My Nepal adventure

On July 13, 2022July 23, 2022 By ambertravelingIn Uncategorized3 Comments

A 1 month trip with my dad
~ 7 days exploring Kathmandu
~ 8 days volunteering in Kakani
~ 9-day trek in Nar Phu Valley
~ 5 days in Pokhara

I look back, and I see my dad trudging up the steep snowy slope. My father Kevin Young, who runs about 5 miles every day on the beaches in Santa Barbara, huffs and puffs up the hill, breathing in and out with each step, his feet following the snowy footprints. His porter Rhamdhoj is just behind him, with two huge duffel bags filled with our jackets and sleeping bags perched on his shoulders.

The snowy peaks of the Himalayas stretch out before me. I’m standing at the apex of the 17,300 foot Kang La pass, higher than any mountain in the continental USA. My enthusiastic hiking buddies cheer me on, and after I catch my breath and chug some water, I join the cheering squad to welcome the rest of the group.

Today is the 8th day of our 10 day hike in the Nar Phu Valley. We started hiking in the dark at 4am, and it took us until noon to reach the top of the pass. I grin, thinking that the hardest part of the trek is over – but we still have 5000 feet of descent on a steep rocky trail.

Arriving to Kathmandu

I landed with my dad at the hot and stuffy airport, and after we waited in line to buy a visa, we were picked up by Jeevan, one of our guides. His little car zig-zagged through a maze of honking horns and swerving motor bikes to our first hotel, a slightly ramshackle but incredibly cheap ($30/night for 2) hotel in the heart of Thamel, the tourist area. The noisy streets are lined with knock-off North Face and Patagonia stores, Tibetan souvenir shops, Irish pubs, massage parlors, and little corner stores.

Dad and I spent the first 3 days getting accustomed to the noise and the traffic, but also taking in the powerful new sights, sounds, and smells. Goats, dogs, cats, and monkeys roam the city. We find quiet corners of peace in the shrines and temples, which are oftentimes filled with cooing pigeons.

A lesson from Kathmandu traffic : Go with the flow and all will be well, even in the midst of insanity.

After a few days in the chaos of Kathmandu, we met the rest of our tour group from Wildland Trekking. I was so glad that there were 2 other women – Jessica, a doctor from Virginia, and Cherie, a nurse from West Los Angeles. The three of us became good friends, giggling in our shared rooms at night and swapping travel stories. Our group also included Joe, a retired firefighter, Josh, a school superintendent, and our trip leader Dennis, a writer for Outside Magazine, and my dad Kevin Young.

Painting a School in Kakani Village

After a day tour of Kathmandu to places like a an orphanage and trade training non-profit (NepalYouthFoundation.org) a monkey temple and a public crematorium (where for a $10 entrance fee you can watch bodies being cremated) the 6 of us loaded into a van and bumped down a pot-holed highway for 2 hours to Kakani Village. The community welcomed us with a ceremony including a parade and speeches. Part of our guided trip from Wildland Trekking included a week of volunteering and a $5000 donation to build a health clinic in Kakani Village.

We slept in fancy tents with real beds at Kakani Adventure Camp, where we were treated to spicy and delicious meals like momos (Nepali dumplings), curries, vegetable fritters, and wild nettle soup.

If you travel to Kathmandu, Kakani Adventure Camp is only 1.5 hours away by bus or car, and for about $30 per day they will arrange transport for you and cook 3 amazing meals per day, and provide unique and comfortable tent lodging with panoramic views.

For our volunteer work, everyday we hiked about 2.5 miles each way to Kakani Brighter School, which we painted yellow. Kakani Brighter school was founded by Japanese donors in 2006 who never got around to painting it yellow, which is the traditional color of Nepali schools. 

We 7 Americans along with some Nepali helpers cleaned the brick walls, primed them in white, and painted the walls. As we were only there for 6 days, a local painter was hired to paint the harder to reach higher areas and the back of the school.

