The Color Run San Diego

On Saturday, November 3, I participated in The Color Run in San Diego!

The Color Run is basically just a fun 5K run where you get blasted with color powder. I personally am not a runner. I suck at it. I have poor endurance and I itch. That’s right. I itch. I think it might be an allergic reaction to sweat. In fact the only reason why I signed up for it is because of the colors! I wanted to be doused and saturated and smothered with color! I wanted to come out of it looking like a tie dyed shirt! There are zombie runs where you get chased by zombies, and there are mud runs where you toss and tumble and gooey mud. Not my cuppa tea. I’m more of a colored woman so to speak. Bring on the rainbow!!!

It doesn’t say it anywhere on their website – but I have a feeling they got the idea from India’s Day of Holi – or the Festival of Colors! From what I understand, this is a celebration of the coming of Spring, and they throw scented colored powder to each other! I saw this in a movie a long time ago, and I remember wishing we did something like that here in the States… And now – VOILA! The Color Run! Another dream come true! Whoopeee!

A photo from the Indian Color Festival - The Day of Holi

OK. It’s really easy to participate. Just register online (I paid cheap because I registered early) and you will be given instructions, which is basically just – wear white. The more white you have on you, the better and more colorful you’re going to look at the end! People came in wearing white afro wigs, white boa’s, white tutu’s, white tube socks, the works!

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

New friends with White Boa's

Creative white costumes!

They also give you tips about washing yourself and your clothes after. For example – smothering your hair with olive oil or leave-on conditioner at the beginning will make it easier for you to wash the color off. I didn’t bother because I wanted the colors to stain my hair. :)

I didn’t want to have to worry about ruining my fave clothes, so I bought a 4 dollar white shirt specifically for the event, so I can feel free to color it however I want!

You can run as an individual, or you can run as a team. I put a team together and I called ourselves – “The Pigments of Your Imagination!”
I know! Really smart, right? 

My Team - The Pigments of Your Imagination

Right. OK I will stop talking now – and just show you my awesome multihued photos.

Orange really is my color...

Bumped into my friend, Amy and her team!

My sister - the photographer for the day!

Look at them! They're my favorite Couple!

So every kilometer, you go through what they call a “Color Zone”. It functions as a marker to let you know how far you’ve gone, but also – and this is my favorite – it is an opportunity for you to get colorized! A group of volunteers literally throw a pail of color powder over you! It’s the funnest part of the run because each color zone has a different color assigned, and they have blaring music to accompany the fun color drenching! So you’re there in the blue zone, screaming at the volunteers to blast you with powder, jumping up and down to One Direction’s What Makes You Beautiful! Seriously, if you’re going to look like a dork rocking out to that song, might as well be in a cloud of blue smoke!

Blue Zone!

And at the end, right at the Finish Line, you run towards the Color Run After Party! Every few minutes, a burst of color erupts from every corner... so if you hadn't satisfied your color fix yet, there's your chance!

Colors Colors Colors!

Color Run After Party!

My Team

Don’t the photos look amazing? I totally recommend The Color Run to anyone who's looking to have some good clean (well, sort of) fun! Do it! I’ve never had so much fun running in my life --- and I hate running! It truly is the Happiest 5K on the planet!

While I am waiting to leave for my big trip next year, there's no reason why I should stop living like a tourist in my home in California, right? I will do anything and everything in the name of merriment and pleasure. And you should too!

They are expanding and adding more locations --- including Australia! Take a look at their schedule here.
They actually have another one coming up in Los Angeles this February!So If you live in SoCal – I’ll see you there!!!

Mandatory Jump Shot

West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval

Ever since I've moved to Los Angeles in 2006, I've attended the West Hollywood Halloween Costume Carnaval! I love Halloween!

On October 31^st each year, Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and La Cienega turns into a melting pot of creative freedom, mostly coming from the gay community. It is their (and everyone else’s) chance to truly be themselves: big, bold, bright and beautiful!  Seriously, the creativity that goes into these costumes and make-up blow my mind! The first year I went, I was so floored by what I saw, my mouth was open the whole time (which really didn’t go well with my Pocahontas costume).

