I have a midterm on wenesday that requires my full attention but come thursday... blogging overdose friends. Blogging over dose.
PS. Yes, I follow myself. Someone has to.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sunday Postcard 3
Sorry to those of you who couldn’t access this immediately (Hi, Mom.) Also sorry for what I am sure is the beginning of many weeks of absolutely nothing on this blog. My life is being taken over by … surrealism.
I wrote this to my friend Julie because it reminded me of her humor.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday Postcards 2
Yes I am aware it's tuesday but I bought it on sunday and... shut up.
How freaking pretty is that?! Apparently it’s from Napa County in California but it reminds me of the old south and farmlands. Big houses for big families surrounded by miles of land. I sent it to my grandmother in South Dakota. She’s in a nursing home now but the farm where she raised my mother and her four siblings is still in my family, where it’s remained for over a hundred years.
This blog is about travel. I believe that we, particularly when we’re young and physically able, need to experience every adventure the world has to offer. Experiencing different cultures and derailing negative stereotypes about one’s own culture (talking to my fellow Americans here) brings us closer together, hopefully creating a greater peace in the world. That being said, it’s important to have someplace to come home to.
My family is lucky. We have a history, a tangible, physical point that unites us. It’s true no one in the family actually lives at the farm but my aunts and uncles keep it maintained and it’s there at Christmas and thanksgiving or whenever one of the family is in need. I think it’s tied us together. A lot of people don’t have that.
Of course, home is not a location. It’s a sense of safety and belonging, or so I have found. Since I’ve been at college, I’ve felt almost homeless at times. A place to belong is a rare thing. Travel the world, children, but come home once you find where your home is.
How freaking pretty is that?! Apparently it’s from Napa County in California but it reminds me of the old south and farmlands. Big houses for big families surrounded by miles of land. I sent it to my grandmother in South Dakota. She’s in a nursing home now but the farm where she raised my mother and her four siblings is still in my family, where it’s remained for over a hundred years.
This blog is about travel. I believe that we, particularly when we’re young and physically able, need to experience every adventure the world has to offer. Experiencing different cultures and derailing negative stereotypes about one’s own culture (talking to my fellow Americans here) brings us closer together, hopefully creating a greater peace in the world. That being said, it’s important to have someplace to come home to.
My family is lucky. We have a history, a tangible, physical point that unites us. It’s true no one in the family actually lives at the farm but my aunts and uncles keep it maintained and it’s there at Christmas and thanksgiving or whenever one of the family is in need. I think it’s tied us together. A lot of people don’t have that.
Of course, home is not a location. It’s a sense of safety and belonging, or so I have found. Since I’ve been at college, I’ve felt almost homeless at times. A place to belong is a rare thing. Travel the world, children, but come home once you find where your home is.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday Postcard: Numba 1
One of the best parts of traveling is writing to your friends back home. I particularly like postcards as it limits you to the most important information. I’ve resolved to buy and send a postcard to someone I know every Sunday. It’s a great way to keep in touch.
This is one I’m sending to my friend, Tania. We both love tea. I didn’t get to see her much over the break but we write back and forth in college.
I am back in Iowa. There will be more on that later though.
This is one I’m sending to my friend, Tania. We both love tea. I didn’t get to see her much over the break but we write back and forth in college.
I am back in Iowa. There will be more on that later though.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Driving
“Americans are broad-minded people. They'll accept the fact that a person can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater, and even a newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive, there is something wrong with him.” ~Art Buchwald, "How Un-American Can You Get?," Have I Ever Lied to You?, 1966
It’s true. To get by in America, unless you’re under 16, drunk or otherwise impaired, you have to drive. It’s basically a law. You can put it off for a while but eventually, you’ve got to take the wheel.
I passed my driver’s exam yesterday. I managed to hold out for three years longer than society expects but with the election year, I needed to register to vote and frankly, you can bum rides off of people for quite some time but after a while you feel like an asshole.