Meanwhile, every day I talked with students and teachers, and befriended Binod, the school principal. We chatted about the differences in education systems and values between Nepal and the USA, and he gave me a class of about 40 (very well behaved) students aged 5 to 15 to teach on our last day there. I lead an impromptu class featuring geography, hygiene, music, and self-confidence. We sang “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” talked about the importance of hand-washing, and practiced mindfulness and positive affirmations. Jessica and my dad helped teach, too.

We noticed that the bathrooms at the school had sinks but no soap – so my dad bought soap for the whole school, as well as soccer balls and some notebooks, pencils, and pens. On our last day we were honored with a beautiful ceremony where the students, teachers, and principal thanked us and presented us with colorful scarves. I’ll never forget how excited the kids were to receive their soccer balls. Some things transcend language, like joy.

We were told the school did not own a computer, even though some older students took a computer class. Upon our return to the USA, my dad raised $500 from our facebook friends and donated 2 computers to the school via the nonprofit “Mothers and Children Arts Foundation.”

We thanked the staff at Kakani Adventure Camp by cooking a meal for them – it was Jessica’s idea, who had also volunteered in Africa. It was nice to reverse the roles to cook for the chef and serve the waiter. Our waiter Nishan was a cheerful Nepali 19-year-old who joined us for morning yoga and taught me some Nepali phrases. He was very sad to see us leave and I gave him one of my ultimate frisbee shirts.

Thanks to Nishan and a lot of repetition, I learned a few phrases and words in Nepali so I could connect with the locals. How are you – tapailai kosto cha? What’s your name? Tapai ko nam ke ho? My name is Amber. Miru nam Amber ho. Kukur means dog. It brought me joy to practice with people who I met.

The 9-Day Nar Phu Trek

After a much-needed rest day in Kathmandu, where I got a $35 90-minute massage, we set off on the next part of our adventure – a 9-day trek in the Nar Phu Valley. But first we had to get there. We loaded up on a bus with our porters, guides, and hikers at 5am. It took 6 hours in a bumpy bus to Besisahar where we had dahl baht (lentils with rice and potatoes) for lunch, and then continued on a bumpier 4-wheel drive jeep down swerving mountain roads.

The road we drove on was part of the Annapurna Circuit, so we saw trekkers trudging through the dust of our jeeps. Though less appealing for hikers, these roads significantly improved the lives of local villagers who are able to get resources more easily thanks to vehicular transport. We also hiked to towns where resources like flour, rice, sugar, tea, building materials, and other essentials have to be carried by mules or porters.

We first reached Kote, a dusty town next to the road where we spent our first night, and set the next day for a 12-mile hike across many swaying metal bridges. At one point the trail went directly under a raging waterfall along a cliff.

We reached Meta, a tiny ‘village’ of two hotels, where we spent the night in a hotel with no heating or bedding. Thankfully our porters carried our heavy sleeping bags and down jackets for us, so I was never cold at night even while sleeping with snow covered peaks all around us.

The next day was 11.6 miles and 1500 foot elevation gain and ended in Phu, a town with an altitude of 13,500 feet. The scenery was reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, including the mules.

In Phu, we distributed some of the 200 solar lights we had been carrying with us to donate. We made sure to give one to every household in Phu, and meeting all the villagers and seeing how grateful they were was so heartwarming. We were invited to have tea and visited with an older lady who told us about her life.

During the harsh winter months, the whole village descends the valley to Meta (where we spent our first night) to spend the winter in a slightly warmer climate. The lower-altitude villagers open their homes to host those from higher altitude places for the coldest part of the winter. I love how the community members support each other when times get hard – it’s hard to imagine this happening in the USA. If your house was too cold to live in the winter, can you imagine your neighbors inviting you to come live with them?

The next day, I went on an optional 11.4 mile hike to Himlung Base camp, elevation 15,800 feet, where I met dozens of climbers staying in bright yellow tents and attempting a climb of 23,345 feet. There is an alpine academy where students are summiting as part of their final project – it takes them about 20 days!

