gain some brain power. I started the day off by going to Ueno Park and then made the trek to Rikugien Garden. After finding the garden I made my way back to the hostel but took a different route (you know for fun); well I ended up going right when I should have gone left and ended up walking for a good twenty minutes before I realized this and had to walk back a bit and then go the way I should have. On my way back to the hostel I stopped at the supermarket to pick up some lunch. I got a delicious premade lunch that was so filling. I spent the afternoon chilling in my room. I was very tired from all the walking and the rain from the morning just wouldn’t stop and I was tired of being soaking wet. At five I headed back to the super market to pick up some dinner and stretch my legs since the rain had finally stopped. After I relaxed in the hostel because I was feeling very tired by this point and was hoping to get an early night in. You know considering I had a very long two and a half days ahead of me.

The clouds hang low over the city concealing the top part of the Tokyo sky tree.  My final day in Tokyo and second to last day of my adventure started off again with rain. Since I was checking out this morning I had a shower before heading out to pick up milk for my breakfast. Then I took some time to relax in my room until it was time to check out. After storing my luggage in the hostel I headed out to walk through shopping areas and take a closer look at the Tokyo SkyTree. The SkyTree is huge! It is the tallest point in all of Tokyo and on a sunny, non-smog day you can see all over Tokyo. After, I went back to the hostel for a bit before heading out to get some lunch. With lunch complete I settled back in at the hostel for a few hours before going out for a long walk to waste time and get some “fresh” air. On my way back I got some snacks for the trip home and additives for dinner that night. Then it was chill time until it was a reasonable time to head to the airport for the night. (Yes another night of sleeping in the airport) Once I got to the airport I settle with a couple of seats and wrote for a while before trying to zone out the happenings going on around me to try and maybe get a few hours’ sleep. The final leg of my journey was about to commence!!!!!!!!!!

Tokyo, Japan was not all I was hoping for. I would definitely advise against spending all your time in the city. It is worth the stop though to get ones bearings and adjust but don’t stay there. Tokyo did not steal my heat away but considering the journey I had coming up it was nice to have a relaxed stop to prepare mentally for what would be an emotionally demanding trip. Next stop…..HOME SWEET HOME!!!!
Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Seoul, South Korea

I stand in the customs line up wishing they would move things along. It is getting late and been a long day. I just want to get to my hostel and find some food! I have to go through this process though if I want to get into Seoul so I grit my teeth and bear it for a little while longer. Got to love the customs!

The air feels cleaner and the cool breeze feels good on sun kissed skin. My first day in Seoul started earlier than I had planned due to my cell phone dying and there being no other clocks around to tell me what time it was. This allowed me some extra time on the computer to sort through some things and talk with friends back home, so not wasted time. Around 9 I headed out to the subway and made my way to Gyengbokgung Palace where I explored the area and watched a portion of a Korean style changing of the guards. The guard uniforms in Korea are so colorful compared to those of Europe. After I went to the National Folk Museum of Korea which was fun to walk around and the bonus was it being free to go into! (Great place to take kids because they can run around and explore the different buildings.) After, I went to Gwanghwamon Square and Cheonggyecheon Stream which is a natural stream that the city of Seoul was built around. The only thing done to the stream was concrete walls built up around it and sidewalks now lay along it. It is a really beautiful spot and my favorite part of Seoul. After it was off to Insa-Dong Street and area to explore the shops and get some lunch. While wondering around I decided to pick up some red bean stuff potato cakes to try because red bean seems to be a big thing in Korea. Not my thing but it was good to try! Then I headed back to the hostel for the day to relax for a bit before getting some dinner at a local pizza joint. Then it was back to the hostel for ice cream and bed.

I wake to the sounds of alarm clocks ringing and the muffled chatter of constructions workers on a nearby street. My second day in Korea did not start off as early as the day before thank goodness. Traveling takes a lot of a person and any opportunity NOT to get up early needs to be taken.  After having some breakfast I began my day’s excursions by going to the Korean War Memorial site. This was a really interesting stop. There were lots of tanks and planes from all the different countries who fought in the war. Then it was a short walk to Itaewon Street to wonder about for a bit and to pick up some lunch before heading back the way I came but then heading off towards City Hall. Along the way I made a pit stop to look at the Sungyemun Gate which had pieces of the old Seoul City wall attached to it. Also, took lots of pictures of the N Seoul Tower up on Namsan Mountain. It was shocking to see the smog hanging around it giving it a hazy look. (oh how I long to see beautiful sunrises and sunsets again!) Came across Culture Station Seoul and Nandaemun Market while walking which was pretty cool to look at as well. After stopping at City Hall it was back to the hostel for a while (I was starting to burn) to have some down time before dinner. After dinner I was going to go for a walk but ended up chatting for over an hour with a hostel guest and his buddies who were hanging out for a bit. After they left it was time to shower and settle in for the night.

