If I remember one thing (and I actually remember many but this always stays in my mind) from high school IB Anthropology classes (shout out to Mrs Lord) it’s the simple adage, “Food sharing is the most basic form of human reciprocity.” So even though I’m not sharing food with you right now, I can... Continue Reading →
My first time in Las Vegas I was two weeks old. My earliest childhood memories with my brother, sister, and father are in Vegas and Hawaii. My dad did a lot of work in Vegas and being as it was only a 3ish hour drive from Orange (where I grew up), we got to go... Continue Reading →
I've done a lot of nice things for myself. Let's be honest. Luxury cars in my garage, designer labels in my closet, a nice home, jewelry, I don't shy from treating myself. But this trip is the best thing I've ever done for myself. New Zealand tested me. And in the end, it helped me... Continue Reading →
I consider myself a pretty damn good packer. And I have also learned to love and embrace carry-on packing instead of checking a larger bag. What a nightmare it would be to get to another country and not have my luggage there! Since I travel so often for work, I have "go-bags" ready with all... Continue Reading →
I'm going to warn you right now. This is going to be a rambling post and probably all over the place. There were a number of random thoughts/experiences I noted to write about that never made it into my other posts. This will probably also end up including more memories and notes of my travels... Continue Reading →
My final day here. Sigh. I woke up this morning to discover that my sun burns were doing much better; yay! The sheets on the bed no longer felt like sharp knives and the shower water no longer stung. I credit my Syrian blood, the New Zealand Cancer Society aloe vera gel, and the long... Continue Reading →
What. A. Day. Let's just start from the beginning. I slept like crap last night. It was hot, the little bed and pillows were super uncomfortable, and every time I moved I'd wake up in pain from the scratching of the sheets on my sunburned limbs. No bueno. I woke up tired, hopped in the... Continue Reading →
My body hates me. I couldn't fall asleep until 3am last night because I was so amped up still and because the pain of the sun burns on the sheets made getting comfortable damn near impossible. When I woke up at 5am (I've been waking up every morning at that time, usually able to get... Continue Reading →
I am sun burned, I am wind burned, I am in pain, I am tired, my entire body is spent, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Except for the sunburn, that part sucks. Today, I completed the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. I thought it was just a long hike with some elevation, I had... Continue Reading →
I started out today by not knowing what the heck my plan was for today. I hate that. I did some research last night and dog-eared some items but never actually made a solid plan. Thankfully I woke up naturally at about 6am. I made a cup of tea (it's starting to make more sense... Continue Reading →
Taking On the World 