Thoughts on the UAE

Ever since I was a lowly undergrad student at USC studying PPD (Policy, Planning, and Development), I have dreamt of visiting Dubai. I studied this wonderous city in most of my planning classes, and I'll blame the wonderful professors I had including Dr. Lisa Schweitzer and Dr. Miguel Kanai on instilling a desire to see this city within me. It's such a unique case of development in a place that was essentially uninhabitable in the past due to the harsh weather conditions and location. But somehow, all the money the United Arab Emirates has earned through the oil industry has turned this country into a mecca for American and European expatriates. It really is such a unique, cosmopolitan place!

After one day in this country, here are some of my thoughts and impressions of the place:

• Abu Dhabi has streets and Boulevards that remind me of West LA and sometimes even Santa Monica Boulevard and Wilshire Boulevard around the Century City/Beverly Hills area.
• Public Transit in Abu Dhabi is wonderful! The buses are cheap and go to all the main non-residential destinations. The bus from the airport was just over $1 (4 Dirham) and the bus driver stopped a few blocks in front of the Grand Mosque along his route to let us out even though it wasn't an official stop.
• That being said, people here are SO friendly! Everyone wants to help you and welcome you here. The mosque didn't open until half an hour after we arrived, so someone on a double decker tourist bus parked alongside the road told us to sit on his bus and gave us cold water bottles until we could go inside. His name was Getachew, an immigrant from Ethiopia, and would not stop trying to give me dating advice. His Filipino coworker also said I look Filipina :) #igotitfrommymomma
• I haven't taken public transit in Dubai yet, so I cannot comment on that issue yet. However, from my taxi ride through the city and from the view out of my hotel window, it seems that there are almost NO sidewalks here! This is very different from my experience in Abu Dhabi, although it could be that this is just true of this part of town. However, where I am is where all the hotels are and where the big Dubai Mall is, so you would think they would have a way for us to cross the huge 12 lane road to get to the mall that is only one block away. I will report on how long it takes me to get there (and if I can even walk there) later. This is a VERY auto-oriented place. I wish it was more walkable.
• I have interacted with a lot of people here so far; other passengers who reside here, taxi drivers, bus drivers, retail and restaurant workers, airport employees, etc. And I have yet to meet someone who is actually originally from the UAE. This truly is a country full of immigrants and expatriates! Most of the people I have met are from South Asia (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, and so on) or the Philippines. It's really actually neat.
• Malls are everywhere!
• Filipinos are everywhere! Which is neat because it reminds me of being home, in Hawaii.

I got to visit a few places in Abu Dhabi yesterday, including the Sheikh Zayad Mosque which is an amazing example of beautiful, detailed modern architecture (something I didn't know could exist!) having been constructed in the 2000s with the world's largest chandelier, carpet, and mosque dome. And today, I'll be exploring Dubai. I'm planning on going to the observatories on top of the world's tallest building and visiting Dubai Mall. And if all goes well, I should be going on a desert safari tonight! I can't wait! :)

My British friend/travel buddy, Graham

The largest chandelier in the world

Loving the World

For some reason, travel seems to be something that we, as humans, are each individually compelled to do. And with globalization and social media, the more we see and learn about the world, the more we want to go and experience things for ourselves.

I think this is one of the most beautiful natural impulses we have. Everyone has a different motivation to travel, yet isn't it amazing how so many different things can lead so many people to take the same action, or to at least daydream about it?

A friend of mine posted this beautiful BBC Travel article on Facebook this week, and it really just made me smile. They asked a variety of people who travel for their profession to share a brief experience from the last year that has truly inspired them and reminded them about why they love the world.

"We asked a range of people, from writers and chefs to musicians and photographers, to share one experience from the last year that truly inspired them – something that, in no uncertain terms, reminded them why they love the world. Madly."

Each and every one of the "50 Reasons to #LoveTheWorld" listed in this article, along with the images accompanying them, resonates strongly with me. I might not have had exactly the same experiences as each person on this list, but I have daydreamed about them all! I might not be a travel writer, photographer, or famous person, but the thing about travel is that it transcends those things which set me [and you] apart from them. You don't have to travel for a career to experience these sorts of connections to people, cultures, history, and nature. So thinking about how the desire to travel can rise above all differences and connects each and every person in this world makes me so happy!


P.S. Happy Earth Day!!!

I Choose Travel

At the 2012 Olympics in London with my friend, Jess Kern

Over the past two years, I have traveled an inordinate amount for someone my age, especially as an American. This is a result of a decision I made in my life to make travel a priority. After all, travel is a choice. There are a million and one reasons any individual can find to not travel. It is something that has to be done deliberately and consciously.