The streets have come alive with activity with people hustling around doing some shopping and looking in on booths in the street markets. My final day in Seoul was a quiet day. In the morning I went to the Ewha’s Women University and had a look around there; then made the walk back to hostel and stopped in at a nearby bakery to pick up some lunch. In the afternoon I headed to Hongdae Street to look around the area for a bit and found an ice cream stop that was selling 32cm tall ice cream cones (not including the cone!). I just had to get one just because and it was a nice treat too. Then went back to the hostel for the day to relax and wait for it to be a good time to head to the airport for the night. Went for the 940pm train and got to the airport at 1030pm. Had to get sorted out and navigate my way through the airport to the correct part of the terminal for my airlines. Once there I found myself some decent benches to sleep on for the night. Once settled in it was time to attempt to get some sleep.

Seoul is a great city for the young traveller. It is full of youth because of the many universities in the city and has a great night life. The city is very tourist friendly as well which makes it easy to get around and enjoy the sites. I, for one, left a piece of me there and would love to go back one day…whose coming?

Dream Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Beijing, China

I walk up to the customs counter with butterflies in my stomach. I am hoping to get a 72 hour transit pass for Beijing because getting a visa was going to be too much of a headache. There is this chance I will be stuck in the airport until Wednesday. Thankfully after some research to confirm my identity, making sure my embarkation card is filled out to her liking, and confirm that there is indeed a flight leaving within 72 hours with me on it I am given the stamp of approval and allowed to pass into the city that is Beijing.

Rain crashes does creating puddles in minutes while people scurry for cover. My first day in Beijing started off with me waking from a really good night sleep. The hostel I stayed at was very quiet and I was so tired that I only woke for a couple seconds to the sounds of people coming in before falling back into a deep sleep.  After having a quiet breakfast in my room I headed out around 730am. I first went to Tianmen Square but had to come back to the hostel for my rain coat because the heavens had opened up and there was no stopping it. After retrieving my jacket I explored Tianmen Square in detail. I saw the Railway Museum, National Museum of China, and the National Theater. After some more meandering around it was off to get some lunch and have a bit of down time at the hostel. I then made my way over to the other side of the highway to explore a bit there. About in a hour into it though I had to beeline it back to the hostel as it had begun to pour even harder than in the morning and my coat was becoming soaked through as well as my pants and shoes. Making it back to the hostel I changed out of my wet clothes so they could dry and curled up in bed for a bit to read before heading out to get some dinner. For dinner I went to a local restaurant around the corner from the hostel and had the noodle with beef bowl which was delicious. I am having to work on my chop stick mastery while I am here as places do not provide forks even to the little Canadian girl. By this time I was starting to get it when it came to noodles. Then I went for a walk along the streets/markets surrounding the hostel to see what was up. I then went to the local 7-eleven to grab something for breakfast the next morning before making my way back to the hostel for the night. Being up and going by 7am in the morning had led to a very long and busy day and I was ready for bed.

The sun shines in the morning and there are pieces of blue sky to be seen which brings forth pieces of landscape to be seen from afar that yesterday I didn’t even know existed.  My second day Beijing started with me waking from an even better night’s sleep than the night before. I must have been even more tired than the night before because I did not hear a single person come in or out of the hostel room. After dressing I headed to the brother hostel to the one I was staying at to see if I could get access to wifi there. I had no luck getting it at my own. No such luck though so dropped my computer off back at the hostel and headed out for the day. I started off by going to Baihai and Jingshaw parks and was amazed to see buildings that the day before I could see at all. Then I came back to the hostel for a bit before heading out to get some lunch. After lunch I headed out to do some subway hopping to check out some points of interest that could not be reached efficiently by walking. I went to the CCTV Tower, Summer Palace, and the Beijing Olympic Park. Ending with the Beijing Olympic Park was a perfect way to end my stay in Beijing. The 2008 Beijing Olympics were a huge point in Canadian Show Jumping History so it was really special to be there and see it. I then went back to the hostel to change shoes and put some more layers on before going to the same restaurant but this time to have pork/veggie dumplings. They…were…AMAZING!!!! The order gave me 20 small dumplings but I could have eaten double that easily.  Then I went for a walk and had an ice cream before heading back to the hostel for the night.

