I think I scarred some little kids

This is the view out my window. Not bad.

I did, indeed, get a bunch of parsley. BUT! Not all was lost. Basil was acquired by others, and it went into a delicious pesto sauce. Really, everything that night that we had for dinner was amazing. Some of Sarah and Scott's friends came over for a dinner party, and we ate pizza, pesto/noodles, other noodle goodness, garlic bread, and brownies. So good.

We also played some board games, which I always enjoy. None of them had to leave particularly early because there was no school the next day. That's the funny thing about Bolivia, and La Paz. You just never know when school is going to be cancelled.

You see, the city is trying to reforming the public transportation. The drivers (buses, minibus, trufi, taxi) will occasionally go on strike because of it. And it's not good enough to just not drive for that day, they also set up blockades so no one can go anywhere. Including teachers and students.

So Tuesday, what did we do? We put up curtains, ate some yummy food, played Ticket to Ride, and just hung out. It was wonderful, because really, the reason I came to La Paz was to see Sarah, and I got to do that all day!

Thursday I visited the school where both she and Scott work. Apparently her students had been anxiously awaiting my visit for the entire week. They are just so sweet. I got to be "Social Studies" for that chunk of time, showing them pictures of Australia (mostly the animals) and talked about farming there. Then they got to ask me all sorts of questions. One of them made the mistake of asking what I ate while in Australia. I told them I ate a lot of sheep. Sheep are pretty common here in Bolivia, so I thought that was a pretty safe one.

I was wrong. They were a little bit mortified, if being a little mortified is possible. And to add to their already distaught little minds, I added, "I also ate some kangaroo." Well, you can imagine how that went with a bunch of 9-yr-olds. Here I thought it would be somewhat okay since they eat things like llamas, but again, I was wrong. 

Other than that, it went really well. The also got to ask me questions about me personally. 

"What's your favorite color?"

"How many siblings do you have?"

"What Australian animal do you prefer?"

"What Australian animal was your favorite?"

"What's your favorite not-Australian animal?"

"What's your favorite animal pet?"

Sometimes they get in a rut. I think my favorite part was when they would throw their hand up in the air like they had a very urgent question, but then when I called on them they would have to think and think to come up with something. It was so fun. And adorable.

That night we went to get anticuchos. It was pretty good meat with some potatoes. And you know what kind of meat it was?!?! That's right, folks, cow's heart. La corazon de una vaca. Because I'm hard core like that. Haha. Seriously though, it was pretty tasty - a little greasy - but tasty. Also, the lady cooking it was using a hair dryer to build up the flames for the grill.

Friday we loaded up the Beast (a just-about-ancient Toyota Landcruiser) and headed down to the jungle again. This time to participate in the staff retreat for the school. They let me go, 'cause they're nice like that. Sarah and I hung out most of the time. We climbed through the jungle most the way up a mountain until the path went into the yard of a super random house. Then we laid out, read a bunch, went swimming, read some more, the usual. (She lent me this book called In the Time of the Butterflies. It was really good). 

Tomorrow I leave for Santa Cruz to visit my lovely friend, Rachel. It's going to be a fun, busy adventure for the next week. Feel free to pray for us as they are threatening more transportation strikes (not dangerous for us, but it could end up being very inconvenient). 

Mount Herb

Some of you might not know, but I'm not in the States right now. I'm in Bolivia. This is actually my second time visiting the county.

You see, I went to college with this fantastic person who decided to move to Bolivia to teach third graders. She arrived here over four years ago, and in 2009 I came down to visit her. We did an exciting trip around Argentina, Chile, and finally some things in Bolivia. When we got back to Bolivia, I got pretty sick so it severely limited what I could do the week I was here. Still, we managed to see Tiahuanaco (which was pretty sweet) and a little bit of La Paz. 

Flash forward to 2012 and another one of my lovely friends decides to move to Santa Cruz for a year and teach. Of all the places I would think my friends might decide to move, I would not have guessed Bolivia. But anyway, I thought to myself, "Self, I should visit Bolivia again." So here I am!

I'm currently in La Paz, which is always an adventure. It is Carnival season, which means school-aged people are often caught throwing water balloons at those walking down the street. And although I got hit with one last time I was here, I've managed to avoid it so far this time around. Of course, I intentionally haven't been out much during the times when the kids are out of school.

