genuinely and legitimately when i see how so chronically incurious about the world some americans are i wish i could buy everyone a geoguessr subscription and every evening mandatory 15 rounds of Country Streak so you get to see how other people live

To: @dreams-and-dreams from @colorsunlikeanythingseen

Prompt: Meg and Apollo road trip

We see a big fork/ I’m absolutely famished/ Turns out I bite too/

I do not get why mortals complain about road trips. There is nothing better than driving across the country, spending time with friends, and listening to music, podcasts, or whatever radio station you happen to find. It is better in the sun chariot of course but even so there is joy in the journey of our stolen truck. I have however learned to appreciate road stops more than I used to when I was a god I rarely saw the point in stopping.

“Turn left” Luckily I was reinterpret this particular order and turned my body left to face Meg instead of raming the car into the side of a building

“Meg watch your orders. I am not mad at you but you have to be more careful”.

“Right, sorry” Meg said and looked away, her face was like cement. Luckily that only lasted a block and she soon went back to examining her map and humming along to the radio.

“Go…We… um.. Please go right now.” I turned right wondering what destination or dead end I would find.

I turn the corner only to find more rows of downtown brick buildings. I will never understand Missouri’s apparent urge to make everything brick. It brought up bad memories of Athena’s lectures on city planning in Olympus. I barely had to make an effort to tune out those meetings. When buildings weren’t brick they were the same bland cookie cutter modern office space.

“Right. It’s right here” Meg suddenly said. I barely had time to turn right. I pulled into a building that managed to be a mix of both brick and modern glass office space. Perhaps Athena had a point about the decay of American architecture.

“Why are we here Meg.” I asked as she stumbled out of the car with the grace of a newly born gazelle.

“Fork.” She said pointing at the fork that looked like one of Utgard-Loki’s dropped dinner sets (Do not accept any of his invitations even if he is, funny, has really good poetry, and lovely eyes. He is simply a terrible host).

“Yes I see the fork. Why?”

With her usual eloquence Meg wandered off without a word in my direction. I suppose you can only expect demigods to stay still so long. I felt a bit wobbly as well, another downside of being mortal. I used to be able to drive all day with complete ease and now after only four hours driving I wanted a rest.

I found a bench to sit down on. It was once of those weird almost modern art ones with curves that might pass as handle bars if you squinted in the middle. The air was warm and you could feel the sun warming the earth. Perhaps it was Ra up there or Sol, or a giant ball of gas, at the moment the cosmos turning on without me brought more comfort than despair. Even if I fail things would continue my children would outlive me and the world would keep turning (a weird fact but not an unpleasant one).

Someone sat down next to me and it was not Meg. It seemed to be a business lady and I felt hungry just looking at her. I didn’t need to be the god of medicine to recognize the clear signs of extremely unhealthy weightloss. She was bone thin in the way only starving people could be, her once perfectly tailored business suit now sagged around her like loose skin. Despite the layers of her suit jacket, vest, and shirt I could count her ribs. She is literally only skin and bone.

“Hey are you alright?” I asked knowing the answer should not be yes. I would not be surprised if I had to call for an ambulance which would be a problem unless the Arrow of Dodonna could make phone calls as easily as they could access google maps.

“Yes… yes I am alright better than ever in fact. Thank you for asking, what is your name, young man.” She gave me a thin smile as she found something funny.

“Lester.” I searched my pockets for some sort of snack. Dried vegetables or meats would be preferred as she would be more likely to accept that of course anything is better than nothing.

“It is nice to meet you Lester. I am Limos, I work in one of the offices there. What are you doing here this is hardly a place you should be.” I found a packet of peanuts in my sweatshirt pocket.

“I am on a road trip with my little sister.” I was starting to feel hungry myself. Ugg road trip snacks are not filling. “That’s her”

She looked over towards where Meg was destroying the carefully cultivated patch of grass at the center of the roundabout. Limos was not as happy as I was at seeing her have fun.

“Well we can’t help who we are related to.” If looks could kill Meg would be dead but when she turned back to face me Limos was all smiles again. “What do you know about this monument.”

“Not much” I was increasingly tempted to dig into the peanuts myself.

“The fork used to be a sculpture in front of some restaurant. They went out of business and whatever company rents out this office space bought the world’s second largest fork.”

“Second?” I felt weak. The last time I felt this hungry was the last time I was mortal. It hadn’t quite sunk in then that food, sleep, and water were now mandatory for me. I was in such a rush to complete the wall of Troy I didn’t eat, sleep or drink for four days straight. Had I not maintained some measure of godly strength I would have died. I wasn’t at that level of hunger yet but something was wrong.

“Oh yes the new largest fork is located in Colorado. So not it is now just a large empty fork with nothing particularly special about it.”

I pulled out the peanuts poured half into my hands and offered the other half of the bag to Limos. “Here”

She looked like I had just offered her maggot infested meat. Far faster that she should be physically be capable of moving she threw the bag into the dirt and knocked the peanuts out of my hand.

“I never share. You should never give something for nothing! That destroys profits and drives me out of business” She snarled and for a moment resembled my father about to strike. However hunger was a force far more powerful than fear so I was more focused on the peanuts.

“My peanuts!” I stumbled off the bench and collapsed as if my legs were cooked spaghetti. My stomach growled like a cornered wolf ready to eat me alive.

“You aren’t human.” I should know exactly who and what she was but as usual that file was not found.

“Neither are you Apollo.” Limos said and in a parody of tender care helped me back onto the bench.

“Why are you trying to kill me.” I asked mostly to delay the inevitable. I remembered many many reasons monsters, gods, spirits, and humans might try to kill me and there were even more that I had forgot.

“I am not trying to kill you Lord Apollo. You might die but that wouldn’t be my fault.”

“Well that is a nice change. It really does not feel like you aren’t trying to kill me though” I rasped. Shooting pains ran through my stomach were it not for Limos’ tight grip on my hands I would have charged towards the roundabout and started eating grass or the peanuts scattered out of reach.

“It’s not worth getting on Artemis’s bad side besides you are going to die soon anyways hopefully after you deal with Python. It could be… inconvenient for us all if you die before then” She said is an even and uncaring tone like she was discussing the projected revenue of a new product and not whether I would live or die.

In a worrying turn of events I stopped feeling hungry as if my body gave up on receiving anything to eat. With this bit of renewed clarity I remembered that she was the very very very minor god of famine (duh), not someone I hung out with, and the natural enemy of Demeter and her children. She wasn’t here for me she was here for Meg, and I was a hostage.

She seemed to notice my look of despair, “Oh you finally caught on took you long enough.” Limos dragged me to my feet. I had to come up with a clever plan to warn Meg unfortunately nothing clever came to mind so I did the next best thing.

I shouted. “MEG. LIMOS IS FAMINE. DO NOT STEP OFF THE---”

I was rudely interrupted by Limos covering my mouth. Taking a page out of Megs book I bit her, hard. Despite the blood running down her hand Limos didn’t even flinch. Luckily her blood was red, like the triumvirate or my sister’s hunters. Limos’ power truly had faded over the millenia. If I wasn’t about to pass out and had my ukulele or any arrows, I could kill her! Maybe...

Meg unlike me was always ready to fight someone and was armed with ornamental vegetable seeds, snacks, and swords. With her typical grace she stated, “Give him back.”

“I will if you corporate with me. Lets have a talk just you and I this does not have to be ugly and no one needs to get hurt.”