Pocahontas from 2006 with Two Evil Disney Villains

The WEHO Carnaval or the “parade” as we call it, is the biggest Halloween street party celebration in the world.

The thing is – it’s not really a PARADE parade. They just close off that one mile stretch, and people show up in costume, and that’s it. There are certain areas that have a stage where musicians perform, some have DJ’s, etc… All of the bars are thriving and open for business and the atmosphere is always more fun… but mainly, what you do is just walk. You walk to see and be seen! I know it may sound lame, but TRUST ME. It’s anything but. It’s freaking AWESOME! I didn’t realize it till now, but I’ve actually never missed Halloween on West Hollywood. I’ve been to every single one of the 'parades' ever since I moved here! In fact, if you are planning on visiting Los Angeles, I'd recommend that you time it so that you're here for Halloween!

These are my costumes through the years…

Pocahontas, Queen Gorgo from 300, Bavarian Beer Maid

Laurie Jupiter from Watchmen, Esmeralda, Sweet Pea from Sucker Punch

 As you can see, I like choosing characters that go well with my long dark hair. This year – I went rogue and dressed as a blonde! Khaleesi from The Game of Thrones!

Danaerys Targaryen with a fuzzy Dragon!

My costume choices are pretty ‘safe’ compared to the ones you see at the carnaval… Actually, I go specifically because I like seeing what kind of costumes other people come up with… My favorites are usually the drag queens and their overly elaborate shining shimmering outfits. There’s also typically a common popular costume/theme that everyone seems to wear, depending on the pop cultural or political events that happened on that year. For example, one year, everyone came as Lady Gaga, another year it was Steve Irwin and a sting ray, and another year it was the Swine Flu – people dressed up as sick little pigs.

This year, I thought it might be the PSY Gangnam Style guy but I was wrong. I did see a couple of them though, but I didn’t see any recurring awesome costumes.

My favorite of the night was Queen Elizabeth and her parachute! It's so smart!!!

She even has her guards to hold her scepter! 

Here are some other note worthy costumes.

Thriller Michael Jackson and Edward Scissorhands (I think that actually might be Johnny Depp)

Chic-Fil-A Cows!

Julia Child! Bon Appetit!

Just some good old fashioned drag! :)

I did not find a Khal Drogo - but I found myself a Ser Jorah!

And as they do every single Halloween I’ve celebrated in Los Angeles, my poor feet have died once again. My legs, like Jell-O… And my body, sore as a thumb. But my spirits? High as the eagles fly… 

And my Halloween fix? Completely Satisfied!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

Kath the Vampire from the Underworld, Eartha the Khaleesi, Jackie the Alice in La La Land, and Christel the  Crying Nun

Remembering Oktoberfest in Munich

When I signed up for the Contiki tour I went on in September of 2008, I didn’t even know that it was in the itinerary. How was I supposed to know Oktoberfest started in September anyway??
Later on, I found out that most of my tourmates chose that tour specifically because of Oktoberfest! Out of 51 people in our group, only 16 of us opted to see a little bit of Munich. The other 30 went straight to the fairgrounds to… well, to drink!

I’m glad I got to spend a few hours exploring the city though, because Munich is beautiful and I’ve never been to Germany before. Besides, if I hadn’t gone, then I wouldn’t have been able to buy this authentic Bavarian beer maid costume (called a Dirndl) that I absolutely adore!!! 

With Alicia and our tour guide, Sandy

I’ve worn this outfit at least 10 other times after I’ve bought it (for Halloween or local Oktoberfest celebrations) and it still does its magic (read: they make your boobs look amazing).

After the short pit stop, the other 15 and I set out to find the group. The fairgrounds were HUGE! There must have been thousands of people in there that day.  

Reminds me of a carnival!

When we finally caught up with the rest of the gang, as expected, most of them were already drunk. What else is there to do in a festival celebrating beer after all? It’s hard not to when the steins are this huge!

Got Beer?