We also left the city over the weekend to spend some time in the jungle, which was super relaxing and fun. The drive to Coroico is simply amazing. Stunning. Spectacular. Breath-taking - you name it. The Andes Mountains are decently sized in these part, and wow! Pictures do not do them justice, but just in case...

The weird spots on the picture are because it was taken out of the window of the "Beast", an ancient Landcruiser. There was a lot clouds and mist action around the mountains, so naturally I had the song from the Hobbit stuck in my head the entire time.

Part of the trip we were driving through clouds. At one point the road went right along the mountain ridge and it just dropped off on either side. 

While we were there we ate some wonderful food (I ate llama with a fruit sauce and it was delicious), and we went ziplining! It was three platforms that stretched over a beautiful valley. So fun. We got back yesterday afternoon and just chilled for a while, then ate the most amazing French toast concoction. I'm going to try to make it when I get home, and I might just need to have a French toast party.

Today I went into the city to do a bit of grocery shopping. I may have mentioned before my fear of public transportation. Well, I still suffer from that, so I was super nervous, especially since my Spanish is sub par. I took a taxi to sort of where I needed to go (I think some things got lost in my butchering the language). Burger King was my reference point, so I walked up and down the street a couple times, until I gave up and decided I needed to decide which way I thought was the street I needed (yay for poorly marked streets). I found it! Finally. 

I was on a quest for Basil, brazil nuts, and milk. Milk - leche in Spanish. Totally got that. I was warned that Brazil nuts were called something closer to Almond-something-or-another. Got that. Basil? The other day they had shown me what the basil looked like and where it was. Four days later it was NOT in the same spot. And it is NOT called Basil here. No, it's called albahaca. This, I did not know. And since I don't ever cook anything that requires fresh herbs, I don't know what it looks like. Everything else I saw looked like lettuce, so I grabbed the closest thing I could find. Then I sucked it up and took a bus back to the house. 

Yeah...I'm pretty sure I just got a bunch of parsley. 

Two thousand twelve is done; bring it, thirteen!

I realize that it has been 2013 for three weeks now, but sometimes it is hard to get motivated to write anything. However, there is much to be thankful for because it was a really good year. Sure, it started a little slow, but by the end there was no denying that it was a year to remember.

I went to six weddings this year, one being my brother's. It's always fun to celebrate things like love and such. 

I read a ton this year, including some classics that have been sitting on my shelf waiting for me to read them (like the Complete Sherlock Holmes, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Robinson Crusoe). There is something very satisfying about reading a giant and/or challenging book that was written many many years ago. Sometimes I'm convinced I was born in the wrong era, but then I turn on my iPhone and am not so sure.

Speaking of different eras, I've been SLOWLY typing up letters from my great great grandmother's brother, my great grandfather, and my great grandmother. I love being able to peak into their world - a world of flowing script, socials, visiting friends for extended periods of time, and taking the wagon into town, etc. And my great grandmother addresses her husband as "dear boy" in all her letters, which I think is just adorable.

My sister and her little family were able to come to NJ for my bro's wedding and for Christmas. And they are moving back here, so that's exciting! 

Another big thing that happened this year that you MIGHT be aware of is traveling. It's always been a dream to see a good chunk of the world and I have. There is so much more to see, but it's been incredible so far. It's something that I'll remember forever, and those kinds of things just don't happen everyday. 

I'm continually thankful that I've had the courage to step out of my comfort zone and enjoy amazing experiences. And I'm thankful that God has protected me throughout the journeys and shown Himself to be so patient, kind, and faithful. Cheers to 2012!

Missing Out

I've been home for almost a week now. It's good to be back.

Between catching up with family, friends, and running errands, I've managed to stay decently busy. However, I've also gotten the chance to do some reflecting on the last couple months, thinking about adventures, conversations, and experiences I've had. I realized something.

Americans are missing out.

I'm all for America. I love this country, the culture, the food (yay iced tea and good tacos!), but there is something Americans are generally terrible at doing:

Vacationing.