So, when I returned from Iowa, I began a very strict driver regimen with my father. I never went to Driver’s Ed. Tip for Poor People: Driver’s Ed is fucking expensive. Even taking an online class costs $99 and in the classroom is around $300. I’m not spending half of my bank account to learn how to drive. Also, I don’t how it works in other states but Colorado doesn’t care if you’ve completed Driver’s Ed. All I had to do was come in and pass the test. So, the lesson here, children, is don’t waste your money. Get one of your parents, or an adult you trust to teach you how to drive. It’s a really good bonding experience and it doesn’t cost $300.
This being said, drive with a person who can be calm while teaching you to drive. My father is one of the calmest people I know. He gives commands and gentle reminders in a soft and measured tone, raising his voice only a few decibels when I was about to kill us both. My mother is not calm when I drive. She gasps, holds her breath and generally panics. I love my mother to death but driving with a panicky person makes the driver panicky and that leads to mistakes.
I drove with my father every day, with a few exceptions, everyday since the 26th of December 2009. We drove on snow, ice, and downtown and in residential areas. It’s important to get a wide range of driving experience as it’s a very unpredictable activity. I also made a point to drive around the DMV where I would be taking the test. One should be as familiar as possible with the area one wants to drive in.
Yesterday was nerve wracking. My test was at 10:45. The DMV recommends you show up 20 minutes early. I think the DMV is like purgatory.
I came in and saw people of all ages, races, genders, and creeds with one thing in common. They were bored out of their minds. It’s a sad lonely place with nothing on the walls, except a few posters about seat belts. I stood in line.
A woman named Denise took my information and my driver’s permit and told me to wait until they called my name. I asked if I had to take a written test and she told me I already passed it when I got my permit. I got my permit at 17 and apparently I never have to know about the rules of the road again. This only scares me when I think about it. I waited.
They called my name. I was introduced to a man named Jimmy. Jimmy had a small goatee and a bit of a tummy. He told me to come outside.
The DMV makes you use your own car (or your parent’s car) for the examination. I like that because I’m used to the Mazda. Jimmy told me to signal and turn on the breaks. Then he got in and then we drove. I drove, he sat there and took notes.
The Mazda
You don’t need to know about the rest of the test. You do need to know that I hate driving. Riding and driving are two very different things. When you ride in the car, you can sit back, relax, turn on the radio and look out the window. When you drive, you need to be alert at all times. This means no fucking about with the radio and no staring out the window contemplating the universe. The only time you look out the window is to check and make sure you’re not about to kill something and no one is about to kill you. Driving requires for your attention to be spilt at least three ways. You have to watch your speed, watch the people around you and make sure you aren’t doing anything stupid, like drifting into on coming traffic. This is assuming you are out on an open highway with no lights and no need to turn.
Also, driving is boring. And dangerous. It’s the one activity where I could die a fiery and painful death and still think “What’s on TV later?” Boring and dangerous is a bad combination because, as we’ve discussed, safe driving requires concentration, and when I’m bored, my mind wanders into strange places. After the test was over, Jimmy told me that I got too distracted. At that moment, I noticed attractive young gentlemen and tuned out for five seconds before I realized what I was doing. Had I been driving at that point, I would have tuned out for five years and woken up in a hospital bed. The only time I find driving interesting or even entertaining is when I’m speeding.
Speeding is frowned upon by most driving instructors although I hear that the autobahn in Germany doesn’t have any speed limits. Yet another reason to travel.
Anyway, I passed the test, though probably against Jimmy’s better judgment. I get my license in seven to fourteen days- which means my parents will get it since I’ll be in Iowa. I don’t have a car in Iowa so it’s really more of a status symbol- symbolizing of course my acceptance into pseudo adulthood. Big deal. I don’t like driving but it’s necessary in this country because sometimes you want to go places by yourself and they’re not accessible by bus.
So to summarize, if you live in or plan to go to America, you need to learn to drive. Get someone to teach you for free because in Poor Girl’s World, we ain’t got $300 to spend on some fancy drivin’ school. Also, wait till you’re over 18 so you don’t have to turn in the 150 hour sheet that minors have to give up. It’s just much easier. Also, if you’re over 18, you don’t have to wait a year to drive with your friends. Not that I ever will.
