Grateful 203

I'm grateful for: Laughing so hard I'm crying and can't breathe! It's the best feeling in the world!

The end to another great day in Ubud!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 202

I'm grateful for: Live music! Live music makes life better. No further explanation needed.

This Balinese band was really good. They play every week at The Laughing Buddha if anyone ever happens to be in Ubud!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 201

I'm grateful for: Friends with motorbikes! Dan, a friend I made at my guesthouse, has a motorbike, so today we drove all around the villages near Ubud seeing the sights & searching for Galungan festivities!

First, we went to Goa Gajah. The area around Goa Gajah is what's in today's picture. So beautiful there! Just to hire a moto driver to go to Goa Gajah and back would have cost me at least $6.

Not only did I get to go to Goa Gajah for free, but after Goa Gajah we went to Samoan Tiga in Bedulu, ate gado gado on the outskirts of Ubud, drove around Monkey Forest and stopped in Ubud Palace, drove around the side streets watching the parades and admiring the penjor, drove through the rice terraces to the villages in the north and hung out in Petulu Gunung where hundreds of Egrets come to roost each night, happened upon the village parade in Petulu where the entire village had turned out to celebrate Galungan, and finished the day with an amazing Kecak Fire and Trance Dance! A fantastic Galungan Day to say the least!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 200

I'm grateful for: Yoga! One of the most popular yoga places in Ubud happens to be right down the street from where I'm staying. Anya, a friend I made at my guesthouse, told me that they had a special introductory offer, so I went today to check it out.

For only 270,000Rp (roughly $27), you get a 1 week unlimited pass! Normally, 1 class is 100,000Rp (roughly $10), so if you go to just 3 classes you're saving money!

I already went to 2 classes today (1 Vinyasa class & 1 Restorative class), and they were both great. At this pace, each class will work out to be just $2!!

Cheap yoga, conveniently located right by my guesthouse = winning!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 199

I'm grateful for: English magazines! It's rare that I find a place with English magazines. To tell you the truth, I can't actually remember the last time I read an English magazine. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to find a Newsweek to read while I enjoyed my Chai latte!

On a side note: The cover story, iCrazy, was a great read. I highly recommend you check it out. If you can't find this issue of Newsweek in stores, you can read the article online. I already posted the link earlier, but in case you missed it, the link is: http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/08/is-the-internet-making-us-crazy-what-the-new-research-says.html (And yes, I realize that it's ironic to post an online link to this particular article given the topic.)

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 198

I'm grateful for: Delicious organic food places! This little cafe serves raw organic food and drinks. I first noticed them because the sign outside says "Slow Food Made with Love & Gratitude." I was intrigued, so I went inside. Inside there was another blackboard that said "What are you grateful for?" It listed some of their desserts :)

With all this gratitude floating around, I thought I should eat there. So I did, and it was great!

I had raw hummus served with julienned veggies, flax crackers, and olives & belly love juice, which is "a blend of the most potent stomach healers to soothe and love your belly even when it's feeling good - aloe vera, ginger, turmeric, kencur, irish moss, mint, tulsi, lime, honey." So good!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 197

I'm grateful for: Long bike rides! Today, a friend I made at my guesthouse and I went biking through the rice terraces in the villages around Ubud. We rode around for 7 hours! Biking through Bali is not as easy as it sounds. There were hills, lots of hills!

At the beginning of the ride, there were also lots of places where you had to carry the bike. At one point, we had our bikes above our heads to carry them up a steep hillside - and when I say steep, I mean really, really steep! Score 1 for upper body strength!

I'm glad we made it up that hillside though because the bike ride was incredibly beautiful! The rice terraces were so green and seemed to go on forever! And the people we met in the villages were so nice, always smiling and happy to point us in the right direction! Also, we found an awesome little restaurant right in the middle of the rice terraces to have lunch; it was so peaceful and relaxing! Not to mention, riding on those steep downhill portions (what goes up, most come down) was amazing!! It was like flying!

Definitely a good day!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 196

I'm grateful for: Having the opportunity to go to cultural events like this Barong dance performance! This traditional Balinese dance was really interesting to watch and the costumes were amazing! To find out more about the dance, Google Barong!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 195

I'm grateful for: Gardens! This is part of the garden in front of my big porch. I still don't know what's making it smell so amazing, but whatever it is, it's intoxicatingly fragrant! When I'm not wandering around Ubud, I love sitting out on the porch and taking in the aroma. Smells. So. Good!

Ubud. Bali. Indonesia.