The short 72 hours in Beijing, China did not give me enough time to see everything but it did give me enough time to do one thing and that was to fall for the city of Beijing and the country of China. This is going to be a city I come back to in the future. The vibe of the city is great and there is just so much to see and experience. One question remains though…who is coming with me?!

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

UlaanBaatar, Mongolia

I am exhausted and it is all I can do to make it through one more inspection without snapping at the customs guard, because for the 4^th time on my journey into Mongolia it is being questioned if I actually need a visa or not. I connect with my taxi driver who takes me to my hostel where I settle in before doing some shopping, exchanging currency, and having some dinner. There are a number of hours of day light left but UlaanBaatar has to wait until tomorrow. Exhaustion and a cold have taken over and I need to rest after a long 24 plus hours of travel.

There is a chill to the air and rain sprinkles down from above as I walk the streets of UlaanBaatar. One would think I would have had a nice restful sleep my first night in Mongolia and I can tell you I welcomed one but it was not too be. Unfortunately along the last part of my travels I ended up eating something on the plane or from my store of food that led to me contracting food poisoning. This led to the worst travel night on record (and I have had some rough one) and probably the top horror story of my travels beating out my nightmare of a struggle to make it home from London, England in 2013. This led to a quiet morning at the hostel making sure all symptoms of the food poisoning had passed and that my light breakfast of cereal and milk stayed down. I then headed out to do some close to home exploring. I ended up seeing The Blue Sky Tower, Parliament House, and Chinggis Khaan Square; plus many other architecturally interesting museums and buildings. After a couple hours of exploring I was feeling hungry so stopped for a light lunch before going back to the hostel to rest for the remainder of the day. Fortunately, food stayed down and by the end of the day I was feeling much better.

The sun shines through the closed curtains and adds a depth of comforting warmth to the air that was not present the day before. My second night in the city brought a wonderful, long, and restful sleep. After 3 nights of interrupted sleep or lack thereof my body finally gave in and it didn’t matter that there was activity going on around or lights still on. After a quiet breakfast at the hostel I made my away out to wonder around behind The Blue Sky Tower. On my way back to the hostel I stopped in at the Souvenir House to pick out my souvenir for the stop. I ended up spotting some Mongolian style riding equipment. Looking at it and admiring the handy work made me realize how much I miss riding and can’t wait to get going again when I get home. Then it was back to the hostel for a little bit before going out to get some lunch and take a short walk. Still feel really run down (thank you cold) I relaxed in the hostel for the afternoon and watched a movie. Then it was time for some dinner and to go out for an evening walk to stretch the legs and look about behind the hostel for a bit. Then it was time to call it a night and hope to get to sleep quickly again and kick the last bit of this cold in the butt.

It is 720am when I look at my clock and I immediately turn over and go back to sleep not wanting to start up just yet. My final day in Mongolia started off with sun again but still nice cool temperatures. After some breakfast it was off to explore Gandantegchinlen Monastery and surrounding buildings. It is a really beautiful and peaceful spot first thing in the morning on a Saturday. It was nice to walk around and observe the beautiful art work of the gates and buildings without crowds of people around. I then took a walk along Seoul Street before coming back to the hostel for a bit in the hopes of being able to check in for my flight to Beijing the following day. This back fired again unfortunately as check in didn’t open until midnight on the 12^th. (sigh) Instead I had some lunch and still feeling under the weather and mightily congested I decided to rest in the afternoon. Around 430pm I headed out for a walk and some dinner before stopping in at the currency exchange to change my Mongolian the Chinese. This as well back fired on me (story for another time or feel free to ask me personally) so I went back to the hostel to prepare for leaving the following day.

UlaanBaatar, Mongolia is an up and coming city. However, for one to fully enjoy all is splendor you need have a substantial amount of cash on you. Not just to get here but to also take part in excursions and treks to the area surrounding it. I hope to come back one day and take in more of this uncharted land and I hope to here of more people coming to the country to enjoy the beauty of it.

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Kathmandu, Nepal

I fall into my bed exhausted and cannot wait for sleep to take over but within minutes the dogs on the streets start to bark and howl. This continues on for a couple of hours stopping sleep from overtaking my state of mind. Kathmandu was not all that I was hoping for but in the end a meager 2-3 days was just not going to be the ticket to getting a lot out of Nepal. In the end it was still an eye opening couple of days.