For starters, we have some serious workaholism issues. If an individual isn't a workaholic, their job tries to make them one. The fact that a person usually gets a SINGLE WEEK of paid vacation after starting a job is ridiculous. If someone goes away for more than that because they value rest and fun and holidays and think it's worth missing out on the pay, they are sometimes resented. I usually have to quit a job if I plan to do any significant traveling because otherwise there is no way they'll let me not work for that long. I realize there are some who don't, but too many Americans live to work instead of working to live.

Our young people are missing out, too. Two options are presented for high school students upon graduation: go to college or get a job. I would like to present a third option, an option that much of the rest of the planet has already embraced.

See the freakin' world. We are so connected to the world through TV, internet, and whatever, but at the same time so disconnected. Gone are the days when you don't know what's going on across the ocean because it takes months to cross it in a boat, or you have to write letters with actual pen and paper and then wait weeks for a response (although snail mail is still pretty great). We have the opportunity to hop on a plane and actually experience other cultures. To do things like chase kangaroos, climb the castle steps that kings and queens climbed, gaze in awe at the mountains that amazed the Spanish conquistadors, work alongside the truly impoverished and learn the value of every single meal.

And to discover that the world that is supposedly at our fingertips with computers, smart phones, and television is actually so much bigger, more beautiful, and more amazing than anyone can imagine.

Imagine what might happen if our young people could learn that before spending four years studying what their 18yr-old selves think they want to do with their lives (or what their parents want them to do). We might just end up with a bunch of people who know what genuine adventure is, what it's like to connect with another human being that grew up in an entirely culture, to genuinely be in awe of an aspect of creation that they've only read about in books or on wikipedia. To no longer view cultural arrogance and ignorance as an acceptable option.

Some might argue that we have plenty of things to see in the US, there is no reason to go abroad. To this I say, yes and no. Yes, there are amazing things in the States. We live in a diverse country that has mountains, lakes, deserts, plains, hot, cold, waterfalls, beaches, and an extremely wide variety of food. I've seen a bit of this country and it is beautiful in rugged, colorful ways. There are many cultures within our borders (just put a northeasterner in the south for a bit and you'll see that). And honestly, it is in my plans to see more of these places and people. But when traveling in one's own country, it's so much easier to try to retain one's culture. I lived in Michigan for four years while at school and I tried to remain as New Jerseyan as possible (I pretty much succeeded, although occasionally a squished "a" will come out and I'll grimace). There's a "yeah, I'm 1000 miles from home, but it's still America" kind of attitude.

Overseas, I've found it much different. It's "Holy cow, I'm in England!" or Australia, or wherever I may be resting my head that night. And then there is a desire to actually interact with the culture, to see how's it's different and similar. To try things I wouldn't ever try at home.

I think everyone should try it at least once. If nothing else, you'll hopefully come home with a deeper appreciation for iced tea, good Mexican food, great burgers, and driving on the right side of the road. And to become more sensitive to different cultures and customs, even within our own borders. It doesn't have to take a lot of money (South American hostels are CHEAP), or a ton of time, but whatever it does take is worth it.

It's also just a great opportunity to grow as a person. It's amazing what you can learn about yourself while by yourself in a far off place.

All this is to say I think we miss out by limiting our options or by arrogantly believing we've got it all here. This world is huge and wonderful. Even if we don't have the chance to go overseas, we should be taking time to experience other cultures, to look into the eyes of our fellow human being, acknowledge the differences, and then see if we can learn something about life from them.

Going home

Today I played a  game of hungry hungry hippo. I'm not sure the almost 2-yr old understood the concept. It was hilarious.

This morning we went to Ikea. Part of me is really thankful that I don't live closer to one at home because then I would have no money. The other part of me wishes I had my own home so I would have a place to put all the amazing things I could buy at a store like that.

No trip to California is complete without going to the beach at least once. So we did, and it was a little chilly. My niece loved it, though.

Tomorrow I got home to New Jersey. I'm excited and yet I'm having a hard time believing it's been 8 weeks already.

California Dreaming

This has not been a productive jet lag. For the first couple days in California, I kept calculating in my head what time it was in Australia. I'm hoping I'm just about over it.

I love visiting my sister. Not only is she hilarious but so are her kids. Oh my word, they just say the funniest things. And they have a mild obsession with Mexican food...

