Tag: drive

Bucket List

On By ambertravelingIn WritingsLeave a comment

I’m sitting in the dining room of the house I grew up in. My parents and sister are asleep, and I’m bundled in a fuzzy bathrobe, listening to my dog snoring, drinking Trader Joe’s peppermint tea, and rewriting my bucket list.

I’ve been staying up late recently, partly because of the jetlag but mostly because I’m seeking alone time. As it gets later and later, I feel more and more creative. My eyes start to droop, but my fingers move faster and faster across the keyboard. As my body and mind slowly go to sleep, my soul comes to life.

After 28 months of travel, it’s a huge relief to finally be home again. I’ve been dreaming about seeing these people – friends, family, and even the homeless people on State Street. Now that they are here next to me, its a relief – but it’s also not what I expected.

I feel pulled in many directions by many different people. My sister is only in town for 10 days so she is a priority, but there are also lots of friends to see and parties to attend. And when is the quiet time for myself? I have been doing yoga and making a green smoothie every morning, which is grounding, but it is not enough.

Now, in the dark hours of the night, when I am on the brink of sleep, I can tap into a part of my unconscious that is reserved for dreams and soul travel. It is the upper chakras, it is the throat, the third eye, and the crown. Something is speaking and it is not my mind.

Meanwhile, my bucket list is rational and linear. I have a plan, and I’m not afraid to achieve it. At the same time, I know that if I don’t accomplish every single item on the list, I will not be angry or sad. I will accept what is, no matter what. However, I know I have the power to do it.  And I will.

I’m healing myself. By organizing my dreams, I am manifesting my future.

So take a look at my new bucket list, and let me know what you think.

Meeting my long lost uncle John Sargent, who is on my family tree, who no one in my family had met before
I’m also a dairy farmer! This was my favorite activity
Julia Pfeiffer State Beach, Big Sur, California. THIS IS MY STATE YO.
Learning to scuba in Perhentian Islands
Oh how I love him… his name was “John”
Thanks rock for taking the photo. Car camping with James
Hari Krishna dude on ladder, Graffiti Laneway #8099335, Melbourne
Oldest rainforest in the world in Taman Tegara, Malaysia
Teaching kids in Cambodia. Did this a lot! LOVE IT
My very first solo road trip, 2 weeks with my grandmas car, this is in Mammoth, self timer photo
Smearing mud on the straw-bale house, volunteering in Australia
Riding public transport in the Philippines
This crazy Taiwanese man forced me to join him at 5 AM to see the famous orange flowers on the mountain
Bottling home-brewed beer in Daylesford, Australia at Sue and Don’s house
this view…
Motorbiking with new friends in Taiwan
Waking up to the dogs while couchsurfing in Malaysia
Dinner time!
Us and our new friends, wearing hats! Teehee
We found a pirate ship!
Planting kale with Yassi and her really cute friend 😛
Rocky Cape National Park, Tasmania
Held a wombat! downtown Sydney
Side view of Opera House
MILKED A GOAT, WHAT.
I love chopping firewood now! SO FUN
New and old friends meet on a Jeepney
New Taiwanese friends I met on couchsurfing, hot air balloons, magical day
Again thanks to the rock who took this picture. HECK YES TASMANIA

My First Solo Road Trip

On By ambertravelingIn Australia, Backpacking, Couchsurfing, Pretty Places, Writings3 Comments

After traveling for 18 months in New Zealand, Southeast Asia, and Australia, I was feeling pretty homesick, so I went back to visit to my favorite town in the world, Santa Barbara, California. Reuniting with my family and friends after missing two Christmases and two birthdays has made me appreciate how lucky I am to have such a strong support net.

A lot of my friends moved up north, so I decided to take a few weeks to visit them – I checked out Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz.

Kymber and her son Zenley, my couchsurfing hosts
Tahoe
Tahoe
My very first solo road trip, 2 weeks with my grandmas car, this is in Mammoth, self timer photo
Tahoe
Trees
Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe
Paddleboarder on Lake Tahoe
Planting kale with Yassi and her really cute friend 😛
Farm occupation in Berkeley
occupythefarm.org
Skyler at his co-op
Nathan on his mock-up pendulum for his Burning Man project
Julia Pfeiffer State Beach, Big Sur, California. THIS IS MY STATE YO.
Big Sur
Got the views just before the fog rolled in!

After skiing with my dad at Mammoth Mountain, I tried to continue on alone to Lake Tahoe, where I had never been before… but my car broke down! Luckily it only took two days to fix, and I had a nice time in the little town of Mammoth. It was snowing, and being from Southern California I never get to spend much time in the snow. When it stopped raining and snowing I bought some roller blades at the thrift store and skated around the scenic bike path that circles the town.

Zigzagging up the narrow mountain roads on the way to Tahoe, I was glad that it wasn’t snowing! Maybe it was fate that my car broke down, because otherwise I would have been driving those steep and dangerous roads in the snow. Once there, I couchsurfed with an amazing girl named Kymber for a few days, she took me to open mic nights and we even got to go zooming around the lake on her friends’ boat!

After Tahoe, I headed to Berkeley, where I stayed with a high-school buddy Skyler at the Wolf Co-Op. Even though I like the concept of communal living, it was so dirty that I couldn’t see myself living there. The next day we wrote a silly song for Mother’s Day that you can watch here, if you like.

I spent the next night with my college friend Shani, and we went balkan dancing – which is really difficult by the way! The counts of the dance are all on threes, fives, and sevens, and I’m used to swing dancing – which is more based on twos and fours.

I checked out the Berkeley Farm Occupation with my old friend Yassi. A vacant lot owned by the UC is one of the last remaining in the area with good soil, and the university plans to convert it into a parking lot. Berkeley students and community members camped out and converted it into a farm over three days. I was lucky enough to help out while they tilled and planted. This DIY farm is an example of community action in motion. Police and the UC system present an obstacle, with loudspeakers blasting “You are violating the law. Cease and desist!” while farm workers sing to counter the negative noise. Keep informed about the fate of this lot via the link above.

Next I saw another childhood friend, Nathan, who is currently working on a big sculpture for Burning Man – check out his stuff here. He received a grant from Burning Man to create  an interactive giant pendulum which participants can ride on.

Miraculously I navigated the freeways of San Francisco to find my friend Emily from junior high school, who is studying to be a speech pathologist at San Francisco State University. After a day helping her study for finals and pack up her stuff, I drove down Highway 1 to Santa Cruz, where I graduated from a year and a half ago. There I climbed trees and played frisbee, just like old times.

Finally, my mom took the train from Santa Barbara to Salinas, and I picked her up there. We spent the next two nights driving down the coast, reveling in the sights of Big Sur.

Going on a road trip (mostly) by myself was very empowering, as traveling alone always is. I’d recommend it to anyone. I’m proud of myself for navigating the highways armed only with a map – no smartphone or GPS. I only got lost once in Sacramento. Planning and coordinating with people to arrange a place to stay can take time, but it’s definitely worth the hassle when you get there! Thanks to everyone who let me stay with them!