After a rough night’s sleep I awake to the sound of chanting and music coming out of a nearby temple. It is a soothing and welcoming sound that reminds me that I am in a very different part of the world from where I have been in the past. At 8am I pick myself up of bed and get dressed before heading up to the common area to have some breakfast and check Facebook. I then talk with a member of hostel staff and go over a map to figure out where I am going to go during the day. I decide to make my way in Thamel for the morning. As I walk I instantly notice how run down and below the poverty line the city is. Not to mention the earthquake damage that is still very visible around the city. Even with all the rundown buildings the local people go on as if nothing is wrong and many smiles can be seen. In amongst all the damage are some really beautifully painted buildings; a sign that they are rebuilding and working to bring the city back. After some exploration I make my way back to the hostel for some down time and lunch. I then decide to make my way out to explore around Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple). With my exploration done I make my way back to the hostel for the day. For dinner I get adventurous and have Dal Bhat a traditional Nepali dish that consists of lentil soup, rice, chicken, and veggies. It was spicy but delicious! After I spend the evening relaxing and end up going to bed at 830pm as time change and a restless night had caught up with me.

I awake to sunlight streaming in around the curtains of the room along with the gentle sound of chanting and music coming in. It a calming way to wake up in the morning and I am going to miss it when I leave the next day. After a leisurely breakfast I head out for a short walk to take some more pictures and pull out some Nepali rupee for emergency situations and to purchase a souvenir. I then come back to the hostel for some lunch and to attempt to check in for my flight tomorrow. Unfortunately the later failed to happen but I can do it at the airport in the morning. I print out an updated e-ticket just in case they needed to see it at the airport (there had been a major change to the schedule for the next part of my trip so my original print out was not correct). I then head out to search out a souvenir from a market stall along the path leading up to Swayambhunath. I find myself a nice key chain. Objective complete I headed back to the hostel for the day. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and preparing to leave at 8am the next morning.

I leave Nepal feeling conflicted. A part of me is very glad to be leaving but a part of me does not want to leave but wants to head out to trek through the mountains and develop a deeper connection with the country. It has been an eye opening couple of days. Through seeing the poverty throughout the city and the “3^rd world” way of life I have come to see just how VERY fortunate I am to live where I do and to have the life that I have. From here on out whenever I will look at my life differently.

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I feel like I am living in the lap of luxury as I look around my hotel room in Kuala Lumpur. As much as this stop over was not planned or what I wanted the thought of a quiet night to myself is welcoming. I am not going to let the next 24hours go to waste though. There is a city out there that needs to be explored if even for a few hours.

I wake up and for a moment forget where I am; the big is bigger than normal and the covers are soft and wrap around me as a protective layer. My one and only day in Kuala Lumpur started off with a hearty breakfast of countless pastries, yogurt, pancakes, French toast, hash brown, and juice. As I sit eating my breakfast I look around the restaurant area and feel out of place. Everyone else is better dressed than me and looks like they belong here. I choose to ignore this though and enjoy my breakfast before going to the counter to talk to the reception about the most budget conscious way to get  into the city for a couple of hours. I find out there is a bus that will take me right into the city for next to nothing and can get me there in back in time for my flight. I then head up to my room to do a couple last minute things before checking out and leaving my bags in the care of the hotel while I go out for the day. I then make my way to the basement to purchase my ticket and await the bus. There is a bit of confusion as to what bus I am supposed to get on but eventually all is sorted and I get on the correct bus to make the hour drive into the city center. Once in the city center I take a snap shot of the returning bus schedule then make my way out to explore. I ended up seeing the KL Tower, the Twin Towers, and many buildings of different architecture from both the past and the present. I then scout out a place to grab a cool drink and relax for a bit before making my way back to the bus station. Along my way back I run into a group of…MONKEYS!!!!! I am able to get within a foot of them and crouch down to their level to get some good pictures of them. I don’t dare get any closer though as I don’t want to antagonize them and risk having stuff thrown at me. After purchasing my bus ticket back to the hotel I sit down on the bench to wait and end up chatting with a couple of ladies also waiting to get the bus back. We chat away the whole time we wait and then share the agony of being in a bus where the air conditioning is not working. We, along with the rest of the buses residents, have the driver open the bus door for the drive so that we don’t completely soak through our clothing with sweat. As I get off the bus I give my new friend my full name on the back of my bus ticket stub so that she can find me on Facebook. I make my way back up to hotel level in the airport and grab a light snack before going into the hotel to have a free drink in the lobby before purchasing my souvenir from the convenience store. It is then time to retrieve my bags, freshen up, and take the hotel buggy up to the terminal. It is then a short ride up the elevators to the departure terminal and off to check in, get through customs/security, and await my flight boarding time.

