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The end…not.

Monday, January 17th, 2011

It has been more than 3 years since I last updated these chronicles, and I broke a few promises about stories I meant to tell and photos I meant to share.  But, man oh man do I have news that hopefully will make up for all of those broken promises.  Naturally, because I have a Masters thesis I need to be writing, I am instead visiting these records of my old escapades.  It is essential that instead of writing for my thesis I inform you that I am engaged.  Yes, I am engaged.  The travel junkie is settling… sort of.

It likely won’t come as any surprise that the wonderful, egalitarian man I am engaged to does not share my citizenship.  I have even mentioned him in this blog in the past.  I met him during my 3.5 month trip through Europe, Morocco and Turkey in 2006.

I find this pretty amusing (as well as exciting, nerve wracking and wonderful).  Why?  Let me give you the story…

On May 16, 2006, while on a plane from Zurich to Barcelona, I wrote in my journal (Yes, I filled 2 journals while traveling in Europe in addition to this travel blog):

…I was feeling stressed, bummed, overwhelmed on my flight to Zurich, but as soon as I arrived, I felt a million times better and began wondering about my future.  Where to live, what to do.  I don’t want to travel as much anymore in all honesty.  I want to take short trips and settle in one place from which I take those trips… Right now, I want a whirlwind romance with a hot European boy.  And I want to eventually fall in love with a European and move to Europe (or else move to Europe and fall in love/not fall in love but just have fun with a European boy). This summer will decide that–that is the change that will occurThat is the crossroads, the meaning, the goal of this summer.  We shall wait and see.  In the meantime, I plan to do laundry, take a shower and a nap…

(Maybe I’m psychic or do I just follow my dreams…?)

So in August of that same year, I visited Camilla in Denmark and met a few nice Danish men (who hit on me in their subtle Scandinavian way, so subtle that I couldn’t tell they were hitting on me at the time).  I got the email address of one of them, and we kept in touch for a while.  In the fall, I asked him for his friend Michael’s email.  Michael had been the most friendly and willing to speak English of those Danish men.  His friend should never have given me Michael’s email ;).

Michael has since told me he thought I was very weird at first since I was always available online while I was supposed to be working (He didn’t know I was chatting with more people than just him, or that I am a typing whiz).  The following August, Michael came to the US and, of course no trip to the US is complete without a visit with the travel junkie.  We had our first “date,” and on the day we parted, we didn’t think we’d ever see each other again (or at least he didn’t think so…).  In Slovenia, he was the one who called me.  A while later, I admitted to him that I had come to like him and discovered he felt the same way.  I traveled to Denmark in December and we’ve been together (while apart) ever since.  SAS should really thank us, since we have single-handedly supplied them with at least $10,000 in profits.

Three years of quad-annual pond-hops, daily skype dates and spontaneous emotional breakdowns later, we have decided it’s not enough, we want to live together and be together.  He will be moving to the US in 2012, and who knows where we will wind up in the end.

Six years ago, I set off in search of the home I never had, and I have found it in him and the friends and family, old and new, who have stuck with me through this journey.  I can’t wait for our next adventure.

Week 3: Slovenia Part A

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

When I first arrived in Slovenia, I was unimpressed and growing more pissed off by the minute. I didn’t know where my hostel was, I didn’t know what bus to take and I couldn’t find a taxi. I finally did find a taxi in an obscure place outside the train station, and after some consultation with the other taxi drivers standing around having a cigarette, he figured out where to go. He spoke no English, Spanish or Italian, immediately exhausting my language possibilities. But he got me to my hostel for 5Euros on the meter, and three flights of spiraling stairs later, I was happy to put down my bag at Fluxus Hostel.

The following morning I was not happy. I was homesick, lonely, I desperately wanted to go home; I even started searching flights out of Ljubljana. It wasn’t the city itself, or the people. I actually really liked the city, and so far the people had been friendly. It was a walk I took up the hill to the castle under a shower of yellow leaves that triggered it. Where was the dog that was supposed to be yanking at my arm as I climbed the hill? Weeks of hiking the mountains in Maryland with my mutt, I was alone with an empty feeling in my stomach and a lightness on my arm. I was done traveling alone. I still am. As I sat and watched the dachshunds and terriers stroll by, I realized how much I love my friends and family, how attached I am to them, and how I can’t and don’t want to travel alone anymore. Of course, this is by no means the end of the travel junkie, it’s just the end of the sola travel junkie. From now on, I’m traveling with a purpose, to visit the people I love, to travel with the people I love, to work, to study, to live.