Hopefully heading my warning Meg did not move closer. Limos stepped onto the road instead cementing my theory of her not quite having the range she once had “Your dear stepfather worries about you and had hired me to bring you home.” Limos lied.

“He- he isn’t my family. That’s not my home. I am not going back like that ever again.” Meg spoke in a rush like she was trying to fit decades of unspoken words into a sentence.

“I am sorry about your situation I truly am” Limos continued lying, “But I was hired for this job and I must fulfill it. I am sure we can reach a compromise.” I am sure she said elaborated more but I was rather distracted by a jagged knife of bone getting far too close to my throat.

Perhaps it was a sign of my current starving state of mind but my first thought was not, oh yikes I am going to die , instead I wondered it I could eat that bone. There was only one way to find out. In a move so stupid that Limos couldn’t predict it I stopped biting Limos’s and bit down on the knife instead. In case you are wondering, no it did not tase good. it tasted like my own blood and new mouth injuries because that is what happens when you bite jagged knives.

Luckily Meg took advantage of Limos’s distraction or perhaps someone drop kicked a pumpkin out of a nearby window. Either way Limos fell back and I stumbled forward. Meg supported me back to the grass and more importantly the pumpkins. They were better than any ambrosia and nectar I have ever had.

“That was quite rude of you. To think we could have done this the easy way. Now well- you have disrespected a god you both know the consequences of that.” My pumpkin withered and felt more hungry than ever after eating.

“How do we beat her.” Meg said still standing tall despite her new hunger. I tried to mimic her focus.

“Food, especially gardens, grow as much as you can. You are her natural enemy for a reason, she wants to kill you before you kill her, because this god can die.”

Meg nodded and scattered seeds across the grassy spot. Strawberries blossomed and burst into fruit, shoots of grass grew into golden grain, squashes sprouted. It was a paradise greater than Elysium. I gobbled up as much strawberries as I could. Meg munched on a cob of corn. We were safe for now, but I doubted that Meg could outlast a god. Limos reached the curb but did not step closer. I could see anger behind her smiling mask either at my words or the pumpkin staining her new suit jacket.

“Ridiculous I am immortal just like you once were Lester. You could never defeat let alone kill me. I just want to kill you because you are related to someone I can’t hurt yet.” Meg nodded at me as if to say keep talking. Finally I could do something I excelled at!

“That speech might have fooled me if I were a mortal but I am a very old god. I have witnessed the final moments of pantheons, I can see the signs of a gods death. Your domain is weakening-”

“NO it is not. Famine has never weakened in fact it has grown more than ever, tonight over 828 million people will go to bed hungry. My reach has not weakened and it never will.”

“Yes there are far too many people hungry, but they don't have to be. New farming practices are so effective that there is enough food to feed everyone.” I couldn’t tune out all of Demeter's rants on improved agricultural efficiency.

“And people would rather have it rot then share it. No one shares if it means that they might lose a few dollars.” Limos successfully was distracted arguing with me but Meg seemed to need even more time.

“Some are that greedy but not everyone. Besides that isn’t even your biggest problem I mean who know who Limos is? You name is practically forgotten. I haven’t seen a shrine for you in millennia and nothing is named after a famine god. That would be terrible branding.”

For a moment Limos’ mask of confidence cracked and either fear or anger leaked through. “Shut up.” A wave a hunger washed through me a but I simply helped myself to more strawberries. “Gods are always powered by a worshippers’ fear. Even if they don’t know my name anymore, anyone that has met me fears me and will never return to life the same. That is more powerful than any shrine.” Her resemblance to Zeus continued to grew and it wasn’t because they had the same taste in business suits.

“Fear only works for so long, Love lasts far longer, but nothing is remembered forever. Even Pan died and you are far weaker than him. How much time do you have before you die like everyone you killed? I have always wondered what a god’s afterlife would be like if we have one at all.”

Limos trembled probably out of anger. “You are going to learn that first.” Bone knives flew towards my neck and would have hit were it not for Meg and her ornamental vegetables. A wave of vegetation grew cracking the concrete. A peach tree grew around Limos trapping her.

As one Meg and I ran towards the truck. The ground trembling beneath us as the road was transformed into a new community garden. We did not buckle our seat belts, I stomped on the gas pedal, accelerated to illegal speeds and left Limos in the dust. Presumably. I did not turn around to check.

It took twenty miles before I felt safe enough to speak “That was terrible. We are never doing that again”

“Yeah, don’t get captured ever again.” Meg looked at me weirdly like I might die or vanish forever if she looked away again.

“I am not planning to. Want to find us a new rest stop?”

“Thought we were never doing that again?”

“We aren’t visiting any large forks again, but a ball of twine is still on the table if it is on the way too….”

I didn’t continue the weight of our task sat too heavily in my throat for moment, but I drove on each mile getting us closer to what would be the end of our journey one way or another. I would not mind another roadside attraction before things ended.

Facts

The statistics about word hunger is accurate as of my time of writing this. Source https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/the-hunger-crisis/world-hunger-facts/

The story of the world’s second largest fork is is accurate.

A lot of Missouri’s building are made of brick due to the brick mines as well as because brick is fire resistant. St. Louis is particular had a problem with fire due to how steamboats were prone to spontaneous combustion.

Brickwork can be beautiful if you are a bit creative but corporations are not creative.

There is a surprising amount of discourse about whether or not this is or isn't the largest fork. Missouri’s is the tallest but Colorado's is the largest from what I have seen. Main source https://417local.com/largest-fork-springfield-mo/

Meg and Apollo did fight a famine sprit at Springfield Missouri’s largest fork.

Limos is the greek god of famine.

We do have enough food to feed everyone on the planet. No one needs to starve.

Secret Santa (just want to make sure you got it)

Prompt Meg and Apollo road trip

I do not get why mortals complain about road trips. There is nothing better than driving across the country, spending time with friends, and listening to music, podcasts, or whatever radio station you happen to find. It is better in the sun chariot of course but even so there is joy in the journey of our stolen truck. I have however learned to appreciate road stops more than I used to when I was a god I rarely saw the point in stopping.

“Turn left” Luckily I was reinterpret this particular order and turned my body left to face Meg instead of raming the car into the side of a building

“Meg watch your orders. I am not mad at you but you have to be more careful”.

“Right, sorry” Meg said and looked away, her face was like cement. Luckily that only lasted a block and she soon went back to examining her map and humming along to the radio.

“Go…We… um.. Please go right now.” I turned right wondering what destination or dead end I would find.

I turn the corner only to find more rows of downtown brick buildings. I will never understand Missouri’s apparent urge to make everything brick. It brought up bad memories of Athena’s lectures on city planning in Olympus. I barely had to make an effort to tune out those meetings. When buildings weren’t brick they were the same bland cookie cutter modern office space.

“Right. It’s right here” Meg suddenly said. I barely had time to turn right. I pulled into a building that managed to be a mix of both brick and modern glass office space. Perhaps Athena had a point about the decay of American architecture.

“Why are we here Meg.” I asked as she stumbled out of the car with the grace of a newly born gazelle.

“Fork.” She said pointing at the fork that looked like one of Utgard-Loki’s dropped dinner sets (Do not accept any of his invitations even if he is, funny, has really good poetry, and lovely eyes. He is simply a terrible host).

“Yes I see the fork. Why?”

With her usual eloquence Meg wandered off without a word in my direction. I suppose you can only expect demigods to stay still so long. I felt a bit wobbly as well, another downside of being mortal. I used to be able to drive all day with complete ease and now after only four hours driving I wanted a rest.

