Accomplishment Check: SabbaticaLIST 30/30

Here we go. Nothing like holding yourself accountable, right? You have the ability to be your best critic. Why let that ability go to waste?

The comfort zone is a scary place to me. The spot outside of the comfort zone is where the learning and good stuff happens. Inside your comfort zone, you already know everything and everyone. Not a whole lot of shock and awe going on there. No shock, no awe   > no learning, no growing.

If I do say so myself, I'm pretty good at existing just outside the comfort zone. Though it turns out, doing things that are uncomfortable for most people, like have no itinerary when travelling or attempting to hike up a cliff as an acrophobic, are now neutral experiences, at best, for me. So, I've adjusted a few. Here's how I've done so far, as the list itself is still a work in progress:

Juxtapositions of Yangon, Myanmar

Walking through time in Myanmar.

Right off the plane, it was trip back through time. We are in the 1950s and we are in a country called Myanmar. Except, in 1950, we call it Burma because that's what the occupying country could pronounce.
(Myanmar is too confusing to say and spell.)


 

What's In A Bag? Medicine & Toiletries Packing

Peeking into my medicine and toiletry bags. 
 
There have been a few questions regarding the medicine cabinet and toiletries bag that I bring along. From my last blog post, you’ll notice that baby powder is one of my essential items. What else is there? I’m an anti-hypochondriac, which means I don’t pack nearly as many drug items as I would pack shoes or clothes … or electronics.

For meds, you can likely get what you need in the country you’re visiting and, for Americans, much more easily and cheaply. Conversely, the US has one of the best and cheapest electronic markets in the world. Trust me, you do not want to be buying a new digital camera in Chile or Argentina. This I know from experience.


Pretty, Shiny Toiletries Bag

Minimalist Packing for Morocco + 5 Favorite Travel Items

The challenge was to travel with only a backpack. No, not the ‘big’ 45Liter backpack that I had around the world. The smaller one. How did I manage? Let’s see.

I bought this Under Armour backpack on a total whim. You might recall one of my earlier posts (if not, here it is :]) that it was a mere 3 hours before we were due to depart from JFK and we were still faffing about in my friend’s apartment. I needed a smaller daypack at least carry my brand-spanking-new laptop. Anything that wouldn’t crush it in the big backpack. Off to Modell’s. No luck. Absolute fail. Upstairs is a discount chain store (I can’t remember exactly which one it was) and I spot the Under Armour for a super bargain $40 price. Steal!

Reflections of Heaven: Surfing in Morocco

*Unfortunately I did not have my camera. I have no photos of this day. It was quite a unique day. Taghazout, Morocco
I did my surf experience with Surf Berbere

This is what heaven looked like. Streaks of silver and gold flowed atop the smooth, rolling planes of the water. A grey, misty sky melted into the horizon of the ocean. Without gravity, there would be no way to tell which way is the sky and which way is the ocean. I wonder if I am dead. It doesn't seem that I am. But there is no way to be sure. By this time, my toes had lost feeling.

Shopping: Back to Bangkok

Malls in big cities in Asia are ridiculous. They make American malls look like shameful pawns. 

This is a perfect example of traveling solo but not actually being solo. On my last day in Bangkok, I wanted to check out a mall whose floors were each decorated in a particular city. Rome, San Fran and London made their cameos, but NYC did not. Pile of rubbish.
Almost the real thing. Same same but different.