Apart from the beer, my tourmates and I delighted in some of the traditional German staple food. There was the Schweinebraten or roast pork, Wurstl or sausages, Saurkraut or red cabbage (I’m not a fan, unfortunately) and my favorite, Schweinsaxe or Pork Knuckle, the German equivalent of Filipino Crispy Pata. Mmmmm…

Cav and his Pork Knuckle!

The atmosphere was incredible, and everyone was friendly – especially the locals. It didn’t hurt that they were cute too. Who would have thought that I’d think a lederhosen was a turn on??

The ones I’ve met taught me a few things. First, never wear sandals (or open toed shoes) to Oktoberfest because a stein drops and breaks every few minutes, and you don’t want wet and bloody feet to ruin your vacation. Second, when you toast, you say, “Prost!” – which means, “Cheers”. Third, when you toast, you have to look people in the eye, or else it’s seven years of bad sex. (NO BLINKING, PEOPLE!)

 

Me hanging with my two new cute German friends in Lederhosens ;)

Sandy, our tour guide, pretty much gave us free reign over our activities for that day. I mean – there really was only one activity if you think about it. Anyway – she only had one rule, and it was, “Make sure to be back in the bus by 10pm sharp, or else you’re going to Italy on your own.” She was serious. Our hotel was more than an hour away from the fairgrounds, and there weren’t any taxi’s to take us all the way there at that hour. It sounds harsh, but to be fair, she made us a little sheet with the names of all the nearby hotels, plus the train schedules for us to be able to catch up with the rest of the group in Venice, in case we get left behind. Whenever Sandy said, “sharp”, she meant “sharp”. No exceptions.

I didn’t think it was going to be a problem – until it was 9:30 and everyone was drunk out of their wits, and our driver was parked about 3 miles away from where we were. When people started to realize this, panic ensued. Suddenly, there was only one thing in our minds – We needed to GET TO THAT BUS!

It’s all a little hazy, but I remember a lot of running. Lots and lots of running. It was only then that I realized what it meant to ‘run for your life’. Imagine about 30 people falling over, throwing up, dodging the crowd, scampering to get to the bus… my roommate even lost her flip flop (just one) amidst the chaos. It wasn’t pretty.

By some miracle, we made it in due time, all panting like we’ve run a marathon as we hurried to our seats. I remember right when I sat down, Sandy started counting heads. I was a little nervous. It didn’t look like all the seats were filled and I found myself feeling bad for whoever was left behind. I’d honestly hate to be in their shoes because how the heck could you find a hotel in the dead of night with that much alcohol in your system?

Then Sandy came up to the front, turned her microphone on and said, “Guess what? WE’RE ALL HERE!!!”

And the bus erupted with cheers loud enough for a pork knuckle to crack!

A bus full of inebriation!

How we all managed to get there in one piece is beyond me! (It turns out, the seats I thought were empty were occupied by people crouched down, throwing up.) Our driver roared the engine to life, and we started our journey back to our hotel in high spirits – both literally and figuratively!

Sandy played our tour song (which she chose for us on our second day together), “You Shook Me All Night Long” by ACDC, and all of us sang it at the top of our lungs word for word, albeit a little slurred. I think we were all just so relieved to have made it, most of us lost our intoxication that when we got back to the hotel, the drinking continued. No surprises there! :)

After our action packed day and the exhaustion started to kick in… one by one, we started to head back into our hotel rooms… but not before grabbing one last glass, to stare into each other’s eyes and say one final, “Prost”. :)

How I Plan to Travel The World With Free Accommodations

At a recent travel event I attended, I got acquainted with one of the speakers who made a living traveling the world as a TEFL instructor. When I asked her how she got started, she told me a story of how this lady gave a talk at her school about traveling. She got so inspired that she came up to her to ask how she paid for it all, and the lady said – “Oh I just sold my condo. It went for 400 grand and I’ve used that money to travel ever since!”

“What!??” I asked, dumbfounded and annoyed at the lady in her story, whom I’ve never even met.
“I know!” she said.
“That’s completely anti-inspirational!” I added.
“Exactly!”

