Through the window of a shrimp truck

My search for a travel friendly, cubicle-free lifestyle ended with a shrimp truck. Well, not ended exactly, more like made a pit stop. Yes, a shrimp truck, as in prepare shrimp, cook shrimp, and serve shrimp right from the truck. I never imagined what I could see from the inside of a restaurant on wheels. Actually, I suppose I never imagined I would ever be inside a restaurant on wheels. But the travel bug makes me do crazy things. Throughout the bustling and trend-hungry streets of Los Angeles, there is an underground culinary culture that is ‘The Food Truck.’ And…

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Las Vegas: An escape from life as you know it

Vegas. In a word: Craziness! Extended backyard visit #2 (I am really working on this backyard adventure thing)…road trip to Las Vegas! Aah, Vegas. One of those places that fills the heart with excitement at the sound of the name. Well, either excitement, or worry…depending on what kind of mischief your personal Vegas excursions might entail, but for me, excitement. A brief glimpse into the life of a Vegas adventure: Decide to go on Thursday. Go to work (or don’t…if you’re me) Friday–leave work early (or take your time, paint your nails, take a nap, watch a movie) pack, and…

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On the beaten path

I said I was setting out to explore my backyard, and I did. I finally went somewhere! Well I guess 385 miles to San Francisco is more like my very extended backyard, but it’s still in my state! Half shrouded in fog and almost disappearing completely in parts, the Golden Gate Bridge really is incredible (and not in the opening scene of Full House kind of incredible…the real kind). It. Is. Cold. Even though it’s just 52 degrees this marine air makes it feel much chillier as the damp breeze pinches your cheeks and frizzes your hair. Somehow, it’s still so…

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Today, travel came to me

Today I am a traveler, and I haven’t even left home! Lines of locals and tourists alike littered the streets trying to get into a street food fair in downtown Los Angeles. I am seeing new parts of my own city. Who knew we had a food fair? I get to eat food ALL day?! Definitely my kind of day. I think this might be a small slice of heaven. Its almost like an assembly of all these different countries got together to share their fabulous food with me (and a thousand other people). They even gave me a passport!…

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I will travel again

Stage 3: Affirmations.I will travel again. I will travel again. I will travel again. Now that the void left in my life from lack of traveling has reached a whole new level of huge, I have resorted to positive affirmations. Another stage in this disease and I am trying to cope. Maybe it will help, you know, self-fulfilling prophecy, “The Secret”…whatever. If I imagine myself with my toes in the sand somewhere far away, I will get there. At least I have recently managed to gain some perspective. I had the horror of learning that a colleague (a pre-travel-bug-employment-sabotage colleague…

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Take the donkey

You know when something seems like a great idea and then by the time you realize it really isn’t, you are in way too deep to do anything about it?  Yes, well in this particular case it was kind of a near-death experience… It all began one misty day at Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador. This was the most incredible volcanic crater lake (okay, the only one) I have ever seen.  “Want to climb down the mountain to get a better look?”  “Of course!”  So, on we went, traversing the slightly trodden and very uneven terrain, sliding and almost falling when there was…

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Me & Australia

I think I have found the one. That’s right, I am in love, and her name is Australia. She is beautiful, unique, and perfect for me in every way…she gets me. She lets me enjoy the city, the beach, culture, shopping, and art all at once. What more could a girl ask for? I know what you’re thinking, she’s there and I’m here, but we are making the long distance thing work. Sometimes she sends me gifts from Sportsgirl, my favorite store in the world (Australia, you really know the way to my heart). When I really miss her, I…

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Dream or nightmare?

Now I’m dreaming about traveling?! Wow. My body is so acutely aware of the lack of traveling it has experienced of late, that if I am not traveling in my waking life, it is content to travel in various stages of REM. The dream involved booking a trip to Dubai, preparing, packing, and getting ready, only to decide that I couldn’t manage the trip due to a lack of funds. WHAT?? Did I not have my credit card? Isn’t this supposed to be a dream? A place where all my greatest wants and wishes are manifested? Wow. I can’t even…

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The bug made me quit

You see, I always thought corporate life was for me. I imagined myself as Aileen Marshall, business woman and owner of Marshall’s stores, for a 3rd grade class project. I know…Marshall’s? I was 8 and living in Europe, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Neimans were not part of my vocabulary. It was Marshall’s. I got dressed up in the most professional kids attire in existence, and I delivered my idea of the most glamorous job I could think of and how I was going to love it. HA! The things you learn as you get older! It wasn’t until I arrived in…

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I was normal…once

I did live a normal life…for a time. I went to high school. I went to college (and didn’t even study abroad! WHAT WAS I THINKING?! I guess I must have momentarily lost my mind). I joined clubs in school. I got an internship. I got hired right out of college, which seemed utterly amazing at the time. I was working in the fashion business. Fashion and Business? Perfect. I went along enjoying work for a time, until of course I realized my life had come to a tragic end sitting in an office every day! Day after day after…

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