Grateful 194

I'm grateful for: Airports! They're awesome! I would pontificate upon their awesomeness, but I just don't think I could clearly convey in words all that I feel when I enter an airport.

It's indescribable in the best of ways. There's an electricity in the air, a magical mix of excitement, anticipation, and new possibilities brought about by the prospect of unforetold adventures.

What can I say? As a person who lives to travel, the mere thought of an airport fuels my wanderlust and fills my daydreams with images of far off places.

Singapore > Indonesia.

Grateful 193

I'm grateful for: Getting to go to Universal Studios! I love, love, love amusement parks, so needless to say, I had an awesome time at Universal Studios! A day full of roller coasters and 4D rides was a great finish to an awesome week in Singapore!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 192

I'm grateful for: Hawker stands! Hawker stands are stalls that sell a variety of inexpensive food. Usually there are several in one place like a food court. Though the term food court exists here, they are often referred to as hawker centers.

Hawker stands are really popular here in Singapore. You can find them pretty much anywhere. Many are open late like this one pictured, where we grabbed a late night snack at midnight.

Doesn't get much better than a collection of cheap food places open late!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 191

I'm grateful for: Staying with friends! Thanks to my friend, Melissa, I had a free place to stay for part of my time in Singapore! It's always great to stay with friends not just because it's a free place to stay but also because you get to see their corner of the city. Thanks again, Melissa, for letting me crash at your place and for showing me your part of Singapore!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 190

I'm grateful for: Seeing incredible sites, such as these supertrees! It's always fun to see sites in person that you've previously read about; it's even better when the sites are way more amazing than you even imagined!

I read about these supertrees here (thanks to my friend, Saris):
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/08/world/asia/singapore-supertrees-gardens-bay/index.html. Tonight, I wandered over to check them out, and they were indescribably super-amazing-incredible-awesome! In case you're confused, I liked them ~_^

This is not the best picture I have of the supertrees, but I don't want to crop my favorite one (the Polaroid app crops them into square photos). I'll post my favorite one later. Actually, I'll probably post the uncropped version of this one as well because it's worth seeing full size too.

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 189

I'm grateful for: Cities with metros! It's nice to be back in a city with a metro! Finding points of interest and meeting up with friends is much easier when there's a metro system. Not to mention, you can wander aimlessly without worrying about getting lost - as long as you remember what metro station is near your place, you can always find your way home!

The SMRT (< works out nice for Singapore that the acronym spells smart ^_^) is clean, safe, affordable, reliable, and really easy to navigate. Can't get much better than that!

Today, I bounced around from Little India to Chinatown to the Botanic Gardens to Orchard Street and then back to "my" metro stop: Farrer Park, Exit B. Twas another lovely day in Singapore!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 188

I'm grateful for: Catching up with friends over lunch! Melissa, a friend of mine that I met (almost) 3 years ago when I was doing my TESOL in Thailand, and I had lunch in Little India today. My being in Singapore at the same time as her is another serendipitous happening, as she only moved here a couple of months ago!

We've both been living and traveling in Asia for most of the time since we met, so it was really fun to get to share our teaching & travel stories from the last 3 years! And we'll have plenty more time to catch up on the last 3 years later this week because I conveniently (without knowing) showed up when she has a 3 day weekend!

What a wonderful week of seeing old friends this is turning out to be! I couldn't have planned it better if I tried! ^_^

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 187

I'm grateful for: Serendipitous happenings! In March of 2011, Nora (from Taiwan) and Sarah and Lester (currently residing in Singapore, but originally from Malaysia) were all in Korea (Nora did not know Sarah and Lester then). I was, of course, also in Korea. As was Julia (my traveling buddy from Jan-Apr of this year). Nora was couchsurfing at Julia's. Sarah and Lester were couchsurfing at Charles'.

Charles is a Korean guy that organizes weekend trips for foreigners in and around Busan. On that weekend in March, he organized a day trip to Jinhae to see the cherry blossoms. At the time, I did not know Julia. But Julia went on the Jinhae trip and brought Nora, and Charles of course went on the trip and he brought Sarah and Lester, and then I went on the trip.

We all met there for the first time. We only spent that 1 day together (except Julia and I, who became great friends that day and went on to travel together!), but we all kept up on Facebook. Now, a year and a half later, we all randomly ended up in Singapore! And Nora and I didn't plan to be here at the same time - it just randomly happened that way!

Another guy, Greg, who was also living in Busan, went on that same Jinhae trip - and that was the first time any of us had met him as well. He will arrive in Singapore on Saturday. So, 5 of us from that day trip to Jinhae ended up in Singapore at the same time without planning it! So crazy! A true instance of serendipity!!

