At first I was hesitant to give this blog the title I did, considering the fact that I just graduated and cannot yet say that I am gainfully employed as an Art Therapist. However, after realizing that not only did I photograph the Lichtenstein-esk artwork hanging in my Miami hostel room ...
...but that the two books I brought with me on this trip are: The Other Side of Normal - How Biology Is Providing the Clues to Unlock the Secrets of Normal and Abnormal Behavior, and Shadow Dance - Liberating the Power and Creativity of Your Dark Side (based on the Jungian concept of the internal hero/shadow archetypes) I decided to call a spade a spade and an Art Therapist an Art Therapist so here we are.
My travels to South East Asia started with a girls weekend in Miami (cuz what better way to start a trip than with another trip?!) which consisted of pretty much what you'd expect: plenty of beach time,
clubbing (photo courtesy of Stephanie M.),
and huge margaritas.
Although we had nothing on these guys (that's 120 oz!)
Lucky, my friends and I decided to stay in a hostel so we got the added bonuses of hanging out with lots of fun people from all over the world and taking advantage of the extra social amenities most hostels have to offer. All in all this led to many games of ping pong; conversations where laughter and hand gestures were essential components; piggy back races through the streets (girls carrying guys, obvi); informal Latin dance lessons from Argentines; a collection of club entry bracelets; and this:
Plus hanging out with the awesome hostel staff and photographing them without their knowledge (sorry Paulito)(photo courtesy of Emily O.).
In conclusion, hostels = yes. Pretty much always.
So things are off to a good start, and I've only had two moments where I started to cry from sheer anxiety about the unknowns that are to come. Once while hugging my cat goodbye (#dontjudgeme) and once while walking through Miami International on the way to my fight to L.A. At the moment I'm more terrified than excited but thinking about the fun I've had already seems to help.
So to sum up Miami...
(photo courtesy of Emily O.)
(photo courtesy of Stephanie M.)
(photo courtesy of Emily O.)
Next stop, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam!
(P.S. Please send good thoughts and energy to the land and people of the Philippines and northern Vietnam affected by typhoon Haiyan. Never did I expect to be so grateful that my travel plans were delayed until now. If anyone hears of volunteer opportunities I might be able to participate in, please let me know. Thanks!)
