A time to rebuild.
Sharpening the Sword
12/5/2009 9:22:18 PM - Los Angeles, California, United States
Going to my first LA Dodger's game with some of my good friends who live in LA.
I have now been back in the United States for a couple of months and during this time I have started a rebuilding process. I've found a new job, a new apartment and started a new life after this amazing trip of mine. Many people have asked me if it has been hard to get back into the swing of things after traveling for so long. Honestly, has it been hard? No, not in the slightest. Living a normal life in one place is a lot easier than some people might think. I've learned after traveling for so long that many people take for granted the benefits of having a place to call home and now that I finally have a place to call "home”, I'm very content.
When I got back to the United States my first order of business (after visiting with friends and family) was to find a job. Currently, here in the United States we are in the midst of one of worst recessions I have experienced in my entire life. Luckily for me being a software engineer, I am in a highly specialized field so I haven't had as much of a difficult time finding a new job as some people have. Within a short amount of time of starting my job search I found a job with a great company in Santa Monica, CA. When I say great company, I mean GREAT company. This place fucking rocks. Many of our clients are Fortune 500 companies, the benefits are amazing, the salary is exactly what I want and all of my supervisors are fucking rad. I am really happy to be working there. The best part is that the software we develop is pretty advanced and highly trafficked so I am getting some awesome experience.
Within a day of getting the job offer I was off looking for an apartment. I ended up moving into Hollywood and I now live right off the famous "Sunset Strip" which besides being a nice area, is full of happening clubs, bars and restaurants. I always makes it a point to live somewhere close to the action because the last thing I want to do is drive home intoxicated and living here, I can simply walk home (or take a cheap cab depending on how far out I go) after a night out in Hollywood.
I have a great place, I have a great job and everything has turned out exactly as I had always planned...and this slightly befuddles me. I had always planned to move to LA after I finished traveling and I had always wanted to live in the exact area that I am currently at. I was prepared to take a job in a different area of LA if it presented itself (and thus live somewhere else) however I got one in an area close to Hollywood (living far from your job in LA is a not a good idea thanks to the horrible traffic here). Everything has worked out EXACTLY as I had planned.
Then there is how things worked out for my big trip. I had always planned on traveling around the world and nothing was going to stop me. I never planned on working while I traveled though and because I was able to, not only did it give me the opportunity to travel for a longer period of time (and save money in the bank) but I also got valuable work experience. Not only did I get to go around the world, but I also got to visit plenty of other countries that I would have never gone to had it not been for the fact that I had a steady income.
Finally, there was my stint in Orange County, CA before I left on my big trip. I'd always wanted to live there and I did. I lived in an amazing area a block from the beach in Huntington Beach, promoted at one of the best clubs and worked for some amazing companies. A lot of people asked if I had moved out there "for work" and the answer was always "no". I moved out there because I wanted to and due to that I found work. Once again, I took a chance and everything worked out exactly as I had planned it to.
This chain of fortuitous events makes me wonder. How have I been able to accomplish all of my goals exactly as I have planned? I wanted to move to Orange County and I did and in the process got a couple fantastic jobs and had an amazing time promoting clubs and living a block from the beach. After that I planned to travel around the world , and I did, and even got to travel to many countries I'd never planned to thanks to the fact that I was able to work while the whole time getting invaluable work experience. Finally, I then moved to LA and got a place in an area I had always wanted to live in as well as a fantastic job.
Not only have I accomplished these goals, but I've gone beyond the benchmarks that I had originally planned. How have I done this? Am I blessed? Is it all coincidence? Am I just that lucky? I don't know. I definitely don't come from "money" (I work for everything I have) so that explanation is out the door. Truth is, I've always had my goals mapped out and nothing short of a life changing event was going to stop me from reaching them and all I can surmise is that this frame of mind is the base from what I have been able to spring forward to accomplish them. Whatever the case, I am eternally grateful for how things have turned out in my life.
Now here I am writing about my experience thus far in Los Angeles from my own apartment in Hollywood. I have to say that it is nice to finally have my own place and to no longer be living out of a backpack. I still haven't really explored the area because even though I am making some decent money and had some sizable savings when I got back, I racked up a bit of debt when I moved because I had to start from square one having to buy everything and anything you would need at a new place. Once I have my finances in order though I plan to explore my area and experience everything that Los Angeles has to offer.