I also registered to vote so hooray for democracy! Pander to me politics! I fly back in two days.
It’s true. To get by in America, unless you’re under 16, drunk or otherwise impaired, you have to drive. It’s basically a law. You can put it off for a while but eventually, you’ve got to take the wheel.
I passed my driver’s exam yesterday. I managed to hold out for three years longer than society expects but with the election year, I needed to register to vote and frankly, you can bum rides off of people for quite some time but after a while you feel like an asshole.
So, when I returned from Iowa, I began a very strict driver regimen with my father. I never went to Driver’s Ed. Tip for Poor People: Driver’s Ed is fucking expensive. Even taking an online class costs $99 and in the classroom is around $300. I’m not spending half of my bank account to learn how to drive. Also, I don’t how it works in other states but Colorado doesn’t care if you’ve completed Driver’s Ed. All I had to do was come in and pass the test. So, the lesson here, children, is don’t waste your money. Get one of your parents, or an adult you trust to teach you how to drive. It’s a really good bonding experience and it doesn’t cost $300.
This being said, drive with a person who can be calm while teaching you to drive. My father is one of the calmest people I know. He gives commands and gentle reminders in a soft and measured tone, raising his voice only a few decibels when I was about to kill us both. My mother is not calm when I drive. She gasps, holds her breath and generally panics. I love my mother to death but driving with a panicky person makes the driver panicky and that leads to mistakes.
I drove with my father every day, with a few exceptions, everyday since the 26th of December 2009. We drove on snow, ice, and downtown and in residential areas. It’s important to get a wide range of driving experience as it’s a very unpredictable activity. I also made a point to drive around the DMV where I would be taking the test. One should be as familiar as possible with the area one wants to drive in.
Yesterday was nerve wracking. My test was at 10:45. The DMV recommends you show up 20 minutes early. I think the DMV is like purgatory.
I came in and saw people of all ages, races, genders, and creeds with one thing in common. They were bored out of their minds. It’s a sad lonely place with nothing on the walls, except a few posters about seat belts. I stood in line.
A woman named Denise took my information and my driver’s permit and told me to wait until they called my name. I asked if I had to take a written test and she told me I already passed it when I got my permit. I got my permit at 17 and apparently I never have to know about the rules of the road again. This only scares me when I think about it. I waited.
They called my name. I was introduced to a man named Jimmy. Jimmy had a small goatee and a bit of a tummy. He told me to come outside.
The DMV makes you use your own car (or your parent’s car) for the examination. I like that because I’m used to the Mazda. Jimmy told me to signal and turn on the breaks. Then he got in and then we drove. I drove, he sat there and took notes.
The Mazda
You don’t need to know about the rest of the test. You do need to know that I hate driving. Riding and driving are two very different things. When you ride in the car, you can sit back, relax, turn on the radio and look out the window. When you drive, you need to be alert at all times. This means no fucking about with the radio and no staring out the window contemplating the universe. The only time you look out the window is to check and make sure you’re not about to kill something and no one is about to kill you. Driving requires for your attention to be spilt at least three ways. You have to watch your speed, watch the people around you and make sure you aren’t doing anything stupid, like drifting into on coming traffic. This is assuming you are out on an open highway with no lights and no need to turn.
Also, driving is boring. And dangerous. It’s the one activity where I could die a fiery and painful death and still think “What’s on TV later?” Boring and dangerous is a bad combination because, as we’ve discussed, safe driving requires concentration, and when I’m bored, my mind wanders into strange places. After the test was over, Jimmy told me that I got too distracted. At that moment, I noticed attractive young gentlemen and tuned out for five seconds before I realized what I was doing. Had I been driving at that point, I would have tuned out for five years and woken up in a hospital bed. The only time I find driving interesting or even entertaining is when I’m speeding.
Speeding is frowned upon by most driving instructors although I hear that the autobahn in Germany doesn’t have any speed limits. Yet another reason to travel.