I found a bench to sit down on. It was once of those weird almost modern art ones with curves that might pass as handle bars if you squinted in the middle. The air was warm and you could feel the sun warming the earth. Perhaps it was Ra up there or Sol, or a giant ball of gas, at the moment the cosmos turning on without me brought more comfort than despair. Even if I fail things would continue my children would outlive me and the world would keep turning (a weird fact but not an unpleasant one).

Someone sat down next to me and it was not Meg. It seemed to be a business lady and I felt hungry just looking at her. I didn’t need to be the god of medicine to recognize the clear signs of extremely unhealthy weightloss. She was bone thin in the way only starving people could be, her once perfectly tailored business suit now sagged around her like loose skin. Despite the layers of her suit jacket, vest, and shirt I could count her ribs. She is literally only skin and bone.

“Hey are you alright?” I asked knowing the answer should not be yes. I would not be surprised if I had to call for an ambulance which would be a problem unless the Arrow of Dodonna could make phone calls as easily as they could access google maps.

“Yes… yes I am alright better than ever in fact. Thank you for asking, what is your name, young man.” She gave me a thin smile as she found something funny.

“Lester.” I searched my pockets for some sort of snack. Dried vegetables or meats would be preferred as she would be more likely to accept that of course anything is better than nothing.

“It is nice to meet you Lester. I am Limos, I work in one of the offices there. What are you doing here this is hardly a place you should be.” I found a packet of peanuts in my sweatshirt pocket.

“I am on a road trip with my little sister.” I was starting to feel hungry myself. Ugg road trip snacks are not filling. “That’s her”

She looked over towards where Meg was destroying the carefully cultivated patch of grass at the center of the roundabout. Limos was not as happy as I was at seeing her have fun.

“Well we can’t help who we are related to.” If looks could kill Meg would be dead but when she turned back to face me Limos was all smiles again. “What do you know about this monument.”

“Not much” I was increasingly tempted to dig into the peanuts myself.

“The fork used to be a sculpture in front of some restaurant. They went out of business and whatever company rents out this office space bought the world’s second largest fork.”

“Second?” I felt weak. The last time I felt this hungry was the last time I was mortal. It hadn’t quite sunk in then that food, sleep, and water were now mandatory for me. I was in such a rush to complete the wall of Troy I didn’t eat, sleep or drink for four days straight. Had I not maintained some measure of godly strength I would have died. I wasn’t at that level of hunger yet but something was wrong.

“Oh yes the new largest fork is located in Colorado. So not it is now just a large empty fork with nothing particularly special about it.”

I pulled out the peanuts poured half into my hands and offered the other half of the bag to Limos. “Here”

She looked like I had just offered her maggot infested meat. Far faster that she should be physically be capable of moving she threw the bag into the dirt and knocked the peanuts out of my hand.

“I never share. You should never give something for nothing! That destroys profits and drives me out of business” She snarled and for a moment resembled my father about to strike. However hunger was a force far more powerful than fear so I was more focused on the peanuts.

“My peanuts!” I stumbled off the bench and collapsed as if my legs were cooked spaghetti. My stomach growled like a cornered wolf ready to eat me alive.

“You aren’t human.” I should know exactly who and what she was but as usual that file was not found.

“Neither are you Apollo.” Limos said and in a parody of tender care helped me back onto the bench.

“Why are you trying to kill me.” I asked mostly to delay the inevitable. I remembered many many reasons monsters, gods, spirits, and humans might try to kill me and there were even more that I had forgot.

“I am not trying to kill you Lord Apollo. You might die but that wouldn’t be my fault.”

“Well that is a nice change. It really does not feel like you aren’t trying to kill me though” I rasped. Shooting pains ran through my stomach were it not for Limos’ tight grip on my hands I would have charged towards the roundabout and started eating grass or the peanuts scattered out of reach.

“It’s not worth getting on Artemis’s bad side besides you are going to die soon anyways hopefully after you deal with Python. It could be… inconvenient for us all if you die before then” She said is an even and uncaring tone like she was discussing the projected revenue of a new product and not whether I would live or die.

In a worrying turn of events I stopped feeling hungry as if my body gave up on receiving anything to eat. With this bit of renewed clarity I remembered that she was the very very very minor god of famine (duh), not someone I hung out with, and the natural enemy of Demeter and her children. She wasn’t here for me she was here for Meg, and I was a hostage.

She seemed to notice my look of despair, “Oh you finally caught on took you long enough.” Limos dragged me to my feet. I had to come up with a clever plan to warn Meg unfortunately nothing clever came to mind so I did the next best thing.

I shouted. “MEG. LIMOS IS FAMINE. DO NOT STEP OFF THE---”

I was rudely interrupted by Limos covering my mouth. Taking a page out of Megs book I bit her, hard. Despite the blood running down her hand Limos didn’t even flinch. Luckily her blood was red, like the triumvirate or my sister’s hunters. Limos’ power truly had faded over the millenia. If I wasn’t about to pass out and had my ukulele or any arrows, I could kill her! Maybe...

Meg unlike me was always ready to fight someone and was armed with ornamental vegetable seeds, snacks, and swords. With her typical grace she stated, “Give him back.”

“I will if you corporate with me. Lets have a talk just you and I this does not have to be ugly and no one needs to get hurt.”

Hopefully heading my warning Meg did not move closer. Limos stepped onto the road instead cementing my theory of her not quite having the range she once had “Your dear stepfather worries about you and had hired me to bring you home.” Limos lied.

“He- he isn’t my family. That’s not my home. I am not going back like that ever again.” Meg spoke in a rush like she was trying to fit decades of unspoken words into a sentence.

“I am sorry about your situation I truly am” Limos continued lying, “But I was hired for this job and I must fulfill it. I am sure we can reach a compromise.” I am sure she said elaborated more but I was rather distracted by a jagged knife of bone getting far too close to my throat.

Perhaps it was a sign of my current starving state of mind but my first thought was not, oh yikes I am going to die , instead I wondered it I could eat that bone. There was only one way to find out. In a move so stupid that Limos couldn’t predict it I stopped biting Limos’s and bit down on the knife instead. In case you are wondering, no it did not tase good. it tasted like my own blood and new mouth injuries because that is what happens when you bite jagged knives.

Luckily Meg took advantage of Limos’s distraction or perhaps someone drop kicked a pumpkin out of a nearby window. Either way Limos fell back and I stumbled forward. Meg supported me back to the grass and more importantly the pumpkins. They were better than any ambrosia and nectar I have ever had.

“That was quite rude of you. To think we could have done this the easy way. Now well- you have disrespected a god you both know the consequences of that.” My pumpkin withered and felt more hungry than ever after eating.

“How do we beat her.” Meg said still standing tall despite her new hunger. I tried to mimic her focus.

“Food, especially gardens, grow as much as you can. You are her natural enemy for a reason, she wants to kill you before you kill her, because this god can die.”

Meg nodded and scattered seeds across the grassy spot. Strawberries blossomed and burst into fruit, shoots of grass grew into golden grain, squashes sprouted. It was a paradise greater than Elysium. I gobbled up as much strawberries as I could. Meg munched on a cob of corn. We were safe for now, but I doubted that Meg could outlast a god. Limos reached the curb but did not step closer. I could see anger behind her smiling mask either at my words or the pumpkin staining her new suit jacket.