We continued the next day 14 miles down a Grand Canyon-esque trail, dodging mules and porters delivering impressive loads to the village. On the way there, we had to cross a bridge with a 1000-foot drop off over a raging river. We stopped at an old monastery that was abandoned because it is in an earthquake zone.

We slept at Narfetti Monastery, elevation 11,600 feet, nestled in the Nar Phu valley and only accessible by trail. Donkeys and people carry the supplies needed for the monks and hikers who stay there. When I arrived, I saw some porters and a few other hikers playing volleyball. Of course I had to join in. This is where I met Chris and Valentine, two French hikers doing the same route as us. We became good friends, and I was able to see them again in Pokhara and Paris, and I hope they will visit me someday in California (or wherever I happen to be living in the world!)

After the monastery was the big trek up and over the Kang La pass, the longest day of our hike – we rose at 3am and I finished hiking around 5pm – so it took 14 hours!

Once we finished our trek – my knees were very sore from the last day of steep downhill – I said goodbye to the group. We had a ceremony where we tipped the guides and porters, which pretty much doubled their salaries, and made speeches of appreciation for them.

My dad did another 6 day trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary with his favorite porter Rhamdhoj, and I had had enough hiking so we split up. Along with my new friend Cherie from our hiking group, I relaxed for 5 days in Pokhara, a quaint lake town perfect for a tourist’s respite. I got massages, took a yoga class every day with views overlooking the lake, and met up again with my new French friends Valentine and Chris and for boat rides, short hikes, and live music at night. I borrowed a guitar from some of the local musicians and played some songs at a few of the bars (see my youtube channel to hear my music – youtube.com/ambertraveling).

To Sum It Up

For me, travel isn’t just about seeing amazing places – that’s just one of the many perks. It’s about meeting people and learning about them. How do they live? What do they value? What do they love to do? Knowing this about different people expands my worldview and broadens my perspective. It shows me what is possible in this life that I couldn’t learn just by staying home. In my hometown of Santa Barbara, California, most of my friends and acquaintances have fairly similar backgrounds, and I LOVE to meet people who have had such a different life story to share.

I’d love to go back someday. There are so many more hikes I could do – I’d like to do the Annapurna Sanctuary someday, and maybe Everest Base Camp.

I am so impressed by the Nepali people who survive with so little, but never cease to be generous. We have so much to learn from them. They are resilient and welcoming people. Nepali people who survive with so little still smile and wave at us when we hiked past their homes. We met some women who had to hike 2 hours every day to collect water from a raging river. These same women offered us tea. After this trip, I feel so much more gratitude for all the conveniences I have in my life – electricity, running water, trash pick-up, internet…

If you have a chance, go to Nepal. The people are incredible. The mountains are epic. The food is flavorful, varied, and vegan-friendly. I made friends that I will keep for life, and I’ll never forget the feeling of being surrounded by the peaceful and majestic Himalayas.

72 days with a backpack: Solo Travel in Europe

On December 3, 2021March 17, 2022 By ambertravelingIn Backpacking, Couchsurfing, europe, Pretty Places, spainLeave a comment

After two and a half months gallivanting around Europe, I am finally back home in Santa Barbara. Over the course of 72 days, I visited Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Prague (The Czech Republic), Freiburg (Germany), Las Palmas (Spain), Casablanca (Morocco), Washington DC, and Vegas. Check out an interactive map of where I went in Europe below or click here!

As I’m now reflecting on my trip, I feel so grateful for all of the kind souls who I met along the way, who made my trip more interesting and more affordable. I was hosted by 15 people – 7 from the couchsurfing website, one who I met randomly, and 7 old friends. Here’s an overview of my adventure!

My first stop was in Geneva, Switzerland! All I had with me was this 32 liter backpack!