My new friend refused to believe that selling her non-existent condo was the only solution to being able to travel, so she did a little research and found out about TEFL. She’s been doing that ever since! Good for her! It’s nice hearing stories of how people get started, especially since I’m practically at the starting point myself. Whenever I meet travelers, usually the first thing I ask is – “How did you fund your trip?” or “What do you do for money?” I’ve heard a variety of responses ranging from “I saved up for a year,” or “I teach English abroad,” to “We sold everything we owned, and freelance while on the road”.

I’m definitely looking into all those options myself. Teaching English – maybe. Freelance – why not? I have been offered quite a few money making opportunities I can take advantage of while I’m on the road, which I will talk about the closer I get to my launch date. But in the meantime, the main goal is to save – save – save. I’ve already taken the first step by moving out. I’m also looking into getting part time work to earn some extra cash, so hopefully I’ll have a nice start up fund to kick start my tour.

But since I do not own a condo that I could sell, and I’m not some big shot executive from Wall Street who brings in the big bucks every month, I have to think about practical ways to stretch my dollar while I’m on the road. Board and lodging alone will drain out most of my funds. In fact, it takes up about 30 – 40% of one’s budget. That’s a lot of money… and I thought if I didn’t have to pay for room and board, I won’t have to worry about being a penniless ukulele player wandering the globe! I could actually survive the trip, and maybe even go for longer than I intended!

And so I got a little creative and devised a plan to go on this trip without having to pay anything for accommodations! With tremendous research, a little luck, and a little help from my friends, I present you my Grand Master Plan of Travelling the World with Free Accommodations!

1. Staying with Family and Friends

            Okay. I am lucky in this aspect. I have a lot of family and friends that are spread out across the globe, and the first leg of my trip will be heavily reliant on them taking me on as a moocher. Or as an annoying guest. :)
I will go from LA to my home in the Philippines, then to Australia to visit my cousins, to New Zealand to stay with a friend, to Japan to stay with my half sister and good friend from high school, to Dubai to stay with my friend Tina the desert fox, then to the UK to stay with my usual besties. I still haven't worked out my route after that, but I'm exploring most of Europe for sure. This is all a very rough itinerary, but I’ve already spoken with all of the above and they’re all willing to take me in. Bless them! Bless them all!

2. CouchSurfing

I’ve mentioned that I’m currently couchsurfing at a friend’s apartment but this type of couchsurfing is different. Couchsurfing.org is an organization that helps tourists become travelers by helping them experience life as locals in different cities/countries. All you need to do is sign up, and you’ll have the opportunity to either be a host, or stay with a host for free. I’ve been a member for a while now, but I haven’t had the chance to try it out. I do have friends who’ve done it though, and they sing praises about it. The subject of safety often comes up when it comes to things like these and Couchsurfing.org seems to be on the ball about it. They have a page dedicated to that subject alone, and they offer comfort by providing host information such as their references (from former couchsurfers they’ve hosted), a detailed profile, verification (to see if the host’s identity and address has been verified) and vouching. I have no qualms about doing this, and am looking forward to meeting these hosts! To give my parents peace of mind, I can always choose to stay with a woman. And I think it goes without saying that I have every intention of being a sensible surfer. I will clean up after myself, take my hosts out to dinner, cook for them if they let me, or help them out around the house. I don't think Couchsurfing is synonymous to being a leech. ;)

3. Help Exchange – (My Secret Weapon)

            Ahh. Help Exchange. Where do I even begin… First let me start with – Help Exchange is a freaking LIFE SAVER! Take a look at this ad.