“Ridiculous I am immortal just like you once were Lester. You could never defeat let alone kill me. I just want to kill you because you are related to someone I can’t hurt yet.” Meg nodded at me as if to say keep talking. Finally I could do something I excelled at!

“That speech might have fooled me if I were a mortal but I am a very old god. I have witnessed the final moments of pantheons, I can see the signs of a gods death. Your domain is weakening-”

“NO it is not. Famine has never weakened in fact it has grown more than ever, tonight over 828 million people will go to bed hungry. My reach has not weakened and it never will.”

“Yes there are far too many people hungry, but they don't have to be. New farming practices are so effective that there is enough food to feed everyone.” I couldn’t tune out all of Demeter's rants on improved agricultural efficiency.

“And people would rather have it rot then share it. No one shares if it means that they might lose a few dollars.” Limos successfully was distracted arguing with me but Meg seemed to need even more time.

“Some are that greedy but not everyone. Besides that isn’t even your biggest problem I mean who know who Limos is? You name is practically forgotten. I haven’t seen a shrine for you in millennia and nothing is named after a famine god. That would be terrible branding.”

For a moment Limos’ mask of confidence cracked and either fear or anger leaked through. “Shut up.” A wave a hunger washed through me a but I simply helped myself to more strawberries. “Gods are always powered by a worshippers’ fear. Even if they don’t know my name anymore, anyone that has met me fears me and will never return to life the same. That is more powerful than any shrine.” Her resemblance to Zeus continued to grew and it wasn’t because they had the same taste in business suits.

“Fear only works for so long, Love lasts far longer, but nothing is remembered forever. Even Pan died and you are far weaker than him. How much time do you have before you die like everyone you killed? I have always wondered what a god’s afterlife would be like if we have one at all.”

Limos trembled probably out of anger. “You are going to learn that first.” Bone knives flew towards my neck and would have hit were it not for Meg and her ornamental vegetables. A wave of vegetation grew cracking the concrete. A peach tree grew around Limos trapping her.

As one Meg and I ran towards the truck. The ground trembling beneath us as the road was transformed into a new community garden. We did not buckle our seat belts, I stomped on the gas pedal, accelerated to illegal speeds and left Limos in the dust. Presumably. I did not turn around to check.

It took twenty miles before I felt safe enough to speak “That was terrible. We are never doing that again”

“Yeah, don’t get captured ever again.” Meg looked at me weirdly like I might die or vanish forever if she looked away again.

“I am not planning to. Want to find us a new rest stop?”

“Thought we were never doing that again?”

“We aren’t visiting any large forks again, but a ball of twine is still on the table if it is on the way too….”

I didn’t continue the weight of our task sat too heavily in my throat for moment, but I drove on each mile getting us closer to what would be the end of our journey one way or another. I would not mind another roadside attraction before things ended.

Facts

The statistics about word hunger is accurate as of my time of writing this. Source https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/the-hunger-crisis/world-hunger-facts/

The story of the world’s second largest fork is is accurate.

A lot of Missouri’s building are made of brick due to the brick mines as well as because brick is fire resistant. St. Louis is particular had a problem with fire due to how steamboats were prone to spontaneous combustion.

Brickwork can be beautiful if you are a bit creative but corporations are not creative.

There is a surprising amount of discourse about whether or not this is or isn't the largest fork. Missouri’s is the tallest but Colorado's is the largest from what I have seen. Main source https://417local.com/largest-fork-springfield-mo/

Meg and Apollo did fight a famine sprit at Springfield Missouri’s largest fork.

Limos is the greek god of famine.

We do have enough food to feed everyone on the planet. No one needs to starve.

This is really good!! The facts and research put into this are great and also sunflower siblings bonding yessXD Thanks for this<3

ITALY????

Y’all I spent one whole week in Italy in 2017 and it was one of the most bizarre fucking weeks of my life

let’s break it down from the beginning

[under a read more for length]

So, fall of 2017 I was studying abroad in London. One of the classes I was taking was specifically for study abroad students, designed to get us engaging in the culture of London or whatever i dont really remember the class itself but my god do i remember the people i met in it

two in particular were these girls, also American. We shall call them Molly and Ally. They had quickly made friends with each other, and after one of the class trips into London, i was friendly with them as well. The “reading week” or fall break was coming up, and they mentioned that they were going to Italy and asked if I wanted to go. I had booked a short tour to Dover, but thought “oh my god Italy???? Fuck yes!” and so I bought my plane tickets then asked them where they had booked hotel rooms so that I could add myself to their itinerary

“Oh,” Molly said, “we haven’t, don’t worry about it”

Me, a seasoned traveler “?????? uh”

I bugged them about this for at LEAST a week and finally, about THREE DAYS from when we were supposed to leave, I just went ahead and booked an assortment of hostels and airbnbs for us in all the cities they wanted to go to and told them to pay me back later

they actually admitted afterwards that that had been a smart move on my part which like????? no SHIT its a smart move to have a plan where you’re gonna sleep every night while in a foreign country. god.

So, lets go through this day by day

Day 1 - London to Milan

we flew from London to Milan in the evening, getting there pretty late at night. and it was only once we were actually IN Italy that I learned that 1) none of us spoke Italian and 2) despite having grown up in two areas with large Hispanic populations, neither Molly or Ally spoke a lick of Spanish, which is close enough to Italian that you can kind of limp through a conversation of one if you know the other.

so, somehow, I ended up being our Italian translator for the week, armed with nothing but a translator website, a handful of Italian music terms, and the ability to roll my r’s fairly well for a white person. Literally, i figured out where the bus stop was outside of the airport because I saw the word “fermata” painted on the pavement and I knew that meant “long pause” in sheet music terms so I hazarded a guess it meant stop or similar in regular Italian

(sidenote I almost got in a fight with some random Italian dude on the bus because Molly was going on about how excited she was to try the pizza and I told her it wasn’t going to be the same because “the pizza you’re used to is an American invention” and he turned around and started going on about the tradition of pizza in Italy and I was like I just mean that American pizza is different from real Italian pizza i did not mean to offend i’m sorry!!!!!! anyways)

the bus dropped us in a square in the middle of Milan and we got out and i’m lookin at my airbnb app trying to figure out where we need to go and i said “okay we need to get a cab” and Molly and Ally are arguing about something and this RANDOM ASS DUDE walks up to us and is like “you need taxi?” and i said yes to he leads us back to his REGULAR ASS CAR, NOT A TAXI and tells us to get in, and for some unknown fucking reason I do and Molly and Ally follow me and shut up real fast because this is sketchy as fuck but the guy did take us to the airbnb without murdering us so thats a win i guess

The airbnb by the way was more like a mini hostel - it was this apartment where pretty much every room except the bathroom had been converted into a bedroom and so probably not entirely legal but whatever. whatever. 

Day 2 - Milan to Venice

i woke up early the next morning and went to take a shower at the bathroom at the end of the hall and found out that the lights didn’t work. Whatever, I’m mostly blind without my glasses anyways so i just showered in the dark, no biggie

we had an early bus to catch from Milan to Venice, so we headed out to the bus station. I’ll be honest, I do not remember how we got there. I think we walked, because I ended up with a coffee at some point so I probably got it from some cafe on the way? But idk. I was so tired.

We get on the bus, I found two empty seats far away from Molly and Ally, and immediately stretched out and fell asleep.

Ally woke me a little later and said “c’mon, we’re here!”