On August 27, I took the Santa Barbara Airbus to LAX and flew to Geneva, Switzerland, where I and stayed with Alex, my first couchsurfing host, and explored by myself. When asking for directions from a woman sitting on a bench, I made friends with Katia, a Swiss lady who had relocated to live in Uruguay. We spent the morning together walking by the Rhone river, and we later visited a contemporary arts museum. She invited me to stay with her in Uruguay – which I might do next spring! Alex, Katia and I had dinner together at a restaurant (the only time I ate out in Switzerland as it is notoriously expensive) and I had a €30 veggie burger. (Ridiculous!!!)

Then I used one day of my 3-day train pass (about €300, but it’s not consecutive – you select the days within a month) to meet my father in Kandersteg, a small mountain village with epic hiking and climbing. Our plan was to do a few via ferratas – or “iron way” in Italian (see my previous blog post about via ferratas) – which are climbing routes enhanced with extra protection like ladders and steel cables. We did the longest via ferrata in Switzerland which took 5 hours to climb plus 2 hours to walk back to the start – along a glacier!

Then we started an 8 day trek in the Italian Dolomites from Dobbiacho to Belluno (with a 4-day break in Cortina) along with Greg and Bill, two of his friends from elementary school. So it was me and three 60-something year olds sharing tiny dorm rooms in mountain huts – despite the snoring, the scenery was spectacular! Thanks to my dad for planning (and paying for!) most of this part of my trip!

Ready for some solo adventuring, I set off alone on a tour of Italy. Traveling by train, I visited Florence, Siena, Pisa, Venice, Verona, Lavis, San Vigilio, and Merano – trying to visit both places urban and rural, couchsurfing when I could to save on accommodation and make new friends. I met a big group of Americans traveling who had rented a villa in Siena, and I asked if I could tag along for a few days – and so I found myself in a gorgeous vineyard in Siena for my birthday! They rented a big van and I was invited with them to visit Pisa and some hot springs.

So you see, even when I travel alone, I usually find myself surrounded by people! I’m quite extraverted and I enjoy meeting new friends from different countries. However, there are times when I feel tired of being around new people – I get a feeling that I’ve had too much input and not enough time to process. When I start to feel this way, I get myself a private room in a youth hostel or cheap hotel to decompress for a few days.

I was in awe at the Duomo in Florence, although I avoided museums and crowded indoor places because of the virus. Thanks to my German friend Melissa, who I met when I played on the ultimate frisbee team in Malaga, Spain, I played in an beach ultimate frisbee tournament in Bibione, Italy. I met some very generous players there who offered to host me later in Vienna.

With all my stuff at the Duomo in Florence.

Such a blast playing at the Austrian Beach Nationals ultimate frisbee tournament in Bibione, Italy!

After about three weeks in Italy, on October 9, I took a train to Innsbruck where I joined my couchsurfing host Christian for an epic snow hike. My next stop was Salzburg, where I sang the Sound of Music songs in the informative and fun free walking tour. In Salzburg, I stayed at Wolfgang’s hostel, which was industrial, expensive (€25 for a dorm, €70 for a private room), and not too cozy – luckily I made some new friends while doing my laundry (in the outrageously overpriced laundry machine, €10 for wash and dry. Mostly I washed my clothes in the sink.)

Then I had to visit my new frisbee friends Ting Ting and Leon in Vienna – I met them at the ultimate frisbee tournament in Italy, and they had generously invited me to stay with them! They had an extra room in their apartment. Leon gave me his old cleats that were too small for him – which I dangled off my backpack all the way to California – so I was able to join 2 turf field ultimate frisbee practices. Ting Ting loaned me her bike so I could get there easily. We had a make-your-own sushi night, and we watched the USA Ultimate Frisbee Nationals – they knew more of the pro frisbee players names than I did! What amazing hosts!

While they were working, I took some time to rest in their apartment – travel can be exhausting!! – and when I had finally gathered up the strength, I visited the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. I was in tears while looking at some of the art, especially when I found a painting that I remembered from a high school history textbook. I felt such a strong sense of gratitude for being where I was.

