My Top 10 Favorite Experiences of 2011

2010 was the year I got my shit together. I paid off all my debt, built up more than $10,000 in savings and moved out of my mom's house at the very end of the year — the day after Christmas.

2011 was the year I went from dreaming to doing. The things I had only dreamt of before — traveling, getting into photography, becoming a serious runner — actually became possible because of the strong financial foundation I built in 2010, and because I really believed in myself for the first time.

2012 will be the year of adventure and possibilities. I'll be on the road for most of the year, if things go according to plan — not that there's much of a plan. I have no idea where I'll be one year from today. Perhaps I'll be sitting down somewhere on the other side of the world to write my 2012 recap, still traveling, or maybe I'll be hauling my few possessions back to my mom's house because I've run out of money.

That kind of uncertainty may drive some people crazy, but I welcome it and its exciting companions: Adventure. Possibilities.

I am certain that 2011 was a fantastic year. Here are my top 10 favorite experiences — and what I learned — from what was undoubtedly the best year of my life.


10. BUYING MY FIRST DSLR AND A NEW LAPTOP

I spent the first half of 2010 paying off debt and the second half building up savings to be able to move out on my own. After a year of meticulous budgeting and penny-pinching, I finally gave myself permission to splurge at the beginning of 2011.

I love my DSLR and my MacBook Pro, but I put the purchases of these items on this list because of what they represented.

After years of racking up instant-gratification credit-card debt, I carefully planned and saved for these items, then bought them with cash — no debt and no guilt. That was a new experience for me, and it felt incredible. I learned that some things are worth waiting for.


9. RIDING (NEARLY) NAKED IN THE FREMONT SOLSTICE PARADE

The main attraction of Seattle's Fremont Fair in June is the Solstice Parade, and thousands of spectators flock to downtown Fremont to see the Painted Cyclists lead the eclectic procession. The cyclists are usually partially or fully nekkid, save for body paint.

I always thought it would be fun to ride in the parade if I could gather the courage, and this year I decided to go for it — with underwear. I saw a few people I knew, and my picture showed up in quite a few Flickr streams, so I'm glad I chose to cover up!

The painting process was a blast and it was a total rush to ride in the parade. Hundreds of bold cyclists commanded the streets of Fremont while thousands of spectators watched. I learned just how fun it is to leave the comfort of the sidelines.


8. RUNNING MY FIRST 10K, 15K AND HALF-MARATHON (PLUS ANOTHER HALF)

The farthest I'd ever raced before this year was 5K (3.1 miles), and the farthest I'd ever run at one time was just 5 miles. It was a fantastic year for running and racing!

Seattle's Best 15K (9.3 miles, pictured above) on my 24th birthday was one of my favorite races, and an incredible way to start out another year of my life. I learned that I could push myself further than I'd ever imagined.


7. RAISING $2,200 FOR THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

In March, I joined the DetermiNation program to fundraise for the American Cancer Society while training for my first half-marathon. Too often I said "no" to things just because they were outside of my comfort zone, so I decided to say "yes" for once — and I'm so glad I did.

I was nervous about hitting the $1,250 fundraising minimum since I hated asking people for money, but thanks to a successful online raffle, an event at work and the generous contributions of many (mostly complete strangers from the Interwebs), nearly $2,200 went to the ACS. I learned that great things can happen when you just say "yes."


6. LEARNING TO SURF, GOING SKYDIVING AND TAKING PHOTOS IN HAWAII

My then-boyfriend, Aaron, and I spent eight days on Oahu in late February soaking up the sun and doing all sorts of fun activities.

I got to use my then-brand-new DSLR a bunch (looking back on the photos has officially convinced me to bring it on my RTW!) and the slow-paced freedom of the trip reinvigorated my desire to travel. I learned that there's much more room in my life for adventure.


5. VISITING NEW YORK CITY BY MYSELF

My trip to NYC ranks higher than my trip to Hawaii only because of what it represented. I went all by myself and still managed to have a ton of fun both alone and with many cool people. I learned to navigate the subway system, ate New York pizza, ran in Central Park, partied on a rooftop and saw everything from Times Square to Occupy Wall Street. I even took three whole blog posts to write about it all: Part I, Part II and Part III.

I just loved wandering through this unfamiliar city by myself. I learned that I could travel the world alone and have a great time, too.


4. COMPLETING MY FIRST TRIATHLON

It was inevitable that I'd get comfortable with running and look to other sports for new challenges. I am a terrible swimmer and an okay cyclist, so why not attempt to improve my weaknesses with a triathlon?