I was confused as all hell because it had not been nearly long enough for us to get all the way to Venice, but I got off the bus and was greeted by Molly stretching her arms out and proclaiming “Welcome to Venice!” underneath a sign that said we were at the Verona bus station.

They did not believe me when I said Verona and Venice were two different places. “Venice has canals, Verona is where Romeo & Juliet is set. There are no canals in R&J, they’re two different places!” I literally had to pull out my phone, go to google maps, and zoom out until they could see that Venice was still several hours away before they believed me.

The bus driver almost didn’t let us back on but I was able to show him on the tickets that our end destination was, in fact, Venice.

Venice itself was pretty neat. We got to go on a gondola ride and I ate an entire pizza by myself at dinner lmao.

Day 3 - Venice to Florence

we took a train from Venice to Florence the next morning, and that’s when I discovered that Italian train stations have lovely little cafes with AMAZING coffee and really good pastries. The other two didn’t drink coffee but like, their loss. it was fantastic. 

Florence was great, we found a little shop that sold really yummy gelato for only 1 Euro a scoop - Geletaria La Carraia. If you ever end up in Florence, definitely check it out!

We wandered around for a while, took a lot of pictures. There was some famous church that was undergoing some renovations, but as we walked up to it Molly gasped and said “I’ve climbed that in Assassin’s Creed!” which was pretty funny. 

We went to a museum that had made a bunch of models of some of Leonardo DaVinci’s inventions. We went to an art museum and stumbled across Michaelangelo’s David on accident, so that was the big “wtf” moment of the day. Also that night Molly decided to buy a bottle of wine to take home to a friend of her’s back in America, but realized after buying it that her backpack wasn’t big enough to cart it around for the rest of the week so I ended up carrying an entire fucking bottle of wine for the rest of the trip because I was the only one smart enough to bring a proper backpacking backpack and not just my school bag.

Also the hostel we were in had actual skeleton keys for their rooms and actual goddamn keyholes that one could clearly see through so i left the key in the lock all night AND hung my sweatshirt from the door handle so that no one could peek in at us

Day 4 - Florence to Pisa

once again, I woke up early, went into the bathroom attached to our room (the hostel had had a cancellation and so we ended up in a private room instead of a dorm style) and discovered that the lights didn’t work so I had a second shower in the dark

we took another train from Florence to Pisa, and there we ran into our only bit of bad weather

What’s the big draw in Pisa? The Leaning Tower, right?

What was the only day it rained, non-fucking-stop, the entire time we were in Italy? THE DAY WE WERE IN PISA

I got so soaked that I actually bought a new sweatshirt because the one I was wearing was DRIPPING

anyways, after we had taken several dumb touristy pictures and grabbed an early dinner at a nearby restaurant, we decided to head over to the room I had booked. The cheapest place I could find was a tiny cabin at a campground nearby. According to the map on my phone, it was a short walk away.

A solid hour later, we finally trudged up to the main office of the campground, shivering and soaked, and got the keys to our cabin. We set our stuff down, and Ally and Molly decided to go back out to the grocery store we had passed coming in. I waved them off and went to take a shower in the bathroom with fully functioning lights! hooray!

Day 5 - Pisa to Rome

another morning, another train station with excellent coffee. We got into Rome and, at this point, we were all so tired from travelling that I was finally able to take charge. up until this point, Molly had been railroading us, even sort of bullying Ally in the process, but now she was exhausted and I, through a combination of practice in functioning while dead on my feet, lots of travel experience, and Mom Friend Instincts, took the reins. We got to Rome and I said “we’re going to the church with the big hole in the roof (its a thing, look it up) and then we’re going to eat.... at this place around the corner and then we’re going to to go our hostel and check in”

they didn’t argue, and that’s a true testament to how fucking tired the two of them were, especially Molly, because she would argue about anything and everything given half a chance. We also went to the military museum that day, mostly because it was free and also air conditioned

(also while looking through my pictures of this trip i just discovered that i still have the picture i took of the Rome hostel FAQ page that had by the front desk, which i now remember i did because it had the wifi password on it and we weren’t in our room for 30 seconds before one of the other two asked what the wifi password was so, once again, i show that i am a very good traveler/travelling buddy)

Day 6 - Rome

so we had the next full day in Rome, and we got up early to get in line for the Vatican. I wanted to be there by 7am, Molly was like “it doesn’t even open until 9!” and we compromised at 8 and it was STILL an enormous line so i was like “see? this is why i wanted to get here early”

Oh, but before we went to the Vatican, i took a shower. IN. THE. DARK. BECAUSE ALL OF ITALY EXCEPT FOR PISA DECIDED THAT I DIDN’T DESERVE TO HAVE A SHOWER WHERE I DIDN’T HAVE TO FUMBLE AROUND BLINDLY LIKE AN ASSHOLE

ALSO on the way to the Vatican, I asked if the two of them had their passports. Ally said yes. Molly said yes, why?

And I had to then explain to Molly, a 20 year old RELIGIOUS STUDIES MAJOR, who was RAISED CATHOLIC and who had FAMILY IN THE CLERGY, that the Vatican, THE CENTER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, is it’s own country. 

she, again, did not believe me until i pulled it up on google for her

turned out that we didn’t need our passports stamped to enter the Vatican but still! still!!!!!

so it turned out that whatever day we were there on, the Sistine Chapel isn’t open that day, so we just walked through the cathedral and then headed out to the Colosseum and the ruins of the Senate behind it, both of which were very cool

Day 7 - Rome to Milan to London

we got up even EARLIER on our last day, I took another shower in the dark, and we rushed over to the Vatican, speedwalked through most of the museum, and finally got into the Sistine Chapel, which was absolutely breathtaking. Then we hauled ass back to the train station to catch our train back to Milan.

At this point in the trip, I was so fucking done with the two of them, but especially Molly. Ally was sweet and naive, but she was also willing to listen to new information. Molly was just a stubborn ass with a mean streak a mile wide and I was COMPLETELY done associating with her.

Luckily, since I had booked my flights separately, while we had flown into Milan on the same plane, I had a completely different flight back to London - to a different airport, even. They were going back to London City, but I was heading to London Gatwick. Both planes were set to depart around the same time, from two gates that were next to each other though, so i couldn’t really escape them until - uh oh! My flight was delayed. 

Molly and Ally were fretting about it but i was like “it’s fine. it’s fine. I’ve been flying since i was literally 3 months old and I s o m e h o w know more Italian AND Spanish than the two of you combined, even though I would never say that I speak EITHER of those languages. Just go.”

The flight ended up being delayed like 5 hours due to mechanical issues. They finally just got another plane for us, and we finally took off from Milan. When we went over Paris, the captain, obviously feeling bad about the delay, made sure to tilt the plane in both directions so that everyone could see the Eiffel Tower lit up, it was really neat.

We finally got back to London at literally like 230 in the morning. The busses and some of the trains weren’t even running at that point - certainly not all the way out to the fancy little liberal arts college I was going to. I went up to some security guard at the airport and said “just tell me how close I can get to the University of Roehampton on the trains” and he told me to take the train to Black Friars so I got out there and there was a bus, but it was like 40 minutes out. It’s now pass 3am, I am exhausted after a long, weird week in Italy, I texted my dad and he said “just get an Uber i’ll pay for it”

The Uber driver was very nice and as soon as I got in he said “you look really cold! do you want the heat on?” i could have fucking kissed him. he was super nice. actually made sure that I was still texting my dad (i had mentioned it when I got in because I almost dropped my bag while trying to text and maneuver at the same time) every few minutes. offered to let me take and send a picture of him to my dad. otherwise didn’t really speak and just let the music play. I tipped him literally whatever was in my pocket at that time, i don’t remember how much it was, but it was at least 20% and probably more. Really great guy. 