I am often hit with this magical, powerful feeling when I am solo traveling – that I’m here alone, in the right place, at the right time, somewhere very far away from home, and it’s meant to be. In contrast, I sometimes feel waves of loneliness and solitude and homesickness. But like everything in life, these moments pass, and the journey continues.

Sometimes on these longer trips I feel exhausted from planning and moving. On days like that, I honor my feelings and try not to do anything too ambitious that day – maybe just take a walk, and I’ll take my book to read in a sunny place, and that’s it. In my 20’s, I felt the need to be doing, moving, accomplishing, and if I missed a day and wasn’t productive, I felt like a failure. Only in the recent years have I learned how to embrace and honor rest. I’m still working on not feeling guilty about it.

I visited Prague for 5 days, and was mesmerized by the cobblestone streets and detailed and colorful architecture – I felt like I was walking through a fairy tale. I found another ultimate frisbee team there (we practiced indoors on a handball court as it was freezing outside) as well as swing dancing – two of my favorite hobbies! I enjoyed cooking for my friendly couchsurfing host Juraj.

Some hosts prefer to cook for me to showcase some of their local cuisine -like Hannes in Italy who made a spectacular knodel, or potato dumplings, and Dario in Lavis who made a kind of pumpkin pasta from scratch – but oftentimes I’ll try to cook for them to show my appreciation for their generosity. My signature dishes are baked sweet potato with greens or a big veggie stir fry.

Then I took an uncomfortable overnight bus where I had to change seats at 3AM to spend Halloween weekend with my good friend Ganga and his Turkish fiancée Pinar in Freiburg, Germany. I had been bugging Ganga since I had first got to Europe, asking if there was any good time for me to visit. I also sent him some postcards reminding him that I was in Europe – and voila! One day he sent a message inviting me to stay for Halloween weekend. Thanks, Ganga!!

I met Ganga when we were both teaching English in Malaga, Spain – he is from Florida but has decided to try to live in Germany permanently. Both he and Pinar are in graduate school in Freiburg studying renewable energy engineering. They loaned me their landlord’s rusty extra bike and I trailed them around the city. We visited a lake surrounded by red, yellow, and orange trees as well as a free, public zoo. Even though my tourist’s view is limited, I observed that society seems fairer and more equitable in Germany, as zoos and other public services are accessible for all.

We were standing on a hillside so I look short!

Next I visited Anne Claude, a good family friend whose mother met my dad 35 years ago while running a 5k in Switzerland. Anne Claude was an au pair for my aunt in the 80’s. Anne Claude lives in Zug, a beautiful lake town in Switzerland near Zürich, so of course I had to stop by for a few days. I had visited her a few years previously and am always amazed by her energy – we hiked up Zugerberg mountain (that she sometimes runs up) and on the way down it started pouring rain. So we jogged, soaked, back to her house!

She also took me on a day trip to a glass blowing factory and to see the famous bridges in Lucerne. Thanks Anne Claude!

Anne Claude runs up mountains and does cross country skiing – shes amazing!

Then I flew from Basil to Las Palmas, the Canary Islands, to visit my friend Jessica, who I had met four years ago in Almendralejo, Spain where we were both teaching English. It was my second time visiting Jessica – she lived in Tenerife last year. I’m so proud of her for living her dream life – she has been living in Spain for the past 4 and a half years! Check out her youtube channel!

We explored the island by car (thanks to her Spanish boyfriend Nestor who drove us) and went on a hike to Roque Nublo, an outer-space-like rocky landscape in the middle of the island. The food there was cheap and delicious compared to the rest of the places I visited in Europe.

Soon my 90 day tourist visa was running out, so I booked a cheap flight for only €300, the caveat being a 24 hour layover in Casablanca, Morocco. Luckily I had already traveled solo in Morocco and made a lot of friends, so I knew someone who I could stay with! I visited Ali two years ago when he lived in Rabat – we met through the couchsurfing app.

