My Top 13 of 2013

Happy 2014 everyone!!!  

Has it really been a full year since my Top 12 of 2012?? Everything seems to have gone in a blink of an eye. I distinctly remember writing the best things that happened to me in 2012, thinking to myself – “Wow… It’s been one heck of a year…” And there was a mixture of nervousness and excitement, because I knew that 2013 was going to be even better.

And what do you know… I was right!

Can I just say – and I hope I’m not coming across as boastful or self-involved – that I had SUCH a difficult time picking only 13 AMAZING things for 2013’s “Best Of” list… It’s like trying to pick only 13 of your favorite children, out of a hundred.  It’s just not possible!

I did my best nonetheless. And the 13 that made it to the list are the events, moments, or experiences that were special…unexpected…  Moments where I felt infinite. Special circumstances where I just went, “Holy macaroni. How on earth did I ever get so lucky… Thank you… THANK YOU…”

And so without further ado, here it is… The best of the best. My Top 13 of 2013!

1 FAREWELL LOS ANGELES

Leaving Los Angeles was particularly special to me, because of the two send-offs I received. The one from work, and the one with friends.  At work, we all gathered at the conference room as my bosses and coworkers said all these really nice things about me, thanking me for “my services”.  I was glad to be leaving corporate, but it sure was nice to be appreciated like that. I basically ugly-cried the whole day.

Then on my last day in LA, night before I flew out, I invited my friends to come down to The Garage, this local pub in Culver City, just to hang out so I can see them before I left.  I remember inviting about 40 people or so, hoping at least 25 would show up.
Well, on that night, 53 people came. I counted. There were 53. I didn’t even know I had THAT many friends in LA! Every single person who came showed their support in what I was about to do, and they all wished me luck and sent me off with a lot of love. I was completely touched… SO touched, that it made me wonder, for a split second, if I was making the right decision to leave. 

Well, we all know that I DID leave eventually… but that night only confirmed the fact that I will always ALWAYS have a home to go back to in LA.

2 GETTING INKED FOR THE FIRST TIME

I planned this tattoo for a year… It was tiny, pretty simple… but just what the doctor ordered for what lied ahead of me.  I got it ON my birthday – which was crucial, because I do “something I’ve never done before” on my birthday every year… and getting a tattoo fit the bill perfectly.
The icing on the cake? IT DIDN’T HURT! :)

3 RECEIVING THE GIFT OF SIGHT

Thanks to Asian Eye Institute, I have brand new eyes! I CAN SEE! This PRK procedure was and still is a blessing… I never knew how difficult it’s been having to wear glasses and contact lenses all the time, until I didn’t have to use them anymore. My eyesight was so bad, I came close to being half blind… But now, I look up at the sky at night and see the entire milky way and I get emotional. Now I can see the world for its true beauty in High Definition. It’s amazing… Thank you, Asian Eye!

My post-op visit with Dr. Ang
I could not see anything yet. Haha

4 THE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE IN NEW ZEALAND

I was driving from Rotorua to Gisborne in the North Island, completely out of my element because I was maneuvering a tiny right hand drive car around a mountain, when I got stuck in a LIGHTNING HAIL STORM.  Having just visited Hobbiton, I was in a very Lord Of The Rings-ish mindset, and so my imagination went wild as the lightning roared and the hail hit my car like bullets.  In my frightened state, I thought I was in Mordor… about to plunge into my doom. 

I had half a mind to keep going… and thankfully I got out of it in one piece. And just as I was catching my breath from the traumatic incident, I reached the bottom of the mountain and was greeted by a full-on double rainbow.  It was quite miraculous, I couldn’t describe the joy I felt when I saw it. It was almost like a clear cut sign that everything was going to be okay… That I was going to be okay. 

As I explained in my blog post on this experience, I didn't have time to switch lenses when I saw
the rainbows. My zoom lens was attached, and I only managed to take this photo. STILL
pretty good though, right?

And as if that wasn’t a miracle enough, the next morning, I saw the firstsunrise of the world in Gisborne… before anyone else. The experience was just… MAGIC.

5 JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY EXPERIENCE

Ohhh definitely one of my favorite things about this year… It was just the COMPLETE Japanese experience. I was dressed up in a kimono and I felt like Mulan and Julia Roberts combined. Read my full post on The JapaneseTea Ceremony at Hotel Chinzanso here. I still dream about that Matcha Green Tea.