Anyway, I passed the test, though probably against Jimmy’s better judgment. I get my license in seven to fourteen days- which means my parents will get it since I’ll be in Iowa. I don’t have a car in Iowa so it’s really more of a status symbol- symbolizing of course my acceptance into pseudo adulthood. Big deal. I don’t like driving but it’s necessary in this country because sometimes you want to go places by yourself and they’re not accessible by bus.
So to summarize, if you live in or plan to go to America, you need to learn to drive. Get someone to teach you for free because in Poor Girl’s World, we ain’t got $300 to spend on some fancy drivin’ school. Also, wait till you’re over 18 so you don’t have to turn in the 150 hour sheet that minors have to give up. It’s just much easier. Also, if you’re over 18, you don’t have to wait a year to drive with your friends. Not that I ever will.
I also registered to vote so hooray for democracy! Pander to me politics! I fly back in two days.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Home is where the heart is.
Home is where the road starts.
I’m in Colorado for the next week, finishing up my winter break, the first one from college. I think it’s fitting that I first decided to travel the world in the city of my birth. The point of this blog is to chronicle my journey- I plan to spend my 20s traveling. I’m 19 now which means I have about a year to plan. I’ll start small by traveling with in the US and then I plan to study abroad in Amsterdam! After that, I don’t really have a plan beyond bouncing from country to country for the next decade. Happy New Year by the way. Today was the first day of preparation
First Recommendation to Poor People of Various shapes and sizes: When shopping, go to thrift stores. Today I spent $25.84 at thrift stores and came away with five fabulous articles of clothing: 3 dresses and 2 tops. Compared to the three cheapest dresses and two cheapest tops shown on the Target and Wal-Mart websites it was about $20 difference. Yeah, thrift stores rarely have the latest fashions but fashion is for those who can’t claim their own style, mmkay?
Second Recommendation: Use libraries. Yes, eventually, when our novels are published or our acting skills appreciated, we will all be able to buy big atlas with colored pictures of Venetian Canals and Pyramids but until then we just have to share with everyone else. The Denver Public Library has an excellent selection of travel books.
True to my nerdy nature, I go a little crazy in libraries and pick up nearly everything that catches my eye but due to time constraints (I fly back to Iowa on the 16th) I had to narrow it down to five items
1. Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark by Jane Geniesse
Biography of Freya Stark (1893-1993) the one of first major female travel writers. I’ve already read the first two chapters and this woman kicked ass and took names as only a genteel British lady can. She snuck passed a French blockade to interview militants in Iran in the 1930s and worked for British intelligence during the Second World War. Also, Geniesse’s style reads more like a novel than a biography which is a major plus for me.
2. Rick Steves’ Amsterdam, Bruges and Brussels 2007 by Rick Steves
Oh Rick Steves… you are the only travel writer I can name off the top of my head. You are awesome. Seriously, watch this guy on PBS sometime- it’s fantastic. Witty and charming in a geeky sort of way, Rick is a must have for any potential trip I will ever take.
3. Let’s Go Amsterdam by Let’s Go Inc.
I’ve only skimmed this guide so far but what I have seen looks good. Let’s Go is written by college students so you know it works with the least expensive travel possibilities. College students, as a rule, have nothing. I, personally, have less than nothing. Hooray for student loans! Hooray for my parents! I will pay you back… someday…
4. Amsterdam by Mak Geert
It’s a history of (you have one second to guess) Amsterdam written by a legitimate Amsterdam citizen! Perhaps not a must have for anyone contemplating a trip but Amsterdamnit, I like history! I wanna know all the neat things that occurred there beyond Van Gogh and Anne Frank. Personally, I think that in order to truly expand your world with travel, you need to have a least a basic understanding of the history and culture of the place you want to go. The book itself, though I’ve only read a few pages is a lovely read. Very relaxing storytelling to get you into the history.
5. German [learn before you land]
Yes, I know they speak Dutch in Amsterdam but the only Dutch language program was on cassette tapes and I’m not living in the ‘80s. The CD promises to be fast and I like CD’s cause I can download them on my computer and listen when ever I want to. And they probably speak German there too.