Hello HelpX Helpers!
My partner and I live in Umbria, central Italy, in a beautiful house in the country with two very friendly dogs and four lovely cats

I need a lot of help working the land. We need help pruning, picking up chestnuts and other fruit, and cleaning herbs, etc. The work varies with the season and is different every day
I can offer you a room complete with bathroom and a lot of good organic food.
We will provide accommodation in our spacious guest bedroom with king size bed, three meals per day (Breakfast, lunch and dinner) with drinks, free WiFi broadband internet and also plenty time off to explore central Italy. We live only 1,5 hours drive from Rome... We are quite good fun, chilled and enjoy a peaceful life. Also, we throughly enjoy meeting new people and hearing their amazing stories about their travels!
If all this sounds good to you, I'd like to hear from you. So get in touch!

            Um – if that doesn’t make you jump up and buy a plane ticket to Italy now, I don’t know what will!

Help Exchange (or HelpX), similar to Couchsurfing, is an organization that helps travelers immerse themselves in the local culture for free. The difference is that HelpX gives you free board and lodging in exchange for a few hours of labor. You actually get to work hard for your keep! The time of stay varies per need – yours, and your hosts. I’ve seen people needing help for as little as a week, to as long as a few months. And if you stay longer, you actually could potentially get paid too! Imagine the possibilities! You could do anything from helping a couple tend to their vineyard or their land like in the example above, to working as a part time receptionist at a hip and happening hostel and make friends along the way! And after your work is done, you have the rest of the day to do some exploring!

WWOOF is a comparable organization that connects travelers with organic farmers who want to trade room and board for an extra hand. I just prefer HelpX because WWOOF limits you to organic farming. I like a little diversity in my life and HelpX provides just that!

I'm so excited about everything! The possibilities are endless! I know I may sound like a naive bright eyed little girl, but I never let my excitement overshadow my common sense. To my good friends and family members who are reading this --- Don't worry. I'll do my research and I'll be smart. I'll take the necessary precautions to ensure my safety, and if all else fails, I always have my 10 years of boxing experience to fall back on. ;)

And to the rest of you guys -- If you're up for hosting me, or know a relative or a friend who's willing to take on a fab couchsurfer next year, surf's up! I'm raring and ready to go! :)

The Art of Letting Go

The day after my big decision to quit my job to travel, I started unpacking my bookshelves and tossed my books in a big balikbayan box. I figured, to be able to save money to afford this trip, I needed to move out and save all the money that was going to my rent. (I got this idea from my professional couchsurfer friend, Natalia of 52 Weeks, 52 Couches.) And even if I didn’t know where I was going to move to yet, I didn’t waste any time. I was on autopilot. My books were both the easiest and the hardest to get rid of. Easy because they were mostly just on display and they didn’t serve a daily purpose to me – unlike my bed or my couch. They were small, they were all bunched up together, and were very accessible. Hard because I love them the most. I could even go as far as saying they were my most prized possessions.

Out of more than a hundred of them, I probably ended up keeping a dozen or so (like my Harry Potter books), and donated the rest to my friends and to the public library. I’m not going to lie. I wept. I didn’t just weep for the loss of the loves of my life, but also for the knowledge of what’s to come. I knew it was only the beginning, and that I’d have to let go of much, much more. 

Packing is the worst!

couldn't even go to my own bathroom

For an entire month, all I ever did was fill up tons of trash bags and boxes of my clothes, shoes, books, bedding, small furniture, plus all the unnecessary items I’ve acquired over the years, and I took them to the nearest Goodwill Donation Center. It’s mind-boggling how much we accumulate over time. We have certain possessions we couldn’t throw away because of their emotional association. But what we don’t realize is that soon those little trinkets turn into boxes of random crap that fill up your space. The paraphernalia that once had sentimental value just becomes unnecessary clutter after a while. I know it sounds unsparing, but try looking in your storage units, in your closets or underneath your bed. You’ll see what I mean.

What once was my bedroom. What it looked like while I was packing to when it was finally empty. :(

It didn’t take me long to lose my sentimentality. Pretty soon, all that was left of my lovely apartment were the clothes I still needed to use (for work and play) for the next 6 months, a few small bins for my electronics and toiletries, and a big bin for my shoes. Everything else was gone, and the new tenant was set to move in just days after my last. Just like that… the home I called for years wasn't mine anymore.