Well, one of the three Danish Michaels I know, called me at the hostel and that took care of my homesickness. Damn it, I was going to enjoy the last sola trip if it killed me! So the next morning I went to the information office and booked two tours to visit the rest of the country that weekend and then headed off to have lunch. As I sat at the window of Julian, eating my ravioli, I watched a group of boys drinking cokes outside. They were probably in their late teens and whenever the waitress wasn’t looking they would give her a quick up and down at the most crucial points, and quickly meet her eyes when she turned around. Smooth. I had to laugh and wonder how often that happens to me as one boy’s eyes followed her rear end as she carried an empty plate back inside.

And then my eyes noticed a familiar face, and I sat with my fork in the air long enough to have these thoughts… I know him. Wait a minute. Something’s weird. Oh, right, I’m not at home. So, how do I know him. Oh my god, is this someone from school in Slovenia? Who is he? What’s his name? Who’s that with him? I know that girl. Oooh, I know who he is. He’s the guy from the hostel in Zagreb! So should I run out to meet them? Wait, no, the waitress might think I’m running off without paying. Ok, I could leave my bag here, but what if it gets stolen? It won’t get stolen. Alright, I’ll leave it here and tell the waitress I’m running out to catch them, could she watch my bag…. so finally I put down my fork.

I had to run to catch up, because you might imagine with that many thoughts they had walked pretty far. So here I was running up a cobble street in Ljubljana wondering, wait, what are their names?, waving my hands and ultimately shouting Whales! to get their attention. As you can imagine, they were from Whales. So we made plans to meet at the triple bridge at 8:30…

to be continued.

Week 2: Budapest and Croatia

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007
I forgot to mention an observation I made at Oktoberfest while I was sitting at a table with 5 Danes, 2 Swedes and a German, so here it is...  I had the darkest eyes at the table!  So odd that ... [Continue reading this entry]

Oktoberfest

Saturday, September 29th, 2007
Camilla has said I write EVERYTHING on this blog.  Well, let me say this... imagine: 1 American girl, 5 Danish guys in Leiderhosen sitting at a table in a tent full of drunk men.  I have stories to tell, just ... [Continue reading this entry]

Travel Junkie on the move again!

Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
Woah, woah, woah... After so many months, the travel junkie is on the move again! Just so we know, I've finished my degree; I've chopped off all my hair; I've been living in my mum's house in Maryland ... [Continue reading this entry]

The London Tim Tam Adventure

Thursday, April 12th, 2007
You may not know this, but I fell in love when I was in New Zealand.  His name is Tim Tam.  My Danish friend Camilla introduced me to him.  He was always there to provide his wonderful double-coat chocolate comfort ... [Continue reading this entry]

Army Brat Blues

Sunday, April 1st, 2007
Here I sit, four months away from graduating college, speeding headlong toward yet another transition and some very difficult decisions. Why do I hesitate when you ask me where I'm from... let me list my geographic history. What ... [Continue reading this entry]

Peace Corps

Friday, March 2nd, 2007
For anyone not from the US, or, more importantly, anyone from it... the United States government established a program in 1960 to serve the country in the mission of international peace. I know, I know, I frequently hear the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Dirt Cheap NYC

Saturday, February 10th, 2007
Highly recommend for any young tightwad (like myself) traveling, living, studying in NYC... "Dirt Cheap NYC" Published by Shecky's Hangover Media, Inc. $9.95 It may be a bit hard to find in bookstores, but Amazon.com has copies. It includes tips for getting into shows and museums ... [Continue reading this entry]

Thanks

Thursday, February 8th, 2007
Thanks, Corey, I'm glad you enjoy my site. I'd never actually heard that term before, though I did get a comment like that once before, but not as vicious. I thought I'd also mention, I'll hopefully have some ... [Continue reading this entry]