I had so much fun completing my first tri — a super-sprint event that was perfect for newbies. Even though I slowly doggy-paddled and backstroked my way through most of the swim, I felt stronger and stronger throughout the race as I transitioned to the bike and the run. I finished with so much pride because I did it even though I knew I wouldn't be great at it. I learned that the most important part is the doing.


3. ATTENDING THE WORLD DOMINATION SUMMIT



This conference in June marked the first time I traveled to a new city by myself, the first time I stayed in a hotel room alone and, actually, the first time I ever went to a conference! I didn't know a single person who would be there until the night before I went to Portland.

I left WDS with a bunch of new friends, a massive amount of inspiration and the lasting effects of a life-changing revelation. I wouldn't be in the midst of planning a RTW trip right now if I hadn't gone to WDS. I learned that I want to live an unhurried life.


2. QUITTING MY JOB TO TRAVEL THE WORLD



After months of feeling unhappy with my 8-5 routine and knowing that I wanted to spend a year traveling, I threw my "responsible" plan in the FUCK IT bin and quit my job. I learned that life is too short to waste time doing anything but following your dreams.


1. CROSSING THE FINISH LINE OF MY FIRST MARATHON

Yup, running my first marathon absolutely trumped quitting my job. Crossing that finish line in Las Vegas after five months of intense training and four hours and 15 minutes of nonstop running was a feeling I'll never forget. I felt like complete shit immediately afterward, puked six times, could barely walk and couldn't eat solid food for 12 hours, but I loved every moment of my marathon experience.

For 23 years of my life, I never believed I could run a marathon. In my 24th year, I not only ran one, but I also hit my goal time and finished strong. I learned that I can do anything.

***

Thanks to all of you who've joined me on this crazy ride through 2011. Have a happy and safe New Year, and I'll see you in 2012!

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On Vaccines, Health Risks and Overcoming Fear

I had no idea how many travel vaccines I'd be getting Tuesday morning. I guessed four.

I was somewhat correct in that I received four shots in my left arm... plus two in my right.

At least they gave me apple juice.

I wound up with six doses of the following lovely vaccines (Hepatitis A and B were combined in a vaccine called Twinrix):

I also need another dose of Japanese encephalitis and two more doses each of Twinrix and rabies in January. Whee!

But let's begin at the beginning. And please remember: This is simply my experience and is in no way a recommendation for which vaccines you should or should not elect to receive. Talk to a health-care professional and choose what you think is right for you!

I wound up visiting the Hall Health Travel Clinic on the campus of my alma mater, the University of Washington. My insurance company verified that the travel clinic is an in-network provider, meaning that the amount I'll be responsible for paying will be much less than if I visited another clinic that did not have a contract with my insurance company.

I patronized Hall Health for various ailments during my undergrad years, so I was very happy to return to a familiar setting for this somewhat intimidating errand.

Winter break = empty Hall Health. No sick students to deal with!

My visit began with an hour-long travel consultation with Britt, an ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner/A Really Nice Person). Britt has traveled extensively and served her two years in the Peace Corps in Nepal. Unfortunately, she's also seen many people suffer from the diseases I ended up being immunized against, but I'll get to that in a bit.

Britt entered my itinerary into an awesome Web site for health-care professionals called TRAVAX, which then spit out a detailed 44-page report that included immunization requirements/recommendations, health risks and various travel tips for each of the countries I'll be visiting (including South American countries that I haven't yet firmly decided upon). Excellent.

She walked me through the report and we discussed the recommendations for each vaccine. I erred on the side of "better safe than sorry" during my decision-making, even though I know my chances of being infected with things like Japanese encephalitis and rabies are very low.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I envisioned myself on the brink of death due to one of these potentially fatal infections, thinking, "If only I'd gotten that vaccine." Throw in Britt's story about the Japanese encephalitis outbreak she witnessed in Nepal and I was a goner.

Each person should do whatever he or she is comfortable with when choosing vaccines, and I was comfortable with opting for vaccines that others may deem unnecessary. I may not be so comfortable when I get the bill, but let's just cross our fingers, shall we?

The insurance representative I spoke with over the phone told me that the Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis booster), hepatitis A/B, typhoid, rabies and yellow fever vaccines are considered "standard and covered." I asked her about this twice since it sounded a little too good to be true. Fingers. Crossed.

Various types of insect repellent, plus a malaria risk map of Cambodia.

The travel consultation also covered recommendations for obtaining travel insurance and compiling a medical kit, as well as methods for safe eating and drinking, avoiding insect bites, dealing with diarrhea and protecting myself from sexual assault. It was comprehensive, to say the least! I was so glad to be able to ask questions throughout, plus take home a huge folder full of information.