In 2012, I decided that I would travel more. I was tired of waiting for other people to make decisions that affected my life, whether that was a decision to get married or for a job offer. I was finishing my master’s degree and recognized that this time in my life was one of the last times that I would have the ability to travel. Traveling can only be done through a careful balance of time and money. Doesn’t it always seem that if you have one, you don’t really have the other? Luckily, I am good at saving my money and I had a little to spare at the end of grad school in addition to having a flexible schedule. And finding the informational resources I have to learn of flight deals, I became great at finding cheap airfare. It was a perfect storm. In fact, I traveled a good portion of the time during the few months I had between graduation and starting my first career job. I had the (phone) interview for that job while I was on the waterfront in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI, and I started that job the day I got back from the last of a string of trips, which included one week in the Virgin Islands, two weeks in Peru and a week in North Carolina. Little did I know that my chosen profession allows for a flexible schedule affording me the opportunity to continue to travel today, albeit in much smaller doses.

Hiking down from Montaña Wayna Picchu with Machu Picchu in the background

Choosing to travel also means making sacrifices. Every trip will not be your dream trip. For me, I never have enough time off of work to spend the time that I want to in each location. However, because I work and I have a decent schedule with regular 3 day weekends, I am able to take trips over my long weekends here and there to take advantage of cheap airfare. One additional positive side to these shorter trips is that I end up spending less money on accommodations and activities, at the very least. It forces me to spend my time more efficiently in each place that I visit, although I am also often content to spend a day roaming and wandering a place with no set schedule.

Having short trips is the sacrifice I make to travel. A lot of people tell me they wouldn’t spend money on a 3 or even 6 day trip to this or that country, or that they wouldn’t want to go unless they could spend three weeks or even a month in a place. I agree that those longer trips are ideal, and I would rather do that, too. Unfortunately, having that kind of time to spend in a place is not realistic if a person actually wants to travel. As an entry-level career employee, I don’t get that much vacation time, so I will tack on a day or two to a long weekend whenever I can. That gives me a little bit of time that is so necessary for the travel I can do with the little bit of money I have after leftover after I pay my bills and set a little aside for savings. But that is my choice. I choose to take shorter trips with the little money I have because in my mind, going somewhere for 3 or 4 days is much better than not going at all.

Kayaking in Pataogonia on a 4 day trip to Chile

No matter where I go, everyone has always told me that if I ever wanted to travel, now is the time to do it, now while I’m still young and single. I have also had so many people tell me that they wish they had done more traveling before getting married and settling down. Since I have not had that opportunity yet, I am not going to sit around and wait for life to happen to me. So starting in 2012, when I was finishing grad school unsatisfied with my decision to attend a school that did not afford me the opportunity to study abroad, I made a conscious decision to prioritize travel (within a reasonable budget) in my life. And you know what? It doesn't have to be as expensive as it seems! It all depends on the destination, but if you can find a good airfare to a cheap location then there is no reason not to go. 

My choice to travel is also a choice I made to fulfill my lifelong dreams and goals. I have always had the travel bug ever since I can remember. I think a huge part of that comes from having island fever growing up on an island in one of the most remote archipelagos on this planet (Hawaii). On top of that, I have always been obsessed with traveling to Europe. As a kid, I loved to read the Encyclopedia (I'm a nerd, I know) specifically searching for entries on European countries and their rulers. But even then, I still dreamed of traveling everywhere else as well. I would always try to get my close friends to commit to a cross-country road trip one day when we would move to the mainland for college, and I was always taking notes of interesting places to see in the future like Jellyfish Lake in Palau, where you can swim with jellyfish that don't sting. I have been fortunate to have had a passport since I was 4 years old when I first visited my relatives in Thailand. Until I was 16, I had only ever traveled to visit family, and I have always wanted to see more of the world. The desire to travel has always been a major part of my life, and my choice to travel is also my choice to act on my lifelong dreams.

Swimming with Jellyfish in Palau

Jellyfish Selfie!

On Easter Abroad

Gleðilega Páska - Happy Easter! 

Isn't it funny how Easter always seems to fall on a different Sunday each year? Wikipedia tells me that Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (when Spring officially begins). At this time last year, I was just getting back from an epic solo trip to Chile while last Easter I was actually in Iceland. The fact that this Easter reminds me of two amazing trips I have had within the last year really makes me smile (in addition to all the other normal Easter things, of course!).

Easter Sunday last year...

...versus this time last year

 Last year, Easter fell on a Sunday toward the end of April when I had the good fortune to visit Reykjavik with my dear friend, Melissa. We didn't think much about being there on a holiday, but it ended up meaning that a lot of the stores closed early (or entirely) not just on Easter day but also throughout that weekend.

Note to Self (and everyone else): Be sure to do a Google search about the local observations of any sort of holidays or events before taking a trip anywhere. This can really throw a wrench in any travel plans you may have!