Since Ali had to go to work early the next day – he is a math teacher at a high school – and I had an afternoon flight, I went on a long walk in his neighborhood in the morning. I almost made it to a forest he recommended, but a scary barking dog prompted me to turn around and head back. His neighborhood was overrun with stray dogs and cats, and as a shortcut to get to his apartment from the train station, I had to climb through a small hole in a wall.

As it’s an Arabic country, I’m more cautious about how I dress and wear long sleeves and pants when I visit, although I don’t wear a headscarf. Many women don’t – in fact, I made friends with a very friendly girl named Hafsa on the train who helped me find my stop who wasn’t wearing one. Most people in Morocco speak Arabic and French, although the younger people tend to speak English, too. But when buying my train ticket, the employee didn’t speak English, so I attempted to speak French so I could understand the correct time of departure – I guess my French numbers are good enough! Merci beaucoup!

Dogs, cats, and cows running around outside these apartments in Casablanca

Finally I made it to Washington DC, and after a $60 uber ride from the airport with a really grumpy driver, I spent a week with my sister and her kids, biking to see the memorials and museums in my non-babysitting hours. I rented an electric bike using LIME – it was expensive but fun – about $12 for a 20 minute ride. My favorite memorial is the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial which has so many inspiring quotes from him. Here are a few of my favorites:

“We shall overcome, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

“Injustice everywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Travel is oftentimes not comfortable or convenient, and is often challenging, and I find myself knowing myself and trusting myself more deeply as I am faced with different obstacles. The best advice I have for solo travelers is to be outgoing, make new friends, but to also trust your intuition. Rest when you need to.

My favorite museums in DC are the National Art Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, so I visited both – and I was particularly impressed by the paintings and photographs of Hung Liu, a Chinese American artist who portrays underrepresented groups like immigrants and working class women. She paints on huge canvas prints of old photographs and adds drips and shadows, creating realistic yet spooky images. Thanks to my friend Rebecca (who I met while teaching English in Japan) for inviting me to the exhibit!

Finally I flew to my cousin’s wedding in Las Vegas before finally hitching a ride home with my parents (who were also at the wedding) back to Santa Barbara.

It all felt like a whirlwind, and it feels like a miracle that I made it home! Traveling alone gives me a lot of self-efficacy and appreciation for my freedom. I can’t believe that I did all of that – wow! But somehow even though I’ve been here for only 3 weeks, I managed to get a holiday job at the Yes store, a seasonal shop selling handmade products like ceramics and art made by local artists.

My life feels like a never-ending adventure with so much movement, and I am really grateful to be home – I’m trying to ground myself for a few months. However, my wanderlust has not expired! I plan to visit a Spanish-speaking country (somewhere safe and south of California) next year in March, April, and May. Any recommendations or connections appreciated! I would love to do an intensive Spanish language school and a yoga teacher training.

Then I hope to work at a summer school or summer camp here in Santa Barbara in June, perhaps. In fall of 2022, I hope to have found a job at an international school so I can continue to pursue my teaching career overseas.

If you made it to the end, thank you so much for reading (or skimming)! As always, feedback and advice is always appreciated. Have you been to any of these places? Can you relate to any part of my adventures? Sending love and joy to all. Happy holidays everyone!

Slack line, spikeball, frisbee, and graduation: enduring and enjoying 2021

On October 1, 2021October 1, 2021 By ambertravelingIn Backpacking, teaching1 Comment

It has been a long and intense year as the world has faced a global pandemic. I spent most of it alone in a room behind my grandmas house attending online grad school and making music for my YouTube channel. As an extrovert, it was exhausting and lonely trying to avoid gatherings. After a year of hard work and too much screen time, I graduated with a teaching credential and masters of education from UCSB. Now I can teach elementary school anywhere in California, and I will be a better candidate to teach at international schools abroad.

Despite only being together for online classes, I did get to graduate in person with friends from the program. All three of these awesome girls got jobs and are working as elementary school teachers!

Can you find me in this picture? Hint: look for the dog!