Kuala Lumpur was not a planned adventure but in the end it was worth it. I made a new friend, I got to see monkeys, and I got a quiet night to myself to get a well-rested sleep in luxury. Now it is time to move on to the final part of the journey through Nepal, Mongolia, China, South Korea, and Japan before heading home. I am excited to see what the last part of the adventure will bring but I am also very ready to go home. That won’t stop me from seeing places I have dreamed of seeing though.

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Taipei, Taiwan

The beauty and modernism of Taipei is amazing. The temples add the connection to the history of the city and country that otherwise would be hard to see without deep investigation. I feel in love with Taipei instantly with its clean air and friendly/helpful people that come to ask if you need help without any poking from a lost traveller. This brings along a blanket of safety that makes one time in the city enjoyable beyond words.

As I walk through a street market the rich aromas of open spices fill my nose. My first day in Taipei was amazing. I woke to sunshine coming though the drapes and felt like I had just spent the night sleeping a private hotel room instead of a hostel room with eight other people. It was so peaceful and the bed so soft and cozy. After a yummy breakfast and making up some lunch I headed out to the city center for the day. I bought a 48 hour train pass to use to get around the city with ease. I got off at Taipei Main Station and started off a little discombobulated to start out with but eventually I got myself situated. The points of interest I saw were the Museum of Contemporary Art, City God Temple, Real House Theater, the Presidential Office, Longshan Temple, National Museum of History, National Concert Hall and Theater, and Chiangi Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. The Chiangi Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and National Concert Hall and Theater were my favorite points and not just because the color purple was involved. They are so grand and beautiful. They took my breath away just looking at them. Lunch for the day was spent sitting on the floor along with many others in the middle of Taipei Main Station. Don’t worry the floor was very clean and I felt like one of the group. When all my exploring was done it was back to the hostel for a nap. After a slow wake up from my nap I made my way out to have a quick peruse of the Shilin Night Market. That was going to need a lot longer to fully explore and my legs were not up to it my first night so I made my way to the local grocers for an ice cream before coming back to the hostel for a little more to eat. Then it was time for a quick shower before settling in for the night.

I wake up in the morning wrapped in my cozy quilt with sun coming through the drapes and for a moment I forget again that I am in a hostel. My second day in Taipei was just as amazing as my first. I started the day off by heading out with one of the other hostel residents to hike Xingshan (Elephant) Mountain. We started off going the wrong way and ended up going through a very grand cemetery that we believe to be the burial grounds of old political figures. Eventually we found the actual trail entry and after an intense climb (I am so out of shape!) that included numerous flights of stair we finally made it to the top. The view from the top is spectacular and it was so worth the sweat and leg pain. Once we got back to the bottom of the mountain we made our way by train to the Taipei 101 where we wondered around in the air conditioned building for a while before grabbing something to drink/eat in the food court. We then walked around the area to have a look at a couple other buildings that were of interest. One was the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall which was very grand and gave us another good point to look at the Taipei 101. We then made our way back to the hostel where I proceeded to collapse into my bed for a nap and some computer time before having some dinner. I then made my way to the Shilin Market to have a more detailed look around. It is huge with so much to see! From carnival games to lots of food vendors to stores one can spend countless hours walking around. I got back in a little before eight and went for a much needed shower before curling up in my bed for the night. I knew I was going to get a really good nights’ sleep after all the walking I did.

There is a boom then a flash as rain crashes onto the ground soaking passersby in seconds. Okay fill in the blanks; my third day Taipei involved a lot of______. If you guessed rain you guessed correctly. The morning started off extra cozy but I slithered out of bed a little before 830am to get ready and then have  some breakfast before going to grab the train down two stops before my 48hour pass ran out. I made the excursion out to see out the Taipei Confucius Temple and the Dalongdong Baoan Temple. I got right royally soaked but thankfully it was still 26 degrees Celsius out so was still warm. My original plan had been to then walk back to the hostel and check out one other temple along the way, but the rain was coming down so hard that I decided to make my way back to the hostel by train. I then spent the remainder in doors as the rain did not let up and I didn’t have anywhere else I wanted to go. At five I made my way over the one booth in Shilin Market to pick up a souvenir then got an ice cream before coming back to the hostel for some more dinner and to do some computer work. Then it was shower time before curling up in bed for the night.