We got extremely lucky/blessed that day because we were planning on attending church, which was supposed to start around noon, so we were going to drive around to find a certain cool volcano before coming back to the city for church. However, for some reason we decided to drive to the church first to be sure we knew where it was. This ended up being a brilliant idea because we actually got lost and went to the right address in the wrong part of the city at first. We did have a GPS with the rental car, but the street names and neighborhoods were funky being in Icelandic and all. We eventually found the chapel and it turned out that because of Easter, church was moved up to 10am, so we ended up being perfectly on time!

Melissa and I in the Reykjavik
chapel on Easter Sunday, April 2014

Words cannot express how much I enjoyed being with the people of the Reykjavik Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints last Easter. The lessons and discussions had through all three hours of church were wonderful, and I met some of the most amazing people there! But the most memorable part of that Easter Sunday for me was being invited to have dinner with Elder and Sister Severe at their home near the Hallgrimskirka Church. Since basically every single restaurant would be closed that day - something that Melissa and I didn't think much about - the Severes were extremely gracious and generous in extending that dinner invitation to us. We ended up spending hours at their house with Ásta, one of the branch members, after having dinner with some of the missionaries. We talked about travel and shared our life stories, but most importantly, we had a lot of discussions about Christ. I could not have imagined a more perfect way to spend an Easter Sunday. We had the best company we could have asked for, and it was easy to remember Christ that day. I will never forget the love and compassion shown to us by the Severes and the members of the Reykjavik Branch that Easter. There is no better way to remember Christ than to share His love with those around you, even if they are strangers and clueless tourists from America. I hope that one day I have the opportunity to return the favor to the Severes and to also pay it forward and share that same kindness to my fellow travelers in my home. It's the sharing economy at its best!

With some of the missionaries outside the chapel

Oskar with a Paska Egg, an Icelandic Easter tradition

Melissa and I hanging out with some of the church
members, Freddy and Oskar, after that Easter Sunday

Jet Lag

Travel is exhausting! While it is extremely fulfilling, it takes a lot of energy to be on the road (or plane) for long periods of time. In the past month, I have backpacked through 5 different countries (some multiple times) and 1 US territory, all while working at my desk job here in Utah in between. I took a total of 7 days off work and spent 19 days abroad. I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to take so much advantage of my vacation time, but it has meant that I often rush to the airport at the end of a busy work day and rush back to the office the second I step off the plane.

Places I have been in the past month (map generated on gcmap.com)

All in all, this means that since I have been back, I have been sleeping in nearly all of my spare time. It's hard to be productive at home when all I want to do is sleep and plan my next trip! And it doesn't help that we have had a broken internet router for nearly 3 weeks at my apartment. I have not had an excuse to stay awake without being able to surf the web!

When I got back from South Africa, the time difference wasn't so bad because I would be wide awake at work, then as soon as I got home at 6:15pm I would fall right asleep. I would wake up around 2 or 3am and I actually got a lot done before going to work at 6:30am. This went on for about two weeks before I left on my next trip hopping around the Asia Pacific region for another ten days. But I don't think that playing around in three different time zones was very good for my body. When I got back I had the hardest time staying awake by the end of the work day for the first couple of days. I didn't get back onto a relatively normal schedule until I forced myself to stay awake until 11pm on my second night back, but even then my body just wanted more sleep! So that weekend, I slept for 11 hours a night. Even now, I still feel like I haven't caught up on the sleep I missed from skipping through time zones on top of getting the sleep I need now. So while travel is absolutely amazing and completely worth it, it is not without consequences. And sleep is one area you can expect to suffer in if you want to travel a lot. Thank goodness I have another month before my next trip into another time zone!

Something Better

There is always someone out there who is doing something more and something seemingly better than you. That is simply a fact of life. If you look for ways in which you think you don't measure up to the rest of the world, you will most definitely find them. It's difficult to remember this sometimes when I see others who are more ahead in their careers than I am or when I find out about people who travel more than I do. It's easy to get down about this, even though I am blessed with the opportunity to travel and have a job - even an office job! - which affords me a bit of time and a smidgen of spare income to visit many of the places that I have always wanted to see. It's easy to think about how I don't get to spend the time I want to abroad or how I wish I could travel instead. But the fact of the matter is I am doing the best that I can with the resources that I have been given. The way that I travel is exactly all that I can do given where I am in life right now. And that is okay!

Sometimes we need to sit back and remind ourselves that we are doing okay. Knowing that we are doing is the best that we can in our lives should be enough for us to keep moving forward. The only person we should be comparing ourselves to is the person that we want to be in the future. If I can keep my feet on the ground, I know I'll be able to get the travel life I actually want in the future. So in my life, I resolve to continue finding a work-[travel]life balance that suits my place in life and to try my hardest not to get ahead of myself :)

South Africa Days 4-8: Thoughts On Cape Town

As amazing as my safari was, nothing can top my experience in Cape Town! I completely fell in love with the city as a tourist, urban planner, history enthusiast, pedestrian, and explorer. Cape Town has something for everyone!