I still haven't had a chance to really think about the past couple years and all the traveling that I have done. Everything moved so fast with looking for a new job, finding a new job, moving into a new apartment and getting acclimated to the area that I haven't really had a chance to sit down and simply reflect on my travels. Life seems to never slow down for me. As soon as I get some time though (soon) I will make it a point to go through my old pictures and videos and consider this large trip of mine and how it has affected me, mentally, physically and spiritually and you can bet that when I do, I will write about it.
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Still haven't had a chance to reflect.
Trying to Settle In
9/12/2009 8:04:52 PM - Los Angeles, California, United States
The good ole' USA. It is good to be home. In most places around the world, you don't see people hanging up flags like this on their houses for whatever reason.
I've been home for a month now and the whole idea of being home still hasn't hit me. I've been so busy visiting friends and family that I still haven't yet had that chance to reflect upon this trip. I gave myself one day when while at my parent's home in San Diego to sit down and think about my traveling over a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey but that turned out to be a bad idea because all I did was get drunk and fall asleep. Since I the idea of being stationary, in one place, and calling it home still hasn't dawned on me (probably because I don't really have a "home" at the moment) I can't write too much about how this trip has changed me as well as my thoughts about it. However I can give a quick rundown of what I have been up to recently as well as a few points of interest.
When I got home a month ago I flew into Los Angeles where I spent a couple days with a good friend of mine Tony while I also got accustomed to the time change. I then shot down to San Diego (1 ½ hours on the train) to visit with family. It was great seeing everyone and being somewhere familiar for once. I spent a couple weeks with both my family and friends, all of which I missed very much, and we for the most part spent it getting fat off of good food and drink. It was nice and everything that I envisioned coming home would be.
As I expected, not much about home or the people there has changed. For the most part it isn't a big deal, but since I have changed so much (how exactly I am still not sure) I have found myself having difficulty relating to some of my friends on a couple issues. Nothing really important, but things that I would take mental note of remembering how normal some of my/our behavior was before I left and how foreign that same behavior is too me now.
A couple things that I've enjoyed while being home:
My bed
Big American Steaks
Driving a car
Mexican food
Perfect weather
One thing that I found pretty interesting was the high amount of American flags that I see hanging from everyone's house or apartment (flat). I never really noticed it when I was here in the USA but now that I've been gone for so long, the phenomenon is pretty apparent. You don't see people hanging flags up all over their houses in many other countries like you do in the USA.
Now a month into being back in the USA I've visiting with friends and family in San Diego, visited friends in Orange County (where my wallet was knocked out of my hand during a bar fight and then picked up by some asshole, bad luck for me) and now I'm in LA staying with friends as I attempt to get back on my feet and re-assimilated into everyday life.
What do I mean by that? Well basically it means finding a job and a place to live. I've been looking for a job now for a couple weeks and have had a decent amount of interviews but still haven't found that one company that I am a great fit for (I'm a software engineer specializing in web applications if you are wondering). In this economy, I'm doing pretty well though. Most people can't even get interviews at the moment and I've already had a bunch so it is only a matter of time before I find a good job after which a place to live. Thankfully I have friends up here nice enough to let me crash on their couches in the meantime.
All in all, it is good to be back. The gravity of the trip being over still hasn't hit me but when it does, I'll be sure to write about it. I'm guessing it will happen once life slows down for me after I land a job and a place to call "home".
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I can't believe it...
I'm Home
8/9/2009 11:10:10 PM - Day 511 - Los Angeles, California, United States
This trip has lasted a grand total of 511 days. 511 days I'll remember for the rest of my life. Any future BLOGS I post will still add to this day count but only for reference.
I'm home now safe and sound! Wow, what a trip! 511 days now that it's all said and done! I'm currently in Los Angeles staying with one of my best friends named Tony. I'll be here for a couple days catching up with him (and the new time zone) before I head down to San Diego to meet up with my family and get settled in.
Honestly, I still feel like I am traveling! I suppose the shock of being home still hasn't hit me since things are still moving pretty fast here from visiting with friends as well as getting arrangements completed with my family. I know when I get home and am finally settled in that's when the idea of this trip being over will hit me like a freight train. I did get a little whack however when I was going thru US immigrations and the immigration officer handed me back my passport and said "welcome home". I was thrown aback. "Home?" Yes, I was home.