Random London Uber driver from 2017, you remain the best Uber driver and I love you

i finally crawled into my shitty little dorm bed at about 4am, exhausted and utterly bewildered by the past week

honestly??? I’m still bewildered by my week in Italy.

wtf even happened in all that mess.

Slow Dancing in a Parking Lot | Jeff Skinner

Summary: The song “slow dance in a parking lot”. No I will never stop writing based on country songs.  Word count: 2k Note: This is just pure fluff. Alcohol tw

Back to back games were always exhausting and with the second half of it coming tomorrow, it really wasn’t the best night for Jeff’s phone to ring at 3am.

He groaned as he rolled over. There was really only one person whose phone call he was going to answer, and unfortunately for him, it was that person calling. For a second, just a split second, he thought about ignoring the call; but there was never even a small chance he’d actually do that.

Because it was you. And you were not only his best friend, but you never called him at 3 am, so it was possible that something was wrong, and he was fiercely protective of you.

Not at all in a “just friends” way, unless you asked; then it was totally in a friends way.

“Hmmhello,” he mumbled, the words barely able to get out of his throat as sleep still laced every part of his body. He hadn’t even fully opened his eyes.

“Jeffreeeyyy!” Your voice was loud and high-pitched and way, way too excited for this hour of the night, but it instantly lifted some of the worry off his heart. Clearly you were doing just fine. Which left the question, why were you calling him at this time? “I miss you!” you blurted out at the other end, and Jeff only now recognized the slur in your voice.

“You’re… drunk?” If only he was able to form coherent, full sentences, that would be great.

You giggled. “Maybe a teeeeeny tiny bit. Am I waking you up?”

It was 3 am, he’d had a game tonight and he was going to have one tomorrow - or today? What time was it again? - so obviously you were waking him up. But he knew if he told you that, you’d feel bad about it, and he wasn’t going to do that to you.

“Nope.”

“Liar.” You giggled again, but then you fell silent. The silence lasted so long Jeff was starting to wonder if you’d forgotten that you’d been on the phone with him, but then you spoke again. “I think I have a bit of a problem.”

That was enough to send adrenaline through his veins and suddenly he was sitting upright in his bed, completely awake now. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s… wrong, per se,” you lied through your teeth. Jeff had always been able to tell when you were lying, even through the phone. “I just think I might not be completely sure where I am.”

“You’re lost?” At 3 am, drunk, in the middle of Buffalo? Now he was really starting to get worried. “Where are your friends? The ones you went out with.”

“Lydia took a guy home. And Sarah… Well, we lost her a bit earlier in the evening. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t know.”

Technically, there was quite a simple solution to this problem. Jeff could tell you to open the Uber app on your phone and simply order one to your location. Or use Google Maps to find your way to the nearest night bus.

But really, that had never really been an option.

“Stay where you are,” he told you sternly. “I’m coming to get you. Don’t go wandering off, okay?”

“Okay,” you singsonged. “See you!” You hung up right away.

All Jeff could do was hurry to put on some sweats and a hoodie and run to his car, meanwhile opening your shared location on his phone. You had a habit of losing your phone so you’d switched on the ‘continually share location’ feature, linking your phone to his. He’d never thought he’d be this happy with that feature.

Luckily, you were only 10 minutes away from his apartment, and somehow he made it in 5. If there was a speeding ticket on his doormat next week, well, that would be worth it.

He spotted you soon enough. You were in front of a 24/7 corner store, sitting cross-legged on the pavement, a chocolate chip cookie in your hand. When he jumped out of the car, your face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Jeffff Skinnerrrr!” you yelled, stretching your arms out to him. He couldn’t help but laugh as he carefully sat down next to you on the pavement, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to give you a quick sideways hug.

“Glad I found you.”

“I’m glad you found me too,” you hummed. “My hero.” You nestled into his side and dropped your head on his shoulder, and it was probably not appropriate for just friends to hold that position, but Jeff couldn’t bring himself to remove his arm from you. You fit perfectly like that, curled into his side, and he would be lying if he said he was in a hurry to get up.

That was until you shivered against him.

“You’re cold,” he stated, and removed his arm from you only so he could take off his hoodie.

“Now you’re gonna be cold,” you protested, tugging at the soft cotton of the t-shirt he was wearing underneath it, as if to demonstrate how thin it was, and he shot you a stern look. As always, you rolled your eyes, but a grateful smile appeared as you put on his hoodie and hugged your knees to your chest. “I would offer you some of my cookie,” you told him, “but I’m hungry.”

Jeff laughed. “Let’s go home, okay? I might have some ice cream in my fridge.”

He wasn’t technically supposed to have ice cream in his fridge - his nutritionist would definitely tell him off for that - but he knew you were a big desserts person, and it was the least he could do when you came over to cook dinner for him all the time.

“Oh, yes!” Excitement radiated off your face at his words and you jumped up. But the alcohol had gone into your legs and you started wobbling, losing your balance; Jeff only just managed to grab your hips to steady you. “Oops,” you whispered, and he smiled. You were so close to him he could smell the alcohol on your breathe and the smoke of the bar in your hair and normally he would hate it, on anyone else he would hate it, but it was you and it didn’t matter what you looked like or how you smelled, he always wanted to have you close.

“Come on,” he said gently, guiding you towards his car. “Ice cream, remember?” It was like trying to get a small, stubborn child into the car, but somehow, he managed, even going so far as to buckle you into your seatbelt, as you sat there giggling.

As soon as he started the car, you turned up the music. You sat there quietly humming the words of 'She’s Every Woman’ to yourself, your feet kicked up on the dashboard, your head leaning against the window, and Jeff couldn’t stop himself from looking over at you every few seconds.

You were his best friend, and he always felt happier when you were around, but there was something about your total inhibition in that moment and how wide you were smiling at nothing; it was perfect, everything about that moment, at least for Jeff.

Well, perfect, apart from the fact that he really wanted to reach over and lace his fingers through yours, or put a hand on your leg, or just touch you in any way, and he wasn’t allowed to do that.

“Stop the car.”

The words came out forceful and loudly, and it startled Jeff enough to step on the brakes.

“What, why?” he asked, but you simply bounced in your seat.

“Jeff, park the car!”

He wasn’t sure what was going on; you didn’t look like you were going to throw up, and you didn’t seem scared or upset, but you were stubborn enough sober that he knew drunk you wasn’t just going to let it go, so he obliged, turning the car into an empty Walmart parking lot.

Before he’d even put it in park, you’d turned up the volume of the radio as far as it could go and jumped out.

“That’s my favorite song!” you squealed, spinning around as you threw your arms up.

Your favorite song. You’d made him pull over because you wanted to dance. And the worst thing was, he couldn’t help but laugh, because it was such a you thing to do and he loved you. 

The song ended and a new one came on, a slow song this time. You turned around to see Jeff leaning against the hood of his car with his arms crossed, a smile on his face that was so bright it brought out the twinkle in his eyes. That had always been your favorite smile of his.

Sober you wouldn’t have dared. But drunk you had a few less insecurities, so you extended your hand to him.

“Dance with me?”