Taipei, Taiwan finally brought the beautiful temples that I had been waiting to see. All were gorgeous and elaborately designed; taking ones breathe away. It was hard to take all the detail of one temple in. Taipei also brought with it a level of modernism that Bangkok and Hanoi didn’t have. I don’t want to leave because I feel so safe and happy here; however, it is time to head off to the next city!

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith

Hanoi, Vietnam

I have to scan the crowd of people surrounding the arrival terminal doors to find the driver holding the sign for me. That is a glamourized way of describing the thankfully quick search that began my time in Hanoi. It was a great way to start of my time with the driver being the friendliest of all the hostel people. Hanoi is a busy city with the streets constantly full of cars and scooters galore but it adds to the city atmosphere in a way that makes a person want to sit and just watch all the happenings.

My travel day into Hanoi was very smooth. I left the hostel in Bangkok (happily) around 715am and got a taxi with ease that got me to the train station in no time. After a bit of searching and question asking I finally found my point of access to the train/tickets I needed to get to the airport. I got to airport early so I order some breakfast and plunked myself down at a table to wait for check-in time to commence. After dropping off my bag and getting through security/customs I exchanged the currency I had before finding a comfortable seat to await boarding time. After the uneventful flight with somewhat dismal food compared to previous flights I made my way with grace through customs after a bit of confusion as to where I needed to go. It was then a mad dash to grab my bag before it got out of reach and meet up with the guy who then took me to the hostel. Once checked in I relaxed for a bit in the room then made my way out for some dinner and a little walk around before calling it a night.

Zoom, zoom, zoom go the scooters on the road as ones tries to navigate a safe path through to the other side. My first day in Hanoi was a lot of fun. I had the best night sleep I had had in a number of days so that made it start off right. In the morning I wondered around Hoan Kien Lake and surrounding streets. I had lunch at Wrap and Roll where I ate crispy rice with ham and squid. It was disappointing. It was very dry and had basically no meat in it. Then it was back to the hostel to have a nap and relax through the hottest part of the day. At five I went to get some dinner from a local vendor which was really good. A little later on I headed out to hang out with a couple of roomies while they ate then we headed into the city center stopping for some sugar kane drink (squeezed to order) and then headed up to a terrace coffee shop where they had a drink while we looked out over the city at night. We then went for a little walk through a night market and around the lake stopping at a very popular ice cream vendor for some Vietnamese style ice cream. It is slightly sweeter and has a slightly different taste to it plus it is good. We then made our way back to the hostel for the night. Once there I collapsed into my bed tired and ready for sleep.

Beep, beep, beep, go car and scooter horns as a sign of warning and agitation to other drivers and pedestrians.  My second day in Hanoi started off again with a very good night sleep.  This just shows how tired I was considering I had a nap in the afternoon! In the morning of day two I started off by going to see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and surrounding areas.  After I made a quick stop at the hostel to get more info about the main grocery store in the city; this turned out to be a good thing because I got some useful information on getting in etc. I then made my way over there to stock up on snacks for the next part of the trip. After dropping the food off at the hostel it was time to get some lunch before hunkering down in the air conditioned room for the afternoon while temperature rose to it feeling like 47 degrees outside thanks to the humidity. At five I went to get some dinner and go for a walk around the lake where I made a pit stop at the ice cream place before making my way back to the hostel for the day. Once back at the hostel I made arrangements for transport to the airport on Monday and settled up for what I was owing to the hostel. After that is was time to settle in for the night and relax.

There is a damp coolness in the air after the soaking of the night before. I kept it pretty low key on my final day in Hanoi. I ended up not getting a very good night sleep my third night in Hanoi. There were a number of interruptions during the night that woke me up and then kept me up. I started off by going for a walk in the morning when it was cool out then went back to the hostel for down time and to check in to my flight for Taipei the next day. After that it was time to have some lunch and decide what to do next. I decided to just hang out at the hostel for the afternoon since the temperatures were going up and I was tired. A little before 5 I headed out for dinner and to go for a walk around the lake, making a pit stop at the ice cream shop along the way. After I got back to the hostel I worked on my blog and some other computer work before going for a shower and packing for tomorrow. Then it was time to wind down a bit and then curl up in bed and get some much needed sleep.

Hanoi, Vietnam turned out to not be all I was expecting it to be. In the end though I still saw some neat stuff and got to experience the night life a bit. Hanoi is a place I would send people. It is a nice city to see and there is access to a lot of outside excursions that if one has more time they can take part in. For now though it is off to the next city!

Dream, Believe, Imagine, Achieve,

Meredith