This is a picture of us in the Muslim Quarter last night (Sarah and Lester are the ones sitting down and Nora is in the middle beside me. The other girl is Nora's friend.) Before this, Sarah, Lester, and I had dinner in Little India. Such a fun night! I'm really loving Singapore and looking forward to many more great times this week!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 186

I'm grateful for: Flying over rainbows! Well friends, now I really have been somewhere over the rainbow, and let me tell you it's a spectacular place to be!

Just as we started our descent into Singapore, the clouds parted and a beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky below us. It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but it was really bright and clearly visible from the plane.

This was the first time I've ever flown over a rainbow, so I was really excited and grateful for this unexpected moment! You never know what surprises are waiting just around the corner...or under that next cloud!

Singapore. Singapore.

Grateful 185

I'm grateful for: Wandering aimlessly through cities and stumbling upon cool places! Today was my last day in Cambodia, so I thought that I would aimlessly wander around Phnom Penh without a map and see what I came across. And what did I come across? Wat Phnom!

Every time I do this, I always discover something fascinating :)

Phnom Penh. Cambodia.

Grateful 184

I'm grateful for: Movie theaters, those magical places where you get to see new movies and marvel at their awesomeness on 40 foot screens! It's been almost 8 months since I've stepped foot in a movie theater, which if you know me well is pretty crazy because I love movies!

When I decided to return to Phnom Penh to fly to Singapore, I also decided to hit up one of Phnom Penh's movie theaters because I really wanted to see "The Dark Knight Rises" on the big screen. The movie theater and the movie did not disappoint!

I was actually surprised how nice the movie theater was - big comfy seats, a good screen and surround sound, plenty of AC, and even an usher to show you to your assigned seat! And at only $3 a ticket, it's incredibly cheap!

The good deals don't stop there! Popcorn was only $0.85 and a coke was only $1! So, seeing an awesome new movie complete with refreshments only set me back $4.85!

Thanks for a great night at the movies, Phnom Penh!

Phnom Penh. Cambodia.

Grateful 183 AKA the Halfway Point!

I'm grateful for: The journey, that long and winding road that is my life! I thought about what I wanted to be grateful for on this, the day of my 183rd Grateful post (AKA the halfway point). I decided I should go back to the beginning - not the beginning of these travels but the beginning of all the travels, the international ones, that is.

This is a picture of me, at 19, waiting for my first international flight. Sitting there in that airport, I could never have imagined what was to come. Little did I know that I was about to embark upon a path that would lead me on the adventure of a lifetime.

It's been eight and a half years since this picture was taken. Since then, I have flown on countless international flights to destinations across both the Atlantic and the Pacific, traveling through 100s of cities in 23 countries on 3 continents. What a marvelous journey it's been, and continues to be!

It's hard to express just how grateful I am for all of the experiences I've had these last years; to be honest, I'm not actually sure that it's possible to adequately convey the depth of gratitude I feel for getting to live the life I've imagined.

These last 6 months have been an exercise in trying to show that kind of gratitude. With 6 months still left to go, who knows what other amazing things I have left to be grateful for!

In honor of this post being about my journey, I will leave you with some excerpts from one of my favorite books, a book that quite thoroughly sums up the journey that is life: "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss! (If you've never read the whole thing, you should! As soon as possible!)

"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
...
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 182

I'm grateful for: Mosquito nets! Earlier, there was a roach on the outside of my mosquito net. Without a mosquito net that same roach would have been in my bed. Score 1 for the mosquito net!

It's also nice to be protected from malaria and dengue fever (that being the main purpose of the mosquito net and all); I could definitely do without both of those diseases!

So here's to you mosquito net! Thanks for keeping creepy crawlies and disease-ridden mosquitoes away from me!

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 181

I'm grateful for: Massages on the beach! I love massages. I love the beach. Therefore, I really love massages on the beach.

Those beach chairs (that are right in front of my door) double as massage chairs, so convenient!

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 180

I'm grateful for: Sunglasses! There are a million different reasons to be grateful for sunglasses, so I won't bore you by listing them all. Suffice it to say, I couldn't live without sunglasses! I especially love these incredibly cheap knock off Ray Bans that are so plentiful in SE Asia! They make me happy! ^_^

The pair of sunglasses pictured were bought for $1.50 in the Philippines in January!

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 179

I'm grateful for: Getting manis and pedis while relaxing on the beach! What better way to pass the time in your beach chair than getting a manicure and pedicure! Chantha, the girl that did my nails, also sold bracelets, and she gave me a free one to match my nails! How sweet :)

She was so nice, I even let her torture me...I mean thread my eyebrows. And I agreed to let her thread my legs in a few days when my hair grows out. Gonna be painful! But at least I'll have a nice view while I endure the pain!