I went from sleeping on my bed, to sleeping on my couch, to sleeping on a mattress.

I loved my apartment. It was my first home living by myself. It was colorful, cozy, and comfortable. Any friend of mine who have ever stayed with me can attest to my apartment’s hospitality. The location was so close to work, I got it brand new, and it was always 5 degrees colder when you’re inside – which I loved! Ahhh, it was perfect.
On my last day, when the former glory of my place was finally empty, I hugged the walls (literally), thanked it for everything, said goodbye… and that was it.

I miss you :(

Now I’m living in Long Beach, “couchsurfing” with one of my very good friends, Wriss. I had to put quotations on “couchsurfing” because she’s letting me use her bed. She’s a little weird like that, but I can’t complain! J
It’s a lot farther to work than where I used to live, but all the other perks of living here cancels that negative out. I mean, I’ve always wanted to live in a cute beach town – and now I am! It’s so laid back over here away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it’s completely refreshing. There are local café's, pubs and art galleries all around my neighborhood, and I can walk everywhere! I love the vibe – it’s artsy and chill. And honestly, it’s just so much fun having a roommate again.

I do miss my apartment and the convenience that came along with it. Of course I do… that’s just normal, isn’t it? It’s difficult, letting go. Not just of material possessions – but of anything in general. You go through a lot of resistance and denial, especially at the beginning. It’s a struggle, you doubt your intentions, and you struggle some more. Then, if you’re lucky like me, it just gets easier as you go along. Eventually you realize that holding on to certain things just weigh you down. And sometimes, even if it’s some of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do, you’ll come to realize that dumping your old crap and baggage just gives you more room. Room to grow, room to breathe, and in my case, room to fly. 

It’s like the snakes, see? They have to shed their old skin to make way for a new and shiny one. That way, they could gracefully go with the flow of their own lives with nothing held back.

Being as clumsy as I am, I doubt I’d be as graceful as a snake.
But I do know, that one way or another… I’ll shine. J

On Why I Decided to Quit My Job to Travel the World

Earth2Eartha

After I've spoken to my friends and family about my pronouncement to quit my job to travel, even if the universal reaction that I got from them was either genuine excitement or extreme jealousy, I was faced with a recurring question from my audience: “What made you decide to do it?”

And my answer was simple. “It’s time.”

I realize that this radical decision may have irrevocably reduced me into a cliché, but I don’t care. I’m doing it anyway, and I am over the moon about it!

It took me a long time to finally admit to myself that this is what I needed to do at this point in my life. I did a “30by30” project for six months (where I did 30 radical things before I turned 30) to try and figure out what my calling is… my niche… my bliss. Now, looking back, I think I might have only done that to distract myself from the fact that was staring me in the face… that to travel the world is my bliss. That it is more than just something that I do for fun – it’s a passion. I knew it all along, but didn’t acknowledge it right away because of everything else that I knew I needed to give up in order to pursue it. I was scared, and I wasn’t ready.

There is a phenomenon called the “Saturn Return”

that my girlfriends and I frequently talk about. It is an astrological term describing the transit of the planet, Saturn, as it orbits around the sun, and ‘returns’ to the position it occupied when you were born. During this “Saturn Return” period, a person usually crosses over a major threshold, and enters the next stage of life. And how long does it take for Saturn to do it’s orbit? Approximately 29.4 years. So it’s no coincidence that most of us go through some form of turning point in our lives right around the time of our 30^th birthday.

It definitely felt like a Saturn Return to me. I was so tired of being unhappy, but I felt like I didn’t have a right to be. I loved my life in LA. I had this great apartment, with awesome furniture that I picked out and bought myself. I have a nice big car that I bought brand new just a year and a half ago. And most importantly, I have a great job that pays my bills, with a kind boss and decent coworkers, and a salary that allows me to go on month long vacations every year. My life, honestly, is not all that bad.

But then sometimes, one gets to the point where “not bad” just isn’t good enough anymore. I blame human nature. And Saturn.