6 GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

5 days camping in a huge farm with hundreds and thousands of people for food, love, and music… And seeing The Rolling Stones and Mumford and Sons (and a whole bunch of other talented musicians) play live? AH-MAY-ZING!!!

7 ANOTHER PLACE – THE IRON MEN OF CROSBY

When my friend, Andy and I went to Liverpool, we took a quick detour on our way back to see about the Iron Statues of Crosby Beach. He’s read about them and heard they were brilliant… I had no idea what he was talking about then… but when we got to the beach, I was floored! 100 cast iron statues of men were scattered across Crosby beach, and it was sooo eerie and beautiful… I felt like I was in a movie.  I remember staring into one of them, secretly wishing they were alive and that they had a story. Some of them were even submerged in the water… and appear and disappear depending on the tide. Seriously one of the best art I’ve ever seen.

8 FAERIE ADVENTURES IN THE ISLE OF SKYE

My whole experience with the Isle of Skye tour with MacBackpackers was  sooo awesome, but there was one day in particular that stood out…  On the third day… We started out the day storytelling by the Sligachan Bridge, then we dunked our faces in the water for 7 seconds because legend says it will give you eternal beauty… Then we headed over to Faerie Glen, a place so green, so beautiful and so special, that apparently the fairies of the glen whispers responses to your life’s unanswered questions. I don’t know if that’s true, but I definitely felt a different energy vibrating from that place.  Finally, we ended up at the Faerie Pools, which are the most beautiful little rock pools that are dotted along the path going up to the mountain. The waters were so clear, so fresh, and so beautiful… we dove straight in even if it was freezing. Even jumped off a cliff!! (A tiny one) This day did it for me. It sealed the deal. It is because of this experience that I decided that Scotland still is my favorite country, ever! :)

9 THE SHANTI HOUSE EXPERIENCE

I’ve written about The Shanti House numerous times. It is my first Help Exchange Experience… a rustic B&B that attracts only the best people in the world. There was glorious and fresh food, constant music being played, and the most amazing Italians you’ll ever meet…. And while I was there, I was able to take a day trip to Cinque Terre (A MUST DO!), and somehow ended up in a documentary about Voluntourism! Italy will ALWAYS be special to me… and I have The Shanti House to thank for that.

10 THE WALL AT GUBBIO

While I was working at La Preghiera in Umbria, the other volunteers, Richard, Eduardo, and I, went to Gubbio on our day off, just to get out of the hotel and hang out. At this point, the three of us have already become very good friends, having very similar reasons for traveling. As we were walking around the old town, we came across a wall with a view and just sat there. We sat, we talked about how grateful we were… About how happy we were about the decision that we made to travel… And about how great it was that we met and became friends. We shared beautiful moments of silence where we just sat there with our eyes closed, basking in the sunlight… 

“And in that moment, I swear… we were infinite.”  - Stephen Chbosky

I love that wall…

11 HEARING MASS WITH POPE FRANCIS AT THE VATICAN

I never got the chance to write about this… I’m not sure why… BUT YES. I am one of the lucky ones. I got to hear mass with – currently one of my favorite people – Pope Francis, Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, at the Vatican.
I never actually got myself inside the church… I was with thousands of other people in the crowd OUTSIDE The Vatican, hearing his mass via the speakers, and seeing him through those huge monitors.
STILL… I consider myself quite fortunate to have experienced being within his presence. I’m not going to win any Catholicism awards, not having practiced the religion for years… but I really like and admire the pope. He just gets it… you know? He’s special, and open minded, and both his head and his heart are in the right place. This guy is the type to move mountains… And I’m proud to have breathed the same air as him. :)

12 THE OVERSTAY EXPERIENCE

OK… I know a lot of my Jewish friends might not appreciate this, but I am not the biggest fan of Israel. Let’s just say that it isn’t my taste when it comes to places to visit. Like… for example, I’m not a big fan of olives either… but it’s a perfectly good fruit! Tons of people can’t get enough of it… It’s just not my thing.
HOWEVER… I did enjoy the experience of staying and working at The Overstay Hostel in Tel Aviv. I don’t think I’ve ever worked as hard as I did over there… Cleaning, cooking, managing some of the events and some of their social media… But I learned SO MUCH from the experience, and I have met the most amazing people… some of which, I’m sure, will be my friends for life.
I also had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem, The Dead Sea, and take a 2 day excursion to Petra -- which is definitely a highlight of this year as well... I went with new friends I never would have met, had I not worked at The Overstay. I had a really good time there… made me think that maybe I have what it takes to run my own hostel one day. :)

