It has been a long time since I have emailed an update and I thought you might enjoy a coffee break right about now. All in all, I am enjoying my time off and I know my body desperately needed this time to recoup from being too busy to stop and smell the roses. Working backwards:
Events in 2011
· Apr - May: Petra will be my home. If you ever thought about coming to Jordan to float in the Dead Sea or to hike in Petra, this would be the time. I would be happy to help plan your trip and I am in the perfect spot to provide assistance because I am helping a friend at his travel agency www.jordanartisttours.com. Trying to improve my Arabic one word at a time.
o Travel High: being with a Jordanian family and going to an office every day
· Mar: crossed over into Cambodia and could have stayed in the sleepy seaside town of Kep. Made a stop in Kampot and then relaxed on Otres Beach in between nasty thunderstorms that were unusual for this of year. I walked myself into the ground trying to see as much of Phnom Penh as I could. Had a few days in Bangkok to have a reunion with teacher friends and to have my last Thai foot massage, I will miss those.
o Travel High: biking along the sea in Kep, walking on the beach in Otres Beach, staying at the charming Boddhi Tree Del Gusto Guesthouse
o Travel low point: dog nip in Kep, sleeping with ants during the muggy nights in Kampot. Getting caught in a serve thunderstorm at Otres Beach.
· Mar: had an eventful two weeks in Vietnam with a friend from CA. We covered the northern part (Hanoi, Sapa, and Hu Long Bay) and the south (Saigon, Mekong Delta).
o Travel High – traveling with Jenay, eating Papa Roti rolls and drinking tea on our secret balcony, the hill tribe women in Sapa helping us down muddy trails, surviving street traffic in Saigon, the peace and beauty of the Mekong Delta
o Travel low point: having my hangbag stolen with all my valuables.
· Feb: Explored Laos for two weeks and I hit the jackpot when I decided to stay in Luang Prabang for 8 days. Another great place to chill, walk by the rivers, hike in the forests, practice English with students, and to be a part of the community. I was very impressed with two groups serving the student population. One was Big Brother Mouse (http://www.bigbrothermouse.com/visit.html) and the other was My Library (http://www.thelanguageproject.org/).
o Travel High: being out in nature with the amazing scenery in Vang Vieng, steam baths at the Red Cross, the Ethnik Fashion show at the Hive Bar, meeting other tourists, English conversation at Big Brother Mouse
o Travel low point: feeling like I might have a problem with my appendix or something down there and being on my own if something was to go wrong and then where to go for medical support?
· Feb: Completed a 7 day yoga workshop in Nong Khai, Thailand where I learned how to breathe again and how to relax. With being there for a total of 10 days, I got into a nice schedule and felt at home in this border town with Laos.
o Travel High: the yoga workshop and classmate Charlie, MuttMee Guesthouse
o Travel low point: the heat and pollution of Vietanne
· Jan: In Chiang Mai, Thailand spent a special two weeks volunteering with elephants at the Elephant Nature Park. The park is in a beautiful valley with forested hills all around and a river running through the property. Watching the elephants bathe in the mud bath was the best, and guess who got to clean out the mud bath each day?
o Travel High: night markets, street food, Pat at Siri Guesthouse, the elephants and the other volunteers
o Travel low point: being in a van on an all day drive with a 14 yr old kid who had to either watch loud movies or listen to music – his mom included.
· Jan: Finally made it to Hawaii to see the volcanoes and was amazed at how friendly the folks are in Volcano Village; hugs before handshakes when meeting people.
o Travel High: the national park, farmers markets, visiting with friends
Events in 2010
· Oct: spent a wonderful, traditional New England fall in Stonington, CT
· Aug – Dec: Relaxed in Silverdale, WA for a few months organizing the big SE Asia trip
· Aug: Had a few days in Denver to recover from jet lag
· June – Aug: Enjoyed the fresh air and hiking in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland over the summer
· June : Finished contract in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and packed up once again
The big question you are probably asking yourself is – when is she going to get a job? I am working on that. Most likely, I will be returning to the states in June but nothing is set yet. I post updates at http://journals.worldnomads.com/rtumicki
I hope everyone is well and drop a line if you have the time.