I knew I was meant to do something bigger… and being confined to a windowless cube all day everyday was getting old. So one day, I woke up and I made the decision that would change my life forever. I made a choice to go for what I believe my personal legend is, and to let go of all the things that were holding me back. I set a plan in motion, and there was no turning back after that.

I’m usually very spontaneous but when it comes to something this extensive, I can be somewhat of a neurotic planner. And looking ahead, thinking about the humongous feat I’m about to attempt, I know I’m going to need money. Which means I won’t quit my job now --- but I will after 6 months. I’ll need about 6 months to save up whatever I’m earning from my job, get a few odd jobs here and there for extra cash, or maybe even consider egg donation! Whatever it takes.

I had to get rid of my apartment too 

and save the money that usually goes to my monthly rent, so I made arrangements with one of my closest friends, and she agreed to put me up for 6 months at a minimal cost. After that, I had to go through the grueling process of selling, donating, and throwing away everything that I owned, and everything that I built for myself in the 6 years I’ve lived in LA… And I can tell you for certain, that it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

I shed a tear for every book that I donated to my public library. I love my books…I do… but I love to travel more. And with what I plan to do, I have to travel light. It makes no point paying for public storage while I’m away, because truthfully, I don’t even know how long I’ll be gone. I’m keeping some of my clothes, shoes, electronics, and anything I still need to live and breathe in LA for the next 6 months, but everything else like my books, my furniture, my kitchenware, glassware, you name it – they were all either given to my friends, put up on Craigslist, or donated to Goodwill.

Only someone who’s ever had to move before could understand how stressful it is to go through that process. I’m still exhausted from it all, but I know things will work out as long as I keep moving forward. Now that that’s done, I’ll have more time to formulate the master plan, whatever that is.

There are a few people who may frown upon this decision.

I know my dad does because he worries – and I think that’s completely normal. He worries about my career, my safety, my finances, and what I’m supposed to do with myself when I run out of money. He doesn't understand my reasons and it came as quite a bit of a shock to him that I’m even thinking about doing this. He thinks it’s outrageous.

I get it. I honestly do. I think it’s pretty extreme too. And to be honest, I don’t know what I’m going to do when I come back. I’m not necessarily sure what I’m going to do about money while I’m on the road, and I’m not sure I’ll want to go back to my ‘career’ afterwards. But I do know that there’s no better time to do what I want to do than right now. I am unattached, I have no kids, no mortgage… and to top it all off, I just got my American Passport this year. Which means I can travel anywhere as I please (except maybe to Iraq) without the hassle of applying for a visa. As far as I’m concerned, I can do or be anything I want to be. And as of this moment, I choose to be a quirky globetripper, poor – yet happy. 

I want to comfort my dad by saying I know exactly what I’m doing. And to a certain extent, I do. I have a general idea of where I want to go and what I want to do. I have a rough draft of an itinerary, a few possibillities for online work, and a few International friends who are willing to put me up when I visit. Other than that, I don’t know exactly how things are going to turn out. I don’t know what will happen in each destination. I don’t know how long I’m going to stay in one place, or when I’m going to be back, but I prefer it that way. There’s comfort in the unknown.

One thing’s for sure… I will do whatever it takes to have everything I need to make it happen. I’m more tenacious than I’ve ever been, and I won’t stop until I am a force to be reckoned with.

I’m scared shitless though. Seriously.

But that’s how I know this is going to be worth it in the end. :)

Earth2Eartha Illustration by Aldy Aguirre

The 30 by 30 Epilogue

Almost exactly a year ago, I held a bow and arrow for the first time, and found myself competing with a 12 year old blonde kid with elvish genes whom I then referred to as, “Legolas”. Learning archery was the first of the 30 things I promised myself I would attempt, as part of this project. A project I had started because I wanted to find my niche! My bliss! I was tired of being a jill of all trades, and a master of none. It was a quest… to find out finally, what it is I’m really passionate about!

And now, one year – and 30 things later, I still don’t have a clue! Haha!

But it’s not a bad thing!!!