I also walked away with the following prescriptions:

• Zithromax (Azithromycin) — for diarrhea
• Cipro (Ciprofloxacin) — for diarrhea
• Doxycycline — malaria prophylactic
• Diflucan (Fluconazole) — for yeast infections (the malaria pills can make women more susceptible)

Sounds like fun, yes? : )


ON OVERCOMING FEAR

If you think I was overzealous with the vaccines I received, you should realize that it's a freakin' miracle I even got them! In the past, just learning about the health risks of travel would have been enough to make me stay home for good. Now I'm grateful that I have access to all the information I need, and there's no chance that even the scary stuff would quash my plans.

Many people never travel abroad because they fear the unknown. I hear a lot of gasps and receive many concerned looks — even from the woman who administered my vaccines! — when people learn that I'm traveling to so many countries alone. I just shrug and tell them I'll be fine.

It's not that I'm naive or fearless. I simply do as Chris Guillebeau suggests and acknowledge my fears, but proceed anyway. I've realized that the scary things are often the things that are most worth doing.

As I sit here typing, my upper arms aching from the six shots I received yesterday, I think about how I'll go about my travels with a mix of excitement, caution and, yes, fear. Luckily, the excitement reigns supreme, and caution and fear are just along for the ride.

What a hell of a ride it will be.

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What Santa Brought This Traveler

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

My Christmas was lovely, although I'm a bit sad that it's over. It seemed to sneak up out of nowhere and then flew by just as quickly. I have no idea where in the world I'll be for Christmas 2012, so I'll definitely cherish my memories from this year's familiar celebrations.

Laugh if you want, but I totally won this game. Acquire and build, baby.

BON VOYAGE!

I want to wish Gerard (G) and Kieu (Q) of GQ Trippin' a safe journey as they set off on their round-the-world trip today! Q quit her job on Nov. 30 — the same day I cleared out my own cubicle — and we found each other online thanks to that shared experience.

Like me, G and Q are beginning their adventure in New Zealand, and many of their stops can be found on my own itinerary (I promise I'm not stalking them). I hope to meet up with them in Chiang Mai for Songkran in April!


SPEAKING OF MY ITINERARY...

You'll find a new RTW Itinerary page at the top of my blog, which houses the latest version of my ever-changing travel plan. Keep an eye on that page for the latest developments.

Can you find a recent addition? Hint: It's in April, and it rhymes with Lingapore...

I have Enthusiastic Runner's post about her recent visit to Singapore and Anthony Bourdain's Singapore episode of The Layover to thank for that. The food, people. The food.


SANTA'S RTW GIFTS

I didn't ask for much this Christmas. I'm busy getting rid of the stuff I already have, so I have little use for more.

Santa knew I could use a few things, though, and he delivered some very useful items to this soon-to-be traveler.

Lewis N. Clark Duel Converter Kit

This was something I knew in the back of my mind I'd need but failed to really think about. Luckily, my dad came through with this gift to keep me plugged in wherever I travel.

Now that I'm looking at it closely, it looks like I may need an additional adapter situation for my MacBook Pro (the plug has three prongs, whereas this kit only accommodates plugs with two prongs). Tech people: Help?

How to Shit Around the World: The Art of Staying Clean and Healthy While Traveling

Jodi of Legal Nomads recommends this book as a must-read prior to hitting the road. My dad thought it would be funny to wrap it in toilet paper, given the title. Indeed.

I'm only a few chapters in and already having terrible flashbacks to the debilitating food poisoning I enjoyed thanks to sketchy shrimp skewers at a BJ's in Southern California. Thanks for the memories, BJ's.

The book covers everything from ensuring safe drinking water and street food to finding a place to relieve yourself and how to cope without toilet paper. It also includes amusing little bathroom stories from all kinds of travelers, and by amusing, I mean after the fact. I'm sure none of these people were amused while in the throes of illness.

Also on its way to me, thanks to my dad: Point It: Traveller's Language Kit — The Original Picture Dictionary — a passport-sized book of pictures I can point to when other forms of communication fail.

Other than a marriage proposal from Ryan Gosling, this is the best gift a girl could ask for — funding!

I have many things to buy for my trip (first-aid supplies, a waterproof backpack cover and a sleep sack, to name a few), and nothing helps the cause more than some good ol' dolla bills.

My dad and my brother were perhaps too generous in their giving, as there are some very valuable bills hidden in that stack, but I wasn't about to refuse the help. I put Mr. Hamilton on top for this photo because he is, in my opinion, the foxiest President Secretary of the Treasury (thanks for the history lesson, Robb) to grace U.S. currency. Just look at that bone structure.