13 NEW YEARS WITH THE FAM

And by, “The Fam”, I mean my UK family… 

Because of these guys, I can proudly say that The UK is my official third home. I visit them so often, they’re getting sick of me, I think. But in a good way, I hope.
It was always my plan to spend the holidays in the UK with my friends… I think it’s a fitting end to a year of traveling, and jumping from one place to the next, to end up in one place that is comfortable and familiar, with a whole group of great friends all together. We didn’t do anything crazy or fancy… Really, as long as we had some food, booze and a few fireworks to keep us entertained, we were all pretty satisfied. Me especially… knowing I’m gonna have to get a move on pretty soon, it was really special having the gang together for the year’s end. 

______________

AAH! Best Year Ever!!! It has truly been a remarkable year... And my year of travel isn't even over yet! There are still so many things to look forward to.... and I'm so excited to see what 2014 has to bring.

To those of you guys who have gone through my journey with me, and are still reading this blog... THANK YOU. It's nice to know people are listening to what I have to say... and I hope I inspire you somehow... not just to travel, but to do something with your life if you're stuck or feeling unhappy. I hope that through my story, you'll be encouraged to take a leap of faith yourself... and trust that if you are in the pursuit of your own happiness, the Universe does conspire to make things happen for you.

It won't be easy... but it will be worth it. I promise.

Start with today. :)

All my love to you guys, and have a great 2014!!!

Back In The UK: My Home For The Holidays

Greetings from Cardiff, Wales!

Here I am again, in my home base... The good ole United Kingdom! It's a good thing I'm such an anglophile... I feel like I've been here longer than I have in LA this year! I'm pretty lucky that I have several places here where I could "hang my hat", so to speak... A place in London, a place in Edinburgh, and a place in Cardiff.

It was always my plan to come back here for the holidays though... I wanted to be surrounded by friends and people I love for Christmas, instead of a random hostel somewhere in the world. I'm sure I would have found a way to make it fun even then, but Christmas is and always will be special to me... and I think I'll always want to surround myself with friends or family during this time of the year.

LONDON

Tottenham Court Road

After my stint in Israel, I flew back to London and spent a week with my friend, Lea. It was great to see London all decked out with lights, especially at night. I mean it's already such a beautiful and diverting city to begin with... and showering all that with Christmas spirit just brought the beauty to a whole other level.

I checked out their Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park with a few of my friends...

London Winter Wonderland

Though, I have to admit... I might have enjoyed the walk through Hyde Park to get to Winter Wonderland better than I did Winter Wonderland. The Fall colors are BEAUTIFUL...

Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park

EDINBURGH

The BEAUTIFUL Edinburgh Castle

I went to visit my friends in Edinburgh for a couple days on a whim. I took the night bus (a 9 hour journey) on a Monday night, got there Tuesday morning, then took the night bus back to London on Wednesday night. It cost me about 15 pounds each way... It would have just been 7 pounds if I had booked earlier. It was short --- but seeing that Edinburgh is one of my favorite places in the world -- it was totally worth it!

They had a Christmas Market right by Princess Street in front of the Edinburgh Castle. It was absolutely beautiful... I honestly could have just sat there, in front of the carousel, for the entire two days I was there. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I LOVE SCOTLAND!!!

BRIGHTON

I took a day trip to Brighton to visit two fabulous ladies I met in Santorini, Manisha and Laura. I hadn't really been to Brighton before, but heard really good things about it. It's such a cute seaside town with a pier, and a ton of cute little shops and sweet cafe's... It's so colorful and quaint... It's one of those little towns where you can just walk and get lost and find your way again... I love it. It was a pleasant surprise, discovering this hidden gem... and I've already made plans to go back and meet up with my friends again!

Manisha, Myself and Laura

CARDIFF and WEST WALES

Trinity, Abby, Tristan, Kit and Me - after picking out our Christmas Tree, whom we named, Louis.

Now, I'm here in Cardiff... staying with Abby and Kit (aka Mom and Dad) for the duration of the Holidays. It really feels like this has been my home this year, because --- if my life were like the TV show, FRIENDS, Abby and Kit are like the Monica and Chandler of the group... The "glue" that holds everyone together! My other friends, Chris, Ramya, Lea and Bel who all live in London, and Simon and Venice who both live here in Cardiff, all sort of just gravitate towards Cardiff, to "go home to Mom and Dads" for special occasions. It'll be great to have everyone all together for either Christmas or New Year's...