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 178

I'm grateful for: Finishing books! It's always a nice feeling to finish a book... though sometimes it's bittersweet because the book is so good you don't want it to end. Luckily, this work of literary genius has 4 more equally great and incredibly imaginative books that follow, which means I have many more days of reading bliss ahead! ^_^

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 177

I'm grateful for: Paradise! I have found the holy grail: a beachfront bungalow - and I mean really beachfront as in 2 meters, maaaybe 3, from the water; a gorgeous, virtually unpopulated, beach with very few hawkers - for SE Asia that's way more amazing than it sounds; and finally the bungalows' restaurant is right by the water with big, comfy papasan chairs and wait for it... Mexican food! Yep. Scrapping all my other plans and staying here for the next week. It's a good thing I have a flight to catch on the 15th or I might literally never leave this place!

Other awesomeness includes never-ending waves for swimming fun, shady beach chairs good for reading, and friendly ladies selling delicious mangoes! Those never-ending waves are going to be nice to fall asleep to and wake up to :)

Not surprisingly, Otres Beach, where this paradise exists, was listed on Forbes top 22 beaches in Asia. So far, the masses have not yet descended on the beach because it's out of the way; the other beaches in Sihanoukville are much easier to get to and have many more amenities.

I also have to say that I love the name of the bungalows I'm staying at: Everything is Everything. And their wifi password: It is what it is. Haha.

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 176

I'm grateful for: Beach days! After 3 landlocked months, it's nice to be back at the beach again! I spent the day reading "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in one of the comfy papasan chairs that line the beach, walking the 6km from Serendipity beach to the far end of Ochheuteal beach and back again, and watching the sunset while eating a $3 beachside BBQ. Ahh bliss!

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 175

I'm grateful for: Being on the road again! Enough said! ^_^

Sihanoukville. Cambodia.

Grateful 174

I'm grateful for: So Chhin Hotel, my home for the last few months! So Chhin has been great - not only did they give me a discounted monthly rate but they are also close to Trailblazer, not to mention the staff are really friendly and the hotel is super clean (not so easy to find on a budget).

In addition, they have lots of freebies like free bicycles, 2 free bottles of water a day, unlimited free tea and coffee, free shampoo and soap, and free use of the computers. What more could one ask for? I'll really miss this place!

Siem Reap. Cambodia.

Grateful 173

I'm grateful for: New shoes! A few months ago, the dress shoes that I had in my bag were compromised by mold that infested my pack, so I had to throw them out. However, in the not too distant future, I'll be teaching for a while meaning that dress shoes are a pretty crucial thing to have.

It's almost impossible for me to find dress shoes in Asia because my feet are no where near Asian-sized; it's even hard for me to find dress shoes in the US a lot of times. Even so, I've been on the lookout for places that might have big sizes, hoping to luck out. And luck out, I did!

A place right near my hotel had some dress shoes hidden in the depths of their roadside stall! I just happened to spy them when passing by. And not only did they miraculously have my size, but the shoes only cost $4! Winning!

Siem Reap. Cambodia.

Grateful 172

I'm grateful for: My new mini notebook! After 9 months without a computer, I decided it was time to get one. Now, I can easily do picture things! This means lots of new pictures should be posted in the near future!

And I must say, I'm really loving this new computer so far. With 320GB of memory, 3 USB ports and a card reader, a 6 cell li-ion battery, Windows 7, loads of free programs like Photoshop (I love Asia and its hatred of copyright laws!), a free carrying case and plug converter, and its snazzy blue color and ultra thin design, what's not to love?

Siem Reap. Cambodia.

Grateful 171

I'm grateful for: Nephew Skype dates! I know I've already been grateful for Skype, but I'm specifically grateful for the times I get to hang out with my nephew from half a world away! These days, he can talk a lot more and has definitely mastered saying Auntie Heather :) So sweet!

I also got to hear about gymnastics lessons and how he can do a front roll now, going to the symphony and how he made an instrument, how much he loves the water park, and how he got a bookworm at story time. Then, he showed me his toy cars and how they work, his animal building blocks and how to make a tower, and he demonstrated how he can stand up and sit down when you say up and down. I also got to see his new big boy haircut and how tall he's getting - he's taller than the kitchen table now!

Lots of laughs and silliness later, and it was lunchtime (for him) and bedtime (for me). Always such fun spending time with this adorable little guy!

Siem Reap. Cambodia.