Deuter ACT Lite 45+10 SL Pack

OK, so Santa didn't deliver this one — I bought it for myself using store credit that Don and my mom generously gifted me well in advance of Christmas Day. I even have credit left over to put toward a daypack!

My mom offered to wrap this for me so I could open it like a traditional gift, but I declined. The pack has been perfectly fine just chilling in the corner of my room, silently reminding me that one day very soon I'll need to pack my life into it and set off into the unknown.

I think the green colors are finally growing on me.


NEXT UP: PAIN AND SUFFERING

Many thanks to my wonderfully generous family members for those fabulous Christmas gifts. Perhaps my (natural) holiday high will last long enough to soften the blow of the many needle jabs I'll receive today.

Yes, friends, it's time for my travel vaccinations! First I have a consultation with a doctor to determine which shots I'll need, and then it's go time. I may need to return a few more times for follow-up doses of certain vaccines.

I'll be busy reminding myself that the stab wounds feel much better than the diseases that they're protecting me against. Hurray for the miracles of modern science!

Look for the full vaccination report soon. Until then, keep living up the final days of 2011 — and tell me, what are your travel must-haves?

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Why Travel? Because Everyone Has a Story

Everyone I've talked to about my upcoming year of travel has been extremely supportive of it, but I think many people don't quite understand it.

I've gotten the following questions a lot:

• Are you trying to find yourself?
• Is it going to be like Eat, Pray, Love?
• When are you going to come back to the real world?

And my answers are usually:

• No, I think I know myself pretty well. But I'd love to actually get lost, and, in doing so, find out so much more.
• God, I hope so, complete with the handsome Brazilian man at the end. (No.)
• The rest of the world is the real world!

So why am I traveling, then?

It has quite a bit to do with my desire to live an unhurried life — one in which I'm free to wander and wonder and do things at my own pace.

That's why you won't find my travel itinerary packed with specific plans and activities to check off. The mostly blank slate is quite intentional; my goal is to let the journey shape itself over time, and to be open to new adventures and detours at any moment.

But I was reminded today of another reason why I'm traveling.

I'm finally reading Bill Clinton's autobiography, My Life, which I've had on my bookshelf for years.

In it, he writes:

I learned a lot from the stories my uncle, aunts, and grandparents told me: that no one is perfect but most people are good; that people can't be judged only by their worst or weakest moments; that harsh judgments can make hypocrites of us all; that laughter is often the best, and sometimes the only, response to pain. Perhaps most important, I learned that everyone has a story — of dreams and nightmares, hope and heartache, love and loss, courage and fear, sacrifice and selfishness. All my life I've been interested in other people's stories. I've wanted to know them, understand them, feel them.

I feel the same way, and maybe that's why I got a journalism degree but never became a reporter. I love to write, but I didn't want to write dry articles about city-council meetings and stormwater drainage. (That's a link to an actual article I wrote about stormwater drainage — get excited.) That stuff is important, but it's not what lights my fire.

I like to write about people and their lives. My favorite stories to write for journalism classes and internships were profiles, like this one I wrote about Devin Hampton. He went from being an unmotivated kid who never went to class to planning President Barack Obama's premier inaugural ball. I haven't talked with him in a while, but I think Devin is now a part of the Obama administration.

How the hell did he get there? Everyone has a story, and I had the pleasure of discovering and writing about Devin's.

This may sound like bullshit coming from someone who writes not one, but two blogs about herself. But my story is simply the one I know best, and since I'm no longer a journalism student or intern, I'm not forced to step outside of my comfort zone and really get to know others' stories very well.

That changed at the World Domination Summit, where I met tons of different people and learned about their amazing stories. Every attendee seemed to go into the conference with an open mind and his or her guard let down. Swapping your biggest dreams with the near-stranger next to you was the norm, and an attitude that I hope to carry with me throughout my travels.

I may or may not write about the people I meet during my travels on this blog, but I'll hold their stories close just the same. I believe that everyone you interact with throughout your life affects you in some way. Each person can be just a small footnote or an entire chapter in your story. And you never know who will come along and change the plot entirely.

I look forward to learning about others' stories and how they are different from and similar to mine. I can't wait to immerse myself in new surroundings and find out what drives daily life in places that are so foreign to what I've known for 24 years. And, perhaps most of all, I want to discover what it feels like to transcend the boundaries of geography and culture and language in order to really connect with someone.

So, yes, one day I will run out of money and need to return to what many call the "real world." I'll likely be homeless, penniless and seriously lacking a handsome Brazilian man in my life.

But my passport will be bursting with stamps, and my life's story will forever bear the marks left by those places I've visited and people I've met. My wallet may be empty, but I'll be all the richer for it.

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