The Adventurous Explorer

Travel & Discovery

2013 Travel Highlights

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I started writing out my annual review, but realized I should probably dedicate a post just to my travel and entertainment highlights. Without a doubt, I did A LOT this past year. Hoping for more excitement in the travel/entertainment department in the new year.

Travel Highlights

  • Visited Istanbul & Athens

    • Saw the Aya Sofya, Sultanhamet Mosque, explored Istanbul

    • Ate and drank in Istanbul: apple tea, soccer game while having nargile

    • Visited the Parthenon and Acropolis

    • Witnessed demonstrations happening at the Greek Parliament

    • Drank a freddocappucino while looking at the Acropolis

    • Watched the sunset over the Aegean Sea atop a hill in Athens.

    • Ate all the delicious feta, gyros, and desserts.

  • Visited Annapolis, MD

    • Ate Maryland crab for the first time!

  • Visited NYC multiple times throughout the year

    • March for my very first Armin van Buuren concert!

    • Headed up for Memorial Day, July 4th Weekend and Labor Day Weekend to meet up with friends, including a trip to both the Jersey Shore and Long Island beaches with friends.

    • Saw my fourth broadway show ever: Newsies

  • Visited Toronto, ON

    • Saw the CN Tower

    • Went to Niagara Falls

    • Visited the largest Asian Mall in North America (Pacific Mall)

    • Visited my very first Microbrewery

    • Experienced the hostel life yet again!

    • Ate poutine and explored Toronto

    • Had the most amazing boba ever — Mango Slush!

  • Went to New Orleans, LA

    • Traveled for the first time with two of my really good friends!

    • Experienced the debauchery of Bourbon Street

    • Ate incredibly delicious food! Dat Dog, Cafe du Monde, Oysters in Biloxi, Gautreau Restaurant (foie gras, rack of lamb)

    • Went on a swamp tour and saw some alligators

    • Went to Biloxi, Mississippi and went to my very first Gulf Coast Beach

    • Visited Ward 9 (Hurricane Katrina)

  • Went to Chicago, IL

    • Explored the city with my roommate and friends

    • Went to the Sears Tower, John Hancock Observatory, Boystown

  • Went to Charlottesville, VA

    • took a day trip with friends down to Charlottesville

    • went to Monticello, hiking at Humpback Rocks, getting chicken at a random gas station, and stopping by a random restaurant for some BBQ

  • Went to Philly, PA

    • First time heading to Penn for homecoming. Made me realize just how long it’s been since I was in college.

  • Heading down the Central Coast and San Diego, CA

    • Drove over 1000 miles in my Chevy Cruze rental along PCH.

    • Visited Hearst Castle. Stunning piece of real estate!

 

Entertainment Highlights

  • Went snowboarding for the second time in my life with friends in Virginia

  • First time watching the Wizards and Capitals at the Verizon Center. Also attended several Nationals baseball games throughout the summer.

  • Saw a lot more concerts than I ever have: Andrew McMahon, National Symphony Orchestra, .fun, Tegan & Sara, Justin Timberlake, King the Kid, Alex Goot, Carly Rae Jepsen, Hot Chelle Rae, Marine Corps Presidential Band,

  • Went to the beach several times: Jersey Shore, Long Island, Rehoboth

  • Went hiking throughout the year: Shenandoah Valley, Charlottesville

  • Attended some awesome events: 2013 Presidential Inauguration, YPFP’s Affairs of State, CAPAL Ball, Embassy Walk, Washington PRIDE, YPFP Annual Retreat, summer beer and festivals, and too many YPFP speaker events to recall!

Goal Reviews: Q2 ’13

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A lot has happened since I’ve last updated. Let’s see how I’m progressing on my 2013 goals:

  • HSK: no progress.
  • GMAT: no progress.
  • Half-marathon: Finally signed up for one later this year, but have only loosely stuck to my running schedule.
  • Blog monthly: I have a bunch of unfinished drafts, but haven’t posted any.
  • Attend mass monthly: the only goal that I’ve been able to maintain all year!
So clearly I haven’t maintained focus on most of my goals. After keeping a log of my goals for the past two years, I’ve realized that goals, like everything else, are often subject to change. During the past couple of months, I’ve spent a lot of my time: 
  • Day job. It’s been a hectic couple of months, but I’m glad that I’m at a place where I’m still being challenged on an almost daily basis.
  • Freelancing. I finished my engagement with the Philippine-based foundation several months ago. Haven’t worked on anything else since then, but hoping to gradually build up a client base.
  • YPFP. It’s been a series of transitions and growing pains since I’ve began volunteering with YPFP. At times, I’ve questioned my involvement. Overall though, I truly believe in the organization, and I know I (as well as everyone on staff) can accomplish great things. Now it’s just finding the time, resources, accountability and motivation to ensure things get executed!
That covers it from a professional perspective. Now, for the fun stuff! 
  • Paid off a student loan! Still quite a ways to go, but progress is progress!
  • Traveling. Went on several road trips (Southern California, New York), visited a couple new cities (Toronto, New Orleans), and have gone to the beach several times this summer (Jersey Shore, Long Island).
  • Concerts. Have a slew of concerts lined up over the next couple of weeks through October, including my favorites: Justin Timberlake and Electric Zoo.
Overall, it’s been an exhausting past couple of months. There are some things that I wish I could be doing more of, like catching up on my reading list, bringing my business idea to life and sleeping, but I can honestly say that these past few months have been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling in a way that I haven’t felt in years. That, I think, is a good thing! 

Wanderlust: America’s Heartland

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Every couple of months or so, I hop on a plane and make the 5-hour journey out west back to California. I’ve been flying cross-country for several years now, to the point that the whole process has become something of a ritual. Packing usually happens the day of the flight. Emptying out my pockets, undoing my belt, and removing my laptop from my backpack as I head through security are all perfunctory. Upon boarding the plane, I make my way to my seat, store my backpack, shut the window shades, slip on my headphones, and fall asleep or watch some movies. Several hours later, I arrive at LAX and am on my way.

So, this past weekend, when I made that trip yet again, I expected the journey to be like any other. But it wasn’t. Throughout the flight, I couldn’t help but peer out of my window, looking at the never-ending landscape below. The endless forests of the East gradually giving way to endless flat farmland of the Midwest, then abruptly ending with the Rockies, then hundreds of miles of desert before touching down in Southern California. This whole region, Middle America, or what’s sometimes referred to derogatorily as flyover country, was never on my radar of places where I’d consider visiting. As someone born and raised on an island, I couldn’t imagine living more than a couple of hours away from the Ocean.

However, after reading Joel Kotkin’s book, The Next Hundred Million: America in 2050, I’m intrigued by what life could be like to live in America’s Heartland. Kotkin argues that although there have been growing concerns that America is in decline, he believes America will maintain its role as the world’s preeminent nation, in part, due to the nation’s abundance of land and natural resources. As coastal cities become increasingly unaffordable, Kotkin argues many Americans, both immigrants and citizens, will opt to move to America’s interior. While I have no intention of giving up my bi-coastal lifestyle, I do think it’s kind of ridiculous that, despite living abroad, I’ve never visited nor spent a single night anywhere in America beyond the Coasts. This needs to change. Hope I can make it out there someday.

Reflections on Uncertainty

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Me atop a mountain on Thanksgiving day, 2012, during my 5 month sojourn around Taiwan/Southeast Asia.

Me atop a mountain on Thanksgiving day, 2012, during my 5 month sojourn around Taiwan/Southeast Asia.

Several months ago, I willingly plunged head first into a period of uncertainty. I knew what I wanted to do and was willing to risk everything to follow my gut, but I feared the consequences my decisions would entail.

Last days always leave me with mixed emotions: excited and anxious for what is to come, reflective and appreciative of what has passed. As I look back on the past months, the three things that I’ll take away from this unique period of my life are:

The people met, places seen, and experiences had. Novelty to anything, both concrete and abstract, is something that I constantly seek. I enjoy being stimulated and challenged. I knew my experiences abroad would enable me to achieve a high degree of stimulation, I didn’t expect to be just as deeply stimulated and engaged once I returned.

Dealing with uncertainty. Being comfortable with discomfort is truly a skill. I don’t think I’ve totally succeeded, but my tolerance for the unknown has increased exponentially throughout my travels and time back in the States.

Beating to my own drum. Societal pressures and perceived obligations might make fulfilling our own dreams seem unrealistic, risky, and an endeavor that only the wealthy can pursue. Living life on your own terms is truly a liberating feeling. I hope everyone can learn how to address the fear and risk involved in order to self-actualize.