Dear Friends and Family,

Ok, so now you know that I am no longer in the Republic of Korea. But you may be wondering, where in the world is she?

Frankly, I find myself asking myself the same question - a lot. Today's answer: "I am in Shanghai."

You see, I carefully considered what I would do after my second teaching contract in Korea finished. I was not and am not ready to return to the States. I'd love to explain to you all, succinctly and logically, why I left the States and why I do not yet feel ready to return but I cannot. I cannot say - and as a woman rarely at a loss for words, I feel that my inability to express why I felt the need to go adventuring remains a wee problem. Happily, I can assure you that I have accomplished some of what I set out to do: my friends say that my new-found confidence shows in my face, I have some savings, I've met kindred people, and I've begun to see the world for myself. I am conscious that this time away from the city and people that I consider home is precious and I'm determined to make the most of it. And I wish to hone my travel skills so that world travel will always have a place in my future.


May I suggest that you take out a map? Because my rough plan for the next few months is to budget backpack to my next destination: I shall cross China, through Tibet, pause in Nepal, linger in India and finally, alight with teaching resume in hand, in Turkey.

I describe my plan as "rough" because well, it feels rough. Part of this sort-of travel requires planning and trouble-shooting as one goes along. And although I had done an extensive amount research, budgeted and planned for things not to go perfectly, I still found myself startled to the point of acute dismay when a problem arose days before leaving Korea: China granted me a tourist Visa from Korea earlier in 2008, but my second application of the year was denied and the Korean travel agency had to return me my money and my passport. Some weeks later and thanks to the generosity of friends (who offered me beds to sleep in, things to eat, ready sympathy, internet access, and undertook, on my behalf, heroic trips to the Chinese consulate), I departed on a westbound passenger ferry to China with the rest of my rough plan in hand:

-Dock in Qingdao, China
-Journey via bus to Shanghai, China
-Hike in the
mountainous Huang Shan, China
-Consider a stop in Nanjing, China
-Journey via train to Xi'an, China
-Ride the world's highest train to
Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
-Hook up with an overland tour for the
journey from Lhasa to Kathmandu, Nepal
-Visit pretty places in Kathmandu
-Take bus then train to Delhi, India
-India, tour, cook, and study yoga
-Fly to Istanbul, Turkey, find a job

Already, it feels good to be out... out of every day life, out studying the world, contemplating myself. Pico Iyer once wrote,

The reason I love travel is not just because it transports you in every sense but because it confronts you with emotional and moral challenges that you would never have to confront at home... and forces me to reconsider my assumptions and the things I took for granted. It sends me back a different person.

Perhaps I too travel to challenge my assumptions? Perhaps I indeed intend to return a different person? I cannot say. Maybe I'll find the words before I reach Istanbul?

Laura

A nice place for a walk in Qingdao, China.

The Shanghai Art Museum...
and perhaps the reason that I walked around most of
Saturday singing, "The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the waterspout..."