Great News!

Although I have been keeping track of my travels via blog for over two years, I have only recently made it my goal to use my travel expertise to help others in a public forum. Since January of this year, I have had several pieces published online. It's a feeling that I know will never get old. This is exactly what I want to do with my life, and I can't believe how many opportunities have already come my way.

I was accepted to the Go Overseas writing corps program back in December and have since had one article published and two in the works. The first is about how to How to Volunteer in Orphanages Abroad and the potential drawbacks, one is about must try food while studying in the United Kingdom, and the last is 7 tips to teaching in India. I hope to work more closely with Go Overseas in the future as there is a lot of potential for growth.

The other website I have had an online affiliation with is Pink Pangea. So far two of my articles have been posted, No Regrets in India and most recently How to Defend Yourself Against Assault in India. I have also recently applied and been accepted for the role of Foreign Correspondent. This means over the next few months while I'm traveling in Thailand and southeast Asia, I will have to submit 1-2 articles a month about my experiences. This is a HUGE step in the right direction for me and I couldn't be more excited.

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as I pursue these leads!

Playing Dress Up

Every little girl loves putting on their princess dresses, their mother’s heels and make-up, and prancing around make believing they are Cinderella. Or perhaps they prefer throwing on their father’s oversized fishing hat and go traipsing through the woods pretending to be Indiana Jones on a great adventure. My personal favorite as a child was taking my doll, dressing her in every article of clothing she owned, attempting to do the same to myself, and then relocating the both of us to the bitterly cold Alaska on an arctic excursion. The point is, there is something deep down in all little girls who grow up to be adventuresome women that is curious about living other kinds of lives. They best express these inclinations through dressing up, creating new identities, and living them out in their make believe worlds.

As a woman, I have discovered that this tendency is not only alive, its thriving. One of my favorite aspects of traveling to new places is entirely immersing myself in to that culture and atmosphere. This is absolutely not achieved in a week long vacation. To fully understand, appreciate, and embody a new environment, you need to become part of the location you are traveling in, and this takes time.

During my three month study abroad semester in London, I donned my khaki colored trench coat, stylish tall boots, black satchel, and Burberry umbrella (most fortuitously found in a bar because, no matter how enthusiastically you adopt a new identity, money doesn’t grow on trees) as I walked to class down the rain soaked streets, or navigated London’s underground on the tube. I loved snuggling up in my oversized sweaters and pea coat on my train rides to Dover, Windsor, and Oxford. 

While working for seven months on a ranch in Montana, I galloped around on horseback in my jeans, flannel, and authentic cowboy boots. I mastered the two-step in my simple country dress. The switchbacks and mountain trails became familiar underneath my sturdy hiking boots. I watched the sun disappear behind the peak of Emigrant Mountain while I reclined on my front cabin porch in my overalls, PBR in hand, the smell of horses in the air.

India, well, India was the most fascinating place to recreate myself, and also the most necessary. As a white woman, I already stood out significantly, and wearing local clothing was one way to assuage that, even if it was just a little bit. I reveled in the ability to walk into a fabric store stocked end to end with the most beautiful colors, embellishments and designs, my only trouble being unable to choose just one. Once my cloth was chosen, after hours of deliberation, I took it to the local tailor to be measured and fitted. One week later I walked out of the shop wearing my aqua colored sari, feeling more beautiful than I ever have in my entire life. Even though I could never assemble the complicated folds and pins without the help of at least five hen-pecking Indian women, I loved wearing my sari to Indian weddings and festivals.

I am currently residing in San Diego, California and am entirely receptive of its beach bum and hippy vibe. I love my long, flowing, brightly colored dresses and skirts. My hair is blond, my skin is tan, and my feet are rough from my nearly constant shoeless state. My bikini is constantly in tow, prepared for the impromptu beach session, and my wet suit hangs in my backyard, ready to catch the next wave.

So you see, anybody can put on different clothes, but the attitude that goes along with this is what’s most important. Attire is only one avenue to adopt your new surroundings, but for me its the easiest to attain and most enjoyable.