...which I love.

There are very few things I missed while I was overseas, two of these being iced tea and Mexican food. I haven't had any iced tea yet, but I've had Mexican thrice (we need to use "thrice" more often - it's great). Of course, one of those times was Pollo Loco, so that might not count, but the other two times were legit.

I missed Thanksgiving, too, which my sister deemed completely unacceptable. So what did we have on Thursday? Turkey, mashed taters, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, cottage cheese, and sweet pickles (because no family meal is complete without cottage cheese and pickles - seriously). Mmmm, delicious.

Saturday we went paddleboarding! (Yes, it took me until I got back to the States to do any sort of water activity). It was wonderful. We went with a couple of friends, and though it wasn't all that warm, we had a really good time. And I didn't fall in! There were a few times when I got awfully close, but somehow I managed to not lose my balance.

One of the times I almost lost it was when a bird popped up out of nowhere. One moment there was no bird, the next BAM! Black and white bird just a couple feet away. The pelicans were also really cool. They did a lot of splashing about as they hunted fish. I was fascinated, and also a little concerned they were going to poop on me as they flew overhead.

Sunday night we walked around Balboa Island to look at all the Christmas lights. The weather was absolutely lovely and the houses are just beautiful. Well, most are beautiful. Some look like this:

This house may not be beautiful, but it was definitely impressive. The guy who owned the house came over and talked to us for a couple minutes. He even gave us a business card, which was specifically for his Christmas decorations. That's what dedication looks like, friends.

That's all for now. Good night!

No Flux Capacitor Necessary

Yesterday was the longest day of my life. Not because anything bad happened, but because when flying back to the States from Australia, the day really does go on for about 43 hours. 

After my time in Nevertire, I went back to Sydney for a couple days. It was a nice relaxing time. I took the train into the city and wandered around a bit, did some souvenir shopping, ate some ice cream, saw a man with a seagull perched on his head. Good times. 

Then I took a train to Wagga Wagga, which is about halfway between Sydney and Melbourne. I really only stopped there because of that and because it's named Wagga Wagga. I have this unfortunate thing that often happens in which when I'm only in a city/town for one full day, it usually rains. It definitely rained in Wagga. I waited for it to stop then walked around the town. It's a nice little town, but everything closes super early on Saturday. Even stores in the mall were closed at 4pm (it's even Christmas shopping season!) So there wasn't much for me to do.

My last stop was Melbourne  (or more accurately, Sandringham, south of Melbourne). I had a lovely time chatting up with people there. I even went for a bike ride, which made me realize a few things. 1) I'm out of shape 2) I don't like the idea of getting stuck far from shelter in the rain (because it was looking pretty ominous). But that's okay, because I got a lot of sorting of pictures done. I did not take all that many photos this trip. I think I was too busy actually experiencing stuff.

I flew out yesterday afternoon (Tuesday) at 2pm-ish. I'm not really sure of the time since the plane was late. I arrived at 11:30am-ish in California. Still Tuesday. I'm visiting my sister for a week in here in Cali, and I got to finally meet my nephew. He's adorable. 

And that brings me up to date. Thank you so much to everyone who made my trip awesome! Seriously, I would have had a lot less fun without you. 

Here are some pictures for you:

The Melbourne Aquarium has a fantastic penguin exhibit with a couple different species of penguins. I stood there for a while watching them steal each others' stones for their nests.

Merino sheep in the shearing shed waiting to be shorn. I don't think they were looking forward to the experience.

Koala crossing! I did not see any koalas crossing the road, but just knowing they were someone in the forest around me was very exciting.

I failed to get a picture of the lightning, but it was very exciting. Also, the beach was made entirely of colorful stones closer to the water, which I enjoyed.

Sydney Opera House. Sorry there is not contrast between it and the sky. It was rather cloudy that day. Pretty cool place though (even though I did not go in bathrooms, which I hear are amazing)

This is my noble steed. I spent a lot of time of this bike, finding and rounding up sheep, chasing kangaroos and just riding around doing random tasks. The board on the back is for the dogs to ride on. 

This is the view from the plane. So much open space, it's amazing. And in case you are wondering, emus tend to run from planes.