A complete group photo of "The Fam" from this Summer

Some of us have already hung out... We checked out the Winter Wonderland in Cardiff... I saw my first ever REINDEER and it was so magical, I almost cried! (FULL DISCLOSURE: Up until recently, I didn't think reindeer existed. I thought they were as fictional as Santa Clause was.) 

Magic...

And my girlfriends and I have had the chance to go on a proper night out... It's been a while since I got dressed up. It feels sooo good to be a girl again! Not that I ever wasn't... but you know what I mean.

Abby, Me and Lea

Mostly though, I've just been at home, helping Abby take care of the baby, Tristan... (I'm a way better babysitter now, by the way)... Been doing a little cooking for them too - which is GREAT, because I get to showcase the stuff I've learned from Italy, Greece and Israel. I've been walking around their neighborhood a lot, enjoying the autumn foliage. Life in Cardiff is so relaxed and quiet. It's a complete contrast to what I've been used to in LA. I do really appreciate the solemnity of being here though. The air is different. It's cleaner, and it smells good. There's no smog, and there's just something about being surrounded by a natural environment.

This is my everyday life. Walking the dog, and the baby down this path. Pretty isn't it?

On the other hand, it's a little *too* quiet, that it makes me miss the fast paced life that I'm used to.
One day, I'll be able to find a place where there's a good balance of both. Right now I'm enjoying the different discoveries... :)

CHRISTMAS

We'll be headed to Kit's mom's house in West Wales over the weekend, and that's where we'll be staying for Christmas, and I'm assuming New Years also. It should be amazing... we've been planning the menu for our entire stay there for weeks (months, for Abby)... The presents have been wrapped, the stockings all hung by the fireplace.. The tree (a real one), lit up... Seriously, the only thing that I could EVER EVER wish for is... SNOW. Please... Please give me snow... It doesn't even have to be on Christmas day... I just want SNOW, please... The kind of snow that makes everything pretty... I would love to be able to experience waking up to see fresh powder outside my window.

But seriously, I've had such a magnificent year... possibly the best of my life so far... so if it doesn't happen, I guess it won't be so bad. There's always next year... :)

And I shall leave you with that for now.
Have a GREAT Christmas, everyone!!!

Love,
Eartha

The Legend of The Iron Men of Crosby

Photo by Alan Cookson

These cast iron sculptures are called "Another Place" by Antony Gormley.  100 of these figures are spread out across Crosby Beach, and has become a permanent fixture in that area of Liverpool.  

Photo by Anders Harbo

"The work is seen as a poetic response to the individual and universal sentiments associated with emigration - sadness at leaving, but the hope of a new future in another place." - Seton Council

It was kind of haunting, seeing all those iron statues at the beach, some of them submerged under water, all looking out to sea, as if they were waiting for someone... or longing for something. It made me feel a little melancholy... sad even... but I was completely blown away by the art. 

I tried to do some research to see if there were any myths or legends associated with the "Iron Men of Crosby Beach", but I never found anything.
SO... I decided to make one up, and write a legend of my own. :)

Here goes...

The Legend of The Iron Men of Crosby
A Short Story by Eartha A.

Thousands of years ago, when the Sun, the Moon and the Sea could talk in a language that humans could understand, Earth faced a terrible danger. Evil forces from faraway Stars threatened to occupy Earth to drain their resources, and claim the planet as their own. 

The humans didn't have enough strength nor power to stop this Great Evil, and so they called upon the Sun, Moon, and the Sea for help.

Seeing the humans despair, the Powerful Three looked into the Never-ending Sky for guardians, to help the humans of the Earth ward off the Great Evil.

Mercury answered, giving 100 of their greatest Iron Soldiers to fight alongside the humans.
To get to Earth, they needed a vessel to carry them through the Never-ending Sky... And so the Moon formed a large ship from its rocks, big enough for all 100 of the Iron Soldiers to fit. The Sun lent its rays for the ship to be able to travel from Mercury to Earth, and the Sea provided quick and safe passage for the ship to arrive on Earth's shores.

The humans and the Iron Soldiers fought side by side against the Great Evil, and the battle went on for what seemed like an eternity. Blood was shed, lives were lost… But because of the Iron Soldiers’ strength -- a potent power that they draw from Mercury’s core, and Man’s unyielding spirit and resilience to fight for those whom they love, the Great Evil was defeated, never again to return to Earth’s shores.