He stared at you for a few seconds that felt like they lasted forever, and just when you were starting to wonder if you’d finally pushed him too far, he shook his head with a giggle and then took your hand. He twirled you around under his arm, then pulled so you fell against his chest, and you laughed.

That laugh, however, died on your lips when your eyes met his. There was something hidden deep in those dark brown eyes and you weren’t sure what it was, couldn’t quite put your finger on it in this state, but it was enough to take your breath away as he slowly started swaying you back and forth.

The Walmart sign harshly illuminated your figures as you danced, your feet moving over the painted white lines. Not a word was spoken because there was no need to; it was just you in his arms, your eyes locked and his heartbeat against your chest.

Jeff knew this was a bad idea; you were drunk but he had no excuse and tomorrow you were gonna ask him what the hell he’d been thinking, but it was as if he had no control over his own actions as he spun you under his arm again.

The song ended, but he had no intention of stopping; in fact, he didn’t give a damn what song came on next, it could be Gangnam Style for all he cared about. This might be all he was ever going to get from you and that was okay. Tomorrow, if you wanted to, you could go back to being just friends. Tonight he had you and a long night and an empty parking lot, and he was going to make the most of whatever he had.

When you spun back to him, your hands tightened around his biceps as you leaned a little closer.

“Jeff?” you mumbled, and he raised an eyebrow. He waited for you to speak, watched your eyes flicker from his eyes to his lips, hoped and prayed that you weren’t going to tell him to get back in the car.

“Can I kiss you?”

His eyebrows must’ve shot up into his hairline, that’s how surprised he was to hear those words falling from your lips. He might’ve thought about kissing you at least twenty times in the past three minutes, but to realize that you had apparently had the same thoughts was almost too much for him.

Your smile faltered and he realized he’d taken too long to respond, and now you were doubting yourself and starting to pull away and no, this couldn’t be happening to him, he wasn’t going to let this moment pass, so he lurched forward and cradled your face in his hands. His lips were against yours before you could register what was happening, but once you did, you pressed up against his and deepened the kiss, curled your fingers into his hair and smiled against his lips.

Yellow lights flashed in the corner of your eyes and Jeff pulled away, still smiling.

“Security,” he told you, as if you hadn’t noticed, and a cheeky twinkle flashed in your eyes.

“Run?” you asked, and he nodded, barely visible but just enough for you to see.

“Run.”

You ran to the car as the security car pulled into the parking lot. Jeff stepped on the gas before you’d even fully closed the passenger door, and then you were zooming off. As expected, security didn’t bother to follow you.

As far as they were concerned it had just been two people in love, slow dancing in a parking lot.

Story Telling #1: Be Double Triple Sure of Your Stuffs

This story taught me to be more attentive and alert not only in my planning but also throughout my travels.

Somewhere somehow, you have heard how travelling allows you to discover yourself and how it teaches you many things that school cannot teach. As I solo-travelled more and more often, I have made mistakes which serves me a lesson today. Travel will not be memorable without some slips and errors. Humans are amazing to respond to stress and critical situations no matter how big or small. I have made many mistakes throughout my travels, and I am growing from it. I would like to share with you a particular incident (or rather incidents) on my first solo travel which taught me wonderful life experience.

My first solo travel came about in 2017 when I was 19 years old. I was scheduled to travel to Singapore to meet some friends and to experience solo travel for the first time. Singapore is an amazing place to start solo travelling as it is not only very safe, but also very convenient with its modern infrastructure, public transport, and internet access. If you're looking for a safe, comfortable platform to start solo travelling, I highly recommend Singapore. I'm getting off-topic, so let's go back.

Being my first time planning a solo trip on my own, I was responsible for booking my transportation, accommodation, and a rough itinerary during my stay in Singapore. Anything you do for the first time is definitely nervous, and I was no exception. I decided to book a bus ride to Singapore as it was the cheapest option to travel to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur with only roughly RM50 per ticket per way. A bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore takes roughly 7 hours to arrive, and I thought to myself that the bus ride itself is an adventure.

My first mistake happened when I was booking the bus ticket. After booking the tickets, I was proud of myself for making that bold move to travel on my own when I suddenly realized that I booked the wrong day. I got the ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur correctly, but I have accidentally booked my bus ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on a wrong date, which back then, was tomorrow. Frantically, I called the bus operator to ask if I was able to change, but they said no because the bus was scheduled to leave in a few hours, and it was too late. I painstakingly rebooked a new bus ticket with RM45 burned. As I just entered university at that time, RM45 was a lot and it was painful to lose the money due to my carelessness. I thought that was the time that I have learned my mistake but little did I know it was just the beginning of my travel woes.

[How I was so careless]

Fast forward to 21st June 2017, it is my travel day to Singapore! “This is it, Henri! You’re gonna do this today. You are solo-travelling and you should be proud!” I checked my bus departure time, it shows 8.30 am. Great! My mom dropped me off at the nearest LRT station from my house at 7 am at the crack of dawn and I took the LRT to KL Sentral (Malaysia's largest transit hub) where I will be boarding the bus. I arrived at 7.40 am. It was the rush hour and many people are heading to their workplace. I went to McDonald's and had a filling breakfast of Sausage McMuffin with Eggs and a cup of coffee. I sat and enjoyed my breakfast as I wait for the time to pass.  

[Oh my! I was using Snapchat back then.]

"Ah, nice breakfast! It's 8.10 am, I should start walking to the bus," I told myself. I took out the paper to check where exactly should I gather to board the bus. "Kiosk AK-01 blah blah blah Berjaya Times Square Jalan Imbi…….”

“Wait what?”

[Oh......... crap.]

I froze. I could not believe my eyes. I read and read and read again to make sure I was not dreaming. I was supposed to gather in Berjaya Times Square, not KL Sentral. I WAS SUPPOSED TO GATHER IN BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE, NOT KL SENTRAL.

[How far is Berjaya Times Square from KL Sentral]

Adrenaline kicked in, I looked at the time, it was 8.12 am. I panicked, I did not know what to do and for a moment I thought I will miss the bus and say goodbye to my adventures and money. There was no way travelling on the road will bring me to Berjaya Times Square fast. It is the rush hour after all and the roads will not be movable. I can’t run there as well it is almost 6km away. Is there some kind of train which I can take-

The monorail.

[This looks like the fastest viable option]

I don't remember sprinting so fast in my life. I was quite certain at that point that I would have missed the bus or to be more dramatic, reaching Berjaya Times Square to see my bus leaving me behind. However, I gave a shot. I ran to the monorail station and just managed to grab a train right on time before it shuts. If I missed that train, I would have missed my bus for sure as the next train will take some time to arrive given Malaysia's public transport system back at that time. I was restless in the monorail train. Jalan Imbi, the station which I need to get down from, was the fourth stop and for the first two stops, things were quick and fast as only a little passenger alight and entered the train.

THEN HERE COMES HANG TUAH STATION (STATION 3).

As the train enters the station, I felt a small part of my heart died when I saw the wave of people waiting at the station to sandwich their way into the train. I looked at the time, it was 8.24 am. "I have made it this far, please don't slow me down," I was begging and stressing. The train stopped and the doors were opened. The phrase “packed in like sardines” came to life as I was immensely squeezed in the train by boarding passengers.

THEN HERE COMES AN OLD LADY.