Last summer, just after graduating in June, I taught second grade at an in-person summer school, where I had 12 students in my class from 6 to 7 years old. I taught math in the morning and reading and writing in the afternoon, and brought my ukulele every day to brighten the atmosphere. I felt like the pied piper when I collected them from recess and they followed me back to the classroom in a single line, some dancing to my music!

I loved dressing up for all of the special events on Fridays at summer school! We celebrated pajama day, crazy hair day, and the 4th of July!

Students were required to wear masks (which get soggy sometimes) wash their hands frequently (luckily we had a sink in our classroom) and keep 3 feet distance between each other. There were a few meltdowns and I definitely practiced my conflict resolution skills as some of them were at school for the first time in a while. One girl started sobbing when she couldn’t erase with her crayon, and it took half the day to help her calm down.

Despite the challenges, I do love teaching, bringing joy and music and movement to my classroom, where I strive to inspire kids to be confident in our ridiculous and unpredictable world. I love that I can incorporate my talents and interests like art, music, and sports. I often lead yoga and meditation with my kiddos, which I benefit from as well!

Meanwhile, after lots of home workouts in my backyard during the worst part of the pandemic, I was so glad to play ultimate frisbee again with my friends in Santa Barbara. There are pick-up games almost every day of the week here. We play on the beach in the soft sand and oftentimes swim in the ocean afterwards. I also got to play on a coed team called Robot for a bit!

I love the ultimate frisbee community in Santa Barbara!

I also got into spike ball, a game sort of similar to volleyball but played with a small round net and a 4-inch yellow ball. With a partner, you serve, pass, and spike the ball into the tiny trampoline-like net, and the other team passes it and smashes it back to you.

During spikeball Fridays I would also set up my slack line, another one of my obscure quarantine hobby. I learned how to slackline at UC Santa Cruz a few years ago, but this year I purchased my own and learned how to set it up – it’s like a tightrope between two trees. Now I can go forwards, backwards, and turn around! There were a few musicians in this group and we had some jam sessions, too.

During most of the pandemic I was living at my grandmother’s house and my mom’s house, and I am grateful for both of them for the housing. It was really wonderful to live near my family after living abroad for the past 8 years. I got to spend a lot of time with my grandma Jeney and my uncle Jimmy, who owns an ice cream shop in Ventura, my awesome aunt Monika who is a chiropractor in town, and my sister Kimberly who just had her second baby!

After graduating, I decided to take a year off and backpack around Europe. Before I left, I felt full of self doubt, some annoying questions swarming my head – when am I going to find a partner? Or somewhere permanent to live? Most of my friends have spouses or long term partners, and at times I feel sad when I compare myself to them. But while a part of me feels those societal pressures, I feel in my gut that I’m doing the right thing for myself now. I’m on the brink of a great adventure!

Before I jump into my career, which I expect will be hard to deviate from once I get started, I’m taking a year off to think about what I want to do next. Now I’m in Merano, Italy, writing from an apartment of a new friend I’m couchsurfing with. I’ll travel around Europe for the next few months, go home for Christmas, and maybe travel again to South or Central America in the spring of 2022. In fall of 2022, I’m planning to more abroad again to teach English in another country (like I already did in Japan and Spain). I’m thinking about somewhere in Asia or South America or perhaps Europe… Any connections or advice for international schools abroad are welcome!

Now I’m one month into my jaunt in Europe. The trip began in Switzerland with more via ferratas, which are protected self-belayed climbing routes, with my dad. We did via ferratas in Kandersteg and Leukerbad, Switzerland. Then we hiked the AV1, an 8 day trek from Lago de Briaes to Belluno, where I met a group of exuberant Americans and was invited to their rented villa in Siena. Now I’ve been enjoying traveling alone for a few weeks in Florence, Siena, Venice, Lavis, and now Merano.

Sending love and good vibes to all my friends and family and anyone who is reading this! I continue to wear a mask indoors and am avoiding crowded places. Stay healthy and safe everyone!