Currently Listening to: “Loud Places” by Jamie XX
I’ve been home now for just over two weeks and I’m still adjusting to life in one place. My journey home wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped. After traveling from Boracay to Bangkok for 22 hours, my body was exhausted. By the time I arrived in Guangzhou, for my six-hour layover, I was not concerned about trying to beat the jet lag. I simply wanted to sleep. I asked about the lounge that I was supposed to have access to, but was told that it was in a different terminal and wasn’t allowed to go there. I eventually found an empty gate and a corner to throw my backpack down and sleep for two hours. It was the restful, unglamourous sleep, you know the kind where you pass out with your mouth wide open? I thought it would help, but I was wrong.
Missing the magic of Bagan, Burma
One of my favorites views of San Francisco
I boarded my last flight of the journey, an eleven and half hours flight straight to San Francisco. It was long enough to have two full meals, and after that second meal, my stomach suddenly decided it didn’t like meat and white rice. After three months of eating anything and everything put in front of me on a table, trying the food as I walked past carts on the street, and making our tuk-tuk stop for food on the highway, my body had enough. I endured the last five hours of my flight home with the worst stomach ache I have had in years. After landing, I thought I felt better only to go straight to my parent’s guest bed for two and half days. I finally emerged from my little cave on Friday the 20th in the afternoon only to catch a cold over that weekend.
My time at home hasn’t been ideal, but I still have been rather productive. I have found time to catch up with some of my friends already and I was thrilled to see my family over the Thanksgiving weekend. I have also made some decisions on my next steps.
I’m currently working a part time retail job through the holiday season. In January, I am joining my parents on a trip to Nicaragua for two and half weeks. The plan is to visit places we’ve never been to in Nicaragua. I’m excited that Corn Island is on the itinerary and I’m planning on diving in there as well as sandboarding down Cerro Negro. I’m never one to turn down the chance at exploring something new, and this is particularly interesting to me. I haven’t been to Nicaragua in seven years and I am keen to get back down there. I also cannot wait to escape the cold weather.
In the meantime, I’ll be doing research on the companies I plan to apply to when I return from Nicaragua. I may post again as I help my family plan out the itinerary for Nicaragua and I will definitely post while on vacation with my family. Until then, I’ll be enjoying the holiday season in the freezing cold.
Strange Trails 