This is the longest I’ve gone without posting on the blog… EVER… and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand it felt like I needed to take a break. Constantly worrying about creating content and keeping up with the {travel} Joneses took its toll on me. Social media ran my life and I started losing focus on the entire reason I started blogging in the first place. On the other hand, writing and creating on this space has always been an outlet for me. And with that instrumental piece of my life missing, it began to feel like a part of my identity was slowly slipping away from me.
My couple months away from blogging and social media taught me some valuable lessons. First of all, life continued on whether or not I decided to document it. A pretty obvious observation for most, however something I still tend to ignore. Taking the time to simply live in the moment allowed me to invest my energy into my relationships with others, rather than on myself. While I can’t say I value one over the other, our lives are truly built on the foundations of the relationships we create. Therefore, the last two months have been meaningful in the sense that I reconnected with people I hadn’t seen in years, as well as created new, unexpected bonds with others.
This time off also enlightened me to the reality that I truly miss traveling. I have started a new job at a wonderful non-profit, as well as picked up a second job bartending at a local restaurant in my hometown. Working six days a week leaves me physically, and mentally, exhausted by Sunday. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, my life isn’t always glamourous and filled with non-stop adventures. Sometimes I must put my head down for a while and grind it out before the next move. Let’s just say this may be my last desk job…
With my job{s} keeping me busy, you can imagine my brain barely has the capacity to stay alert long enough to brush my teeth each night. Add in three weddings, a week in Mexico, a road trip to Idaho, and a weekend in Vegas. To say I’ve been busy is the understatement of the year. Therefore, blogging took a seat on the backburner. Until now.
I am rejuvenated, replenished, and re….ally tired of not creating. Therefore, I’ve decided to share some updates since the last time “we spoke”:
March
After leaving India and Nepal, I made my way to Taiwan where I spent a solid 10 days doing nothing. I mean, I attempted to do nothing. In reality, I found myself running around the city of Taipei café hopping most days. With a couple day trips scattered in there. And a hike up Elephant Mountain. To my delight, blog posts are in motion and being drafted as we speak.
From Taiwan, I met up with my younger brother and Uncle to spend 10 days traveling through Vietnam. From Ho Chi Min City to Hanoi, I got a good sense of the country in a short period of time. This was all thanks to knowledgeable guides and non-stop movement from one city to the next.
After Vietnam, my brother and I broke away and spent another 10 days in Thailand. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Bangkok all received a visit from the Reynolds siblings. After the luxury of resorts and private cars in Vietnam, my brother was able to see how I normally travel: $12 hostels and the {over}-use of my two feet.
April
Finally, I bid farewell to my brother and ventured on to Sri Lanka solo. It was in Sri Lanka that I spent the most marvelous two weeks of my life. I began the journey solo, traveling on local buses and trains, meeting the most helpful locals I’ve ever come across. Eventually, I met three lovely ladies to travel with, and bonded over our shared interest of being ESL teachers in Asia. It was in Sri Lanka that I also celebrated my 28th birthday by learning my debit card had expired and my cell phone completely stopped working. Ah, life. Overall Sri Lanka became {dare I say it} my favorite country I traveled to in Asia.
Upon leaving Sri Lanka, I made my way back to Thailand {for the third time that year}. It was in Bangkok that I attended a BTS concert, which honestly may have been the highlight of 2019 so far. The very next day, I was on a plane back to San Francisco International Airport.
May
In May, I took some time to recover from my travels, and simply enjoy being home with my family {and cats}. As the maid of honor in my best friends’ upcoming wedding, my life was consumed with all things “LET’S GET THIS GIRL MARRIED”. From a bridal shower in Idaho to a bachelorette weekend in Vegas, I was partially distracted from the reverse culture shock I was feeling.
June
Everyone head to Mexico to witness the marriage of my best friend to her {now} husband. After a whirlwind of a week, it was finally time to hustle. As both of my jobs started, my brain attempted to absorb as much information as possible on a daily basis.
July
Which leads us to July! I continue to work at least 50 hours a week, and it’s driving me somewhat insane. Even so, I know eventually it will be worth it. My cousin just got married {marking wedding number three}, and a trip to San Diego is in the works. Otherwise, this girl is taking life one day at a time.
To be completely honest, I’m not sure where life will take me over the next year. In an attempt to stay flexible, and keep my heart open to possibility, I have decided to release the reigns on trying to plan out my every move. I’ll always follow my intuition, as it’s rarely led me astray. But I’ll do so with empathy and understanding of how it may affect others in the meantime.