So hopefully I can finish these books in the next week or so before I go back to Iowa. Also, quick note: There were no guide books for Iowa. I looked. Iowa: Work on that! Don’t let the other states put you down! You are just as worthy of a guide book as anyone else and I shall find your wonders!
Thank you for reading and I bid you adieu.
The Denver Public Library Central Branch- My City, My home.
I’m in Colorado for the next week, finishing up my winter break, the first one from college. I think it’s fitting that I first decided to travel the world in the city of my birth. The point of this blog is to chronicle my journey- I plan to spend my 20s traveling. I’m 19 now which means I have about a year to plan. I’ll start small by traveling with in the US and then I plan to study abroad in Amsterdam! After that, I don’t really have a plan beyond bouncing from country to country for the next decade. Happy New Year by the way. Today was the first day of preparation
First Recommendation to Poor People of Various shapes and sizes: When shopping, go to thrift stores. Today I spent $25.84 at thrift stores and came away with five fabulous articles of clothing: 3 dresses and 2 tops. Compared to the three cheapest dresses and two cheapest tops shown on the Target and Wal-Mart websites it was about $20 difference. Yeah, thrift stores rarely have the latest fashions but fashion is for those who can’t claim their own style, mmkay?
Second Recommendation: Use libraries. Yes, eventually, when our novels are published or our acting skills appreciated, we will all be able to buy big atlas with colored pictures of Venetian Canals and Pyramids but until then we just have to share with everyone else. The Denver Public Library has an excellent selection of travel books.
True to my nerdy nature, I go a little crazy in libraries and pick up nearly everything that catches my eye but due to time constraints (I fly back to Iowa on the 16th) I had to narrow it down to five items
1. Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark by Jane Geniesse
Biography of Freya Stark (1893-1993) the one of first major female travel writers. I’ve already read the first two chapters and this woman kicked ass and took names as only a genteel British lady can. She snuck passed a French blockade to interview militants in Iran in the 1930s and worked for British intelligence during the Second World War. Also, Geniesse’s style reads more like a novel than a biography which is a major plus for me.
2. Rick Steves’ Amsterdam, Bruges and Brussels 2007 by Rick Steves
Oh Rick Steves… you are the only travel writer I can name off the top of my head. You are awesome. Seriously, watch this guy on PBS sometime- it’s fantastic. Witty and charming in a geeky sort of way, Rick is a must have for any potential trip I will ever take.
3. Let’s Go Amsterdam by Let’s Go Inc.
I’ve only skimmed this guide so far but what I have seen looks good. Let’s Go is written by college students so you know it works with the least expensive travel possibilities. College students, as a rule, have nothing. I, personally, have less than nothing. Hooray for student loans! Hooray for my parents! I will pay you back… someday…
4. Amsterdam by Mak Geert
It’s a history of (you have one second to guess) Amsterdam written by a legitimate Amsterdam citizen! Perhaps not a must have for anyone contemplating a trip but Amsterdamnit, I like history! I wanna know all the neat things that occurred there beyond Van Gogh and Anne Frank. Personally, I think that in order to truly expand your world with travel, you need to have a least a basic understanding of the history and culture of the place you want to go. The book itself, though I’ve only read a few pages is a lovely read. Very relaxing storytelling to get you into the history.
5. German [learn before you land]
Yes, I know they speak Dutch in Amsterdam but the only Dutch language program was on cassette tapes and I’m not living in the ‘80s. The CD promises to be fast and I like CD’s cause I can download them on my computer and listen when ever I want to. And they probably speak German there too.
So hopefully I can finish these books in the next week or so before I go back to Iowa. Also, quick note: There were no guide books for Iowa. I looked. Iowa: Work on that! Don’t let the other states put you down! You are just as worthy of a guide book as anyone else and I shall find your wonders!
Thank you for reading and I bid you adieu.
The Denver Public Library Central Branch- My City, My home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