I think one of the best ways to describe Cape Town is as a hipster city. It really reminds me of a mix between San Francisco and Rio de Janiero. I say Rio mostly because of the Camps Bay area combined with the lush, mountainous scenery. It really is an artsy city that fosters creativity, social entrepreneurship, good music, and amazing food. I have quite a lot to say about this place I love from my short time there, and I'll start with my view of the city as an urban aficionado.

Now please excuse me while I geek out for a moment :)

My Nerdy Urban Analysis of Cape Town's Social Fabric
I believe Cape Town does a good job of integrating social interaction with the urban fabric and architecture of the place. Not only does Cape Town have wonderful pedestrian malls and small business incubators which encourage the physical and social movement of people throughout the city, but it also has less functional and more artistic methods of getting both locals and tourists to interact with public space. For instance, at a handful of strategic locations around town, the City encourages photos to be taken and uploaded to social media with picture frames that you can interact with which frame Table Mountain, the defining geographic feature of the city. And each "frame" has the hashtag #LoveCapeTown noted on it for you to use if you do choose to upload your pictures to social media. What a cute and fun marketing campaign for the city!

Cape Town also has wonderful signage and clearly marked trails and walkways. My favorite was this 5 km boardwalk around the Victoria and Albert Waterfront. It showcases the natural and manmade beauties of the area, both historical and modern. It even leads right up to the World Cup stadium. What a great way to get both locals and visitors to interact with the cultural capital located at the waterfront!

On top of the wonderful interactive infrastructure I experienced in Cape Town, my absolute favorite place at the V&A Waterfront was the Market on the Wharf, a beautiful example of adaptive reuse. It is a food market comprised of a few dozen small food vendors within an old warehouse building. It reminded me a lot of the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles, but with a lot more of a hipster feel to it. Really, it is what the Grand Central Market is slowly becoming with the gentrification of DTLA. There was also a cute crafts market in another old warehouse building just south of the Market on the Wharf which was a treasure trove full of small locally sourced goods. I love supporting local artists and businesses! Their products were all high quality, unique, and quite affordable. Being in this part of Cape Town just warmed my soul!

Not too far from the V&A Waterfront is the historic center of Cape Town. There the city was built around the existing historic buildings such as the Castle of Good Hope which is the oldest existing colonial building in the country. It stands as the oldest example of a Dutch East India Company fort and was originally built on the coastline before land reclamation projects added land to the city. While this and other historical buildings in the city center represent a complicated, heavy past, they have been so wonderfully integrated into the current state of the city. There is a lot of historic architecture juxtaposed with the modern buildings along with everything in between. And one of my favorite features is how the city has made a bold effort to become pedestrian friendly and promote multi-modal transportation. This is not something I was expecting to find when I arrived. I was so pleasantly surprised by the abundance of pedestrian malls, dedicated bike and bus lanes, and quaint roads often lined with stretches of old stone curb and gutters, and sometimes even cute brick pavers. It really added to the character of the town and definitely contributed to how I fell in love with it so quickly.

You can see the old stone curb and gutters on the left side of this cycle track. I thought this was the coolest thing!

Of course, Cape Town is more than just the downtown area. In the entire metropolitan area, there are nearly 4 million residents. I think one of the most beautiful things about Cape Town is that it encompasses both the historic downtown area I was able to experience along with a large variety of different communities. There really is something for everyone in Cape Town. It has a little bit of everything. There are places to go on safaris not too far away, and only a couple hours away is the famous Dyer Island and Shark Alley commonly featured on Shark Week where I went cage diving with the great whites. I was not able to visit the Winelands, but I hear that region is supposed to be extremely fantastic to experience. The Camps Bay area was also a really fun place to be. It kind of reminded me of the Copacabana neighborhood in Rio. And of course, any trip to Cape Town is not complete without a visit to the cape itself! Visiting the Cape was just a dream. It really blasts you with all of nature's power and beauty from the scenery to the wildlife present. All of that is integrated with the history of Cape Point, complete with the historic lighthouse that has guided many a ships around the horn of Africa. Isn't it crazy to think Mageallan, among other great historic figures, had sailed past that point? And the Cape of Good Hope itself is one of the most beautiful places I have ever experienced in nature. You can truly feel the power of the ocean, of nature itself, and maybe even the presence of God in that place if you listen.

In the few short days I was in the city, it's crazy to think that I experienced so much, yet there is so much I was not able to try. I think the only way to resolve that is to return one day. Stay tuned to hear about my adventures in Cape Town next!