Because honestly, putting myself through all of the activities I participated in – truly TRULY made my year a LOT more interesting AND more fun than if I had just sat myself down and let life pass me by. 

I mean it’s one thing being a joiner like I already am… But then having a goal in mind – like I did, really did something to my psyche. It’s like having a propeller. Whenever something came up… like an opportunity to do something different for example, my brain was sort of wired to automatically say “YES!” almost like I had no choice. Because the choice to say “yes” was predetermined by the contract I made with myself to do this project and see it through. Does that make sense?

And the law of attraction or the power of thought or however you want to call it --- was definitely working to my benefit too. One thing kept leading me to another. One activity led me to meet someone who did this thing, and going to that thing led me to see a poster about this other thing, and going to that other thing inspired me to try this other new thing… etc. You get the picture, right?

And one of the greatest most amazing gifts the universe has given me was leading me to meet my favorite writer, who was in fact my inspiration for this endeavor. Like I mentioned in my previous entries, this whole project was my homage to his “Yes experiment”, and meeting him right at the very end was just too movie-like perfect.

In fact, someone should seriously turn this into a movie… and I nominate Emma Stone to play me!!!

I’m trying not to be cheesy and feel-goody about this ‘epilogue’… but it’s haaard because I really did have such an amazing time doing this! I mean I don’t think I would have sought out to learn Archery, or had the guts to play Dodgeball, or subject my body’s flexibility to Anti-Gravity Yoga, or give up bacon for Veganism if I didn’t feel like I had to. But I’m glad I did!

I did have my challenges. At pne point in the middle, I had lost my momentum. I got exhausted! I felt like I was doing too much, my body was literally failing me. I had temptations of giving up halfway... I thought about quitting. I was running out of things to try, things to do... and I was so tired.
But everyone goes through low points, and I slapped myself out of it eventually. I just taught myself to slow down and pace myself. I actually ended up doing more than 30! Some of the activites just didn't make the cut. Too boring to write about. Nothing really eventful happend when I took voice lessons or hip-hop classes. I already bored you guys with the horseback riding story, I didn't want to do it again.

I’m happy to report though, that I’m still doing Muay Thai, 4 times a week, thank you ver much! I really like it, and its one of the ones that stuck with me. I still play and rock the ukulele, trying to get better at it everyday. I still volunteer on a regular basis, and recently got an offer to be a real face painter (Woohoo! Didn’t see that coming!). I’m doing the triathlon again this year, focusing on my navigational skills in the ocean this time. And traveling? Well, plans for a Greek Island Hop is underway!

                           

And even if I didn’t find my niche like I had intended… beh… So what? It’s okay. I still have the rest of my life to figure out what it is… and the point is, I don’t think I’ll ever stop trying anyway. :) Just because the 30by30 Project is over, it doesn’t mean it stops there.
As a matter of fact, after I’ve turned thirty, I’ve driven a boat, coordinated a wedding, volunteered as a paparazzi, AND auditioned for a musical (Les Miserables) at a local community theater (I got in!!).

So you see?? Maybe trying EVERYTHING is my niche! Maybe I’m just a master at being a jill of all trades! Maybe life IS my bliss!
Maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe we aren’t supposed to have just ONE passion or purpose in life.  

                                              
 
Who knows? I’m no expert, but I do know that right now, at this very moment, is the youngest I’ll ever be… and I don’t plan on wasting my youth by moping about, complaining about the things that could have been, kicking and screaming about my limitations… But instead, I choose to celebrate the things I can do, and be grateful for them. I choose to be proactive, and seek out adventure that makes me feel INFINITE! I choose to be mobile, and continue to discover different places, music, food, and cultures of the world! When I am faced with a situation where I have to ask myself, “Why” – I choose instead to ask, “Why not?” … And to opportunities, suggestions, favors, or invitations where I would normally say “no” – I choose to say, “YES.”

And I hope you do too!

Lastly, I’d like to leave you with a nice blessing, borrowed from our friend, Neil Gaiman…

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.” ♥

Thanks for reading, guys. It’s been a pleasure.

xoxo,
Eartha