511 days…wow. I remember the first day of my trip so long ago being completely intimidated by the idea of backpacking around the world for this long and here I am, 511 days later still in one piece. I've dreamt about this day countless times… I still have to let the entirety of this trip, as well as the idea that it is now over sink in before I can really write about the feelings I have now that it is over.
As soon as I can collect my thoughts I'll be sure to write about them. 511 days…
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What a great way to end this trip.
International End in London
8/9/2009 9:56:38 AM - Day 511 - London, England
With Matt and Dave, two awesome Brits I met in Estonia who were nice enough to hoste me in London and show me around.
I couldn't have ended this trip a better way. This last weekend in London has been awesome. Like the last time I was here I didn't bother doing any sightseeing since I have already seen all the sites on a previous visit years ago. Also like the last time here I stayed with a friend who was kind enough to host me and show me around. I think one really gets the chance to enjoy a city once the pressure of sightseeing has been lifted. At that point, you can simply go out and have fun without having to worry about seeing a bunch of stuff. Also, having a cool host to show you around makes the stay all the better, and like the last time I was here when I stayed with an awesome friend of mine named Pil, I once again had a great couple of friends to show me around named Matt and Dave.
I met Matt and Dave about a year ago when I was traveling in Tallinn, Estonia. The two guys are friends from University. Matt teaches in London while Dave teaches English all over the world (he currently just finished a stint in Qatar). I ended up having a great time partying with the two while in Tallinn so wanted to touch base with them at some point that I was in London. As fate would have it, I actually ran into Matt the last time I was in London while visiting the pubs with Pil. Small world! He said it was cool to crash at his place next time I was in town and besides that, it was a chance to catch up with some old friends since Dave was supposed to be in town from Qatar the same time I was going to be in London again. Serendipity!
The three of us had a manic of a good time this past weekend. Let's just say that it involved a lot of drinking, good food, visiting the pubs and clubs of London as well as an awesome comedy show. The two guys were great hosts and we had a blast. I have to say that between them and my buddy Pil, I've got some brilliant friends in London.
Now I am getting ready to catch the train to Heathrow Airport where I will soon by flying home. It is a ten hour flight but due to the time difference and the fact that I am headed West, I'll be arriving in the late afternoon today. The whole prospect of this trip ending still hasn't hit me.
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A busy but fun place.
Manic Manchester
8/6/2009 10:24:25 PM - Day 508 - Manchester, England
The vanilla sky over Manchester.
I wanted to see a bit more of England and with my time almost running out for this trip I only had enough time for one more city and I chose Manchester. There was no particular reason why except that the name "Manchester" has crossed my radar a couple of times being the epicenter of the dance party scene as well as the home to one of the best soccer teams in the world right now "Manchester United". Not knowing much about Northern England and looking at the cities available to visit there, I chose Manchester simply because of name recognition. That's one of the cool things about traveling on an open schedule, you can go to places with no particular reason to visit except that you think it might be interesting.
Manchester has been an alright place. I was staying in the city center at a hostel called "Hatters Hostel Manchester" (Hatters Hostel Manchester Review) and every time I walked out the hostel door I joined a mob of people who were swarming the city center. Central Manchester is a very busy place. With some research I learned that there aren't a lot of sites to see in the city or museums that I found particularly interesting. The number one attraction seems to be the stadium which is home to Manchester United which I didn't visit because I wasn't interested enough to pay the price of walking around on the pitch. Nonetheless I did a bit of walking around and can say that although Manchester lacks a lot of tourist attractions, you will get to see another side of English culture which was my whole reason for visiting in the first place.
One thing about English culture that I find quite prevalent is their obsession with tabloids and celebrity gossip. I thought it was pretty bad in the United States but they take it to an entirely new level here. I've even seen commercials here by celebrities advertising an upcoming story about themselves in the tabloids. Needless to say, I've gotten quite used to seeing people of all walks of life spending their downtime reading tabloids.
I did manage to make it out one of the nights with a great group of people from my hostel and we all had a laugh. The nightlife in Manchester was a lot of fun and once again some people tripped out on my American accent (in a good way) which is always fun to experience while traveling.
Tomorrow I take a train to London where I will spend a couple days with some friends before I catch a flight back home…the thought of going home still seems so alien.
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