The Men rejoiced at the victory, thanked the Iron Soldiers, the Sun, the Moon and the Sea for heeding their plea, and returned to their Women to celebrate their freedom.

The Iron Soldiers observed the Men and Women closely. They noticed that the humans connected in a way that is unfamiliar to them. The Men and Women of Earth shared something called The Great Love, and it was the highest form of energy they have ever seen. They were amazed, got jealous, and felt a sense of longing. They wanted The Great Love for themselves.

And so they tricked the Moon, Sun and Sea. They loaded the Moon Vessel that were supposed to take them home with sand cast statues of themselves, and stayed on Earth to pursue their own Great Loves.

They took the Women from the Men, snatching them away in the night, thinking that a Great Love will supervene. But upon waking, the Women wept and cursed the Iron Soldiers, and demanded to be returned to their Men.
But the Iron Soldiers reminded them that without their help, they would have lost the battle against the Great Evil… That they were stronger and better suited to be their Love.
And the Women said to them, “A Great Love is never bought, nor forced. It is a bond that can never be undone, a powerful force shared by two hearts. And a heart is that which you do not have.”

The Iron Soldiers, shamed by what they have done, returned the Women to the Men. Outraged, the Men called on the Sea, Moon and Sun to take the Iron Soldiers back to where they came from.

The Powerful Three only then realized that the Iron Soldiers in the vessel were fake, and had already been disintegrated once they hit Mercury’s powerful core.

The Iron Soldiers, crestfallen and disgraced, apologized to all… wanting nothing more than to go back to Mercury where they belong. But alas, the vessel could not be remade and there was no other way for the Iron Soldiers to return home.

The Men and Women pleaded justice for what the Iron Soldiers had done, for according to them, they could no longer be trusted.

And so, all 100 of the Iron Soldiers were punished, frozen in time facing the ocean… doomed forever to look at the Sea, the Moon and the Sun, to remind them of what they had done and to get only a glimpse of the home they have lost. These Iron giants who were once great warriors and Man’s ally are now only known as mere Iron Statues thousands of years later, condemned with the gift of sight, and surrounded by people who walk with their Great Loves for all eternity.
Great Love’s that they once have known, but will never have.

The End.

Photo by Mark McGowan

On How I Managed To End Up As The Poster Child For The Color Run UK

I participated in The San Diego Color Run in November of last year, and posted about it here. About a month ago, a few days after I arrived in London, someone had contacted me asking if they could use my jump shot photo for a UK Dulux sponsored leaflet for the up and coming Color Run in London.

This is the photo they wanted to use.

You can't blame 'em. This is an awesome photo! :)

It would be the first ever Color Run in the UK, and they were to print 40,000 of those leaflets to be given to the runners in their pre-event race packs. My first thought was, "OMG. This is it. I'm going to be famous."
This is one of the coolest RANDOM things that has ever happened to me, so you can understand why I got a little carried away.

I agreed for them to use the photo, and all I asked in return was free entry to The Color Run, which would have cost me around 40 GBP. They agreed, and the rest is history!

Check out the awesome leaflet (which I received in the mail too!)

Dulux is the UK's leading manufacturer of high performance trade paint

I had such a great time the first time, so I really didn't mind doing it again! 15,000 people turned up on a very hot and sunny London today and it was nuts!

Of course, I went in to visit the Dulux Jump Shot Dome for my free Jump Shot Photo, and I NAILED IT! :)

Yay! I'm a celebrity! Even if I was the only one who knew about it! Yay!

I made new friends...

With our new friend, Nikki, and my London lovely Lea :)

And met possible future Olympians! 

I saw these two girls performing acrobatic stunts near the stage, and I took a few photos of them. On our way home, I randomly ended up sitting next to them on the London Underground... I chatted with them because I recognized them, and that's when I found out that Hannah Wren and Jane Diedrick-Wilson are gymnasts from the AllStarz Team competing for the British Gymnastics! Amazing! I'm keeping my eyes and ears peeled for these two coz we might just see them in Rio for the Olympics in 2016! Good luck, ladies!

And so there you have it! My second go at The Color Run! The happiest 5K on the planet! I love it when I'm at the right place at the right time. I never planned to do this again... but the Dulux people just happened to email me when I happened to be in London which happened to be the location of their event! And now, because of a random photo from an event from a year ago, I got to do something unbelievably FUN in an unbelievably awesome city, which inadvertently made me famous!

Well, sort of.

OK, not really.

But still!!! I'm famous!!! :)