The train was so packed I could smell the armpits of the dude next to me. This old lady (let’s call her Nenek) was determined to join the sardine squad and insisted of going in. “Let me in, squeeze in, I want to go in,” says Nenek. “Nenek, wait for the next train, we can’t squeeze anymore,” one of the passengers told her. However, she was determined to enter, and the brawl between her and the sardines lasted for a full 30 seconds before she managed to squeeze in. I was internally dying, knowing that the 30 seconds lost could be the deciding factor that I will miss the bus.

“Anda kini tiba di Stesen Jalan Imbi, you have reached Jalan Imbi Station" I sprinted out from that sardine and looked at my watch. It was 8.29 am. I was honestly so shocked that I could even reach Jalan Imbi station in 20 minutes. I continued sprinting to Berjaya Times Square, running down the mall, exiting the mall and started finding for my bus.

And there I saw it.

The magnificent beast was still there waiting for me. I ran to the bus, showed my ticket and boarded the bus. I sat in my seat and looked at the time. It was 8.33 am. Within a minute, the bus closed its doors and left. There I was, drenched in sweat, panting my lungs out, but I made it. I was on my way to Singapore. I can't believe I beat the clock and raced all the way and managed to board the bus. I leaned on my chair and took a deep breath. “That was intense. Glad that’s over. I have learned my lesson to check my ticket carefully.”

Little did I know there was more to come. Oh, how wrong was I. How very wrong was I. I was 19, so naïve and innocent.

Anyways, I went to Singapore and met my Vietnamese friends. They brought me around, and I had an amazing time wandering around Singapore for 4 days and 3 nights. It was a pack 4 days of activities from attending an exhibition to massive long walks around Singapore, to enjoying the night view of this marvellous country. I felt contented and happy.

[Singapore skyline at night]

[My Vietnamese friends in Singapore]

[Another skyline of Singapore]

At last, we have reached the final day. My friend, Vanessa, agreed to accompany me until I board the bus and head back to Malaysia. I checked my departure location (carefully this time) and made it to the area. “The Plaza @ Beach Road,” I told myself. I looked at my watch, and I still had 1 hour to go before boarding the bus. I wanted to visit one more place before leaving. Vanessa said that we can visit the National Library, which is supposedly only a 10-minute walk from The Plaza. I agreed, and we went to the National Library. We spent around 40 minutes in the library, and I was fascinated at the size of the library. After that, we began walking to The Plaza.

[My view when Google Maps says I have reached my destination]

"You have reached your destination," says Google Maps. I looked at the venue. There wasn't any bus around. I looked at my watch, and sure enough, it is 10 minutes from the departure time. "The bus can't have already taken off right?" I wondered. I began walking around, but I still did not see any bus nor any sign of people around. To make things worse, I did not see "The Plaza", but instead I was greeted with ParkRoyal building. As I started wandering around and find, I began to panic. “No, not this again.”

I looked at my watch. 6 pm. I still fail to locate the bus and the venue. I was already imagining how I will have to sleep at the roadside for a night and fork out more money to buy another bus ticket back to Kuala Lumpur. In the end, I found the location. I did not venture in the building deep enough and it was somewhere behind ParkRoyal building. I frantically reached The Plaza, and a security guard looked at me.

[The Plaza, located behind ParkRoyal building]

"Excuse me, sir, there is supposed to be a bus to Kuala Lumpur here," I said.

“You’re late, the bus just left about a minute or two ago,” the guard replied me.  

Dead. I missed the bus, and now I have to sleep at the roadside and buy a new bus ticket tomorrow. Nice, Henri. You could have come and just waited for the bus instead of racing against time like this. Or you know, confirm and know exactly where your boarding place is before wandering off elsewhere. You messed up.

“However, I think you can try running to the bus stop at Beach Road outside ParkRoyal. The bus will pass there and if you made it before the bus passes there, they will let you in,” the guard continued.

That was enough to set me back to reality. “Thank you,” I replied. I looked at Vanessa and said “this is a terrible way to say bye, but bye thank you so much I’ll text you,” before sprinting off to the bus stop. I ran like a mad person, once again. The most dramatic moment came. I literally reached the bus stop at the same time as the bus was about to reach the bus stop. I waved my hands frantically to stop the bus, and thankfully the bus stopped for me. The bus driver was not too keen and scolded me for being late and delaying the bus. I apologized and grabbed my seat. Again, I was drenched in sweat, panting my lungs out…

But I made it.

As the gentleman beside me starts to scoot away from me due to my sweat odour, I texted Vanessa that I made it into the bus. I then just sat down and processed everything that has happened. I bought the wrong ticket, then I nearly missed my bus to Singapore, and I missed my bus back to Kuala Lumpur but managed to save it at the very end. Did that just happen? Yes, it did. It was a 6-hour bus journey home, and I reached KL Sentral at midnight.

Each travel taught me something, and this was no exception. It is common to mess and screw up during your travels. Things may not go according to plan, and stress is bound to happen at times. This is why some of the greatest travellers can adapt quickly to whatever situations that they suddenly face. Every traveller will have stories to share, and every travel will teach us something. For this trip, it taught me to be more attentive to the details.

Wandering Hops: Epicenters and Fears

Fear makes things bigger in your mind than they are. This is especially true in my case taking that I have an anxiety condition. 

For me, there is very little chill, and every issue, even a perceived issue can become a massive crisis in my head in an instant.  This is one of the reasons I hike. Conquering miles and rough terrain, helps turn down the volume on all the static surging around and empowers me in my day to day. 

At least, that’s how it normally goes… 

Loowit Falls, at first, absolutely terrified me.  As said in previous blogs, research is the key to a good hike. Before I set out on a trail, I check reports, check what the forest service (State or National depending) has to say. I read reviews on All Trails… and consult guidebooks if I have them. 

Knowledge can make the difference between a great hike, and an utter disaster, so it helps to do your homework beforehand. 

Cliches seem to be multiplying today, so let’s move on, shall we? 

Selecting this hike, I knew it to be a challenge. It’s rated as hard, clocks in at a whopping 14 miles, and is a there-and-back-again hike. Any time spent going downhill in the beginning, means uphill at the end, and vice versa. As you can see from the altitude graph, this was going to make the end especially tough, but as I was reading, it wasn’t the physical challenge stressing me out, but the trail reports warning me of ledges with severe drops, gravelly sandy trails, and grueling up-hills that did. 

Still, I’d been feeling strong the last month, making miles, and conquering hikes. Long hikes are my thing (more to come on  that later) so a 14 miler seemed a logical next step.  

With my chest tingling with excitement and a touch of fear, I told my team… “I’m gonna do it.” Or as Maya would say… YEET. 

So now it was time for the research to really begin. I began looking at the topo maps, and followed the trail on google earth. I made my plans, talked to my husband, and began to get the logistics worked out.  

Saturday, 0430, I was up and getting ready for my biggest hike to date, and all the while I was doing final gear checks, looking at maps, all that fun stuff, my nervousness beginning to build.  

Then the husband woke up, around 630 as he often does before a hike, just to spend some time with me and said, in fearful tones.  

“Bun, I’m worried about this one.” 

I just smiled and said. “Me too, but I have fallbacks in place, and if it’s something I don’t think I can do, I’ll turn around and reassess.” 

Then, he rose, hugged me, and began pricing life insurance policies.

I shit you not… this happened. I’m about to leave on a massive, monster hike, INreach SOS beacon charged, maps printed out, checklist double checked, and I’m looking forward to a nice encouraging talk with my husband, and he leaves to check on life insurance policies. 

It’s moments like this that keep a marriage together, I tell you. 

Full of confidence, I set out on highway 504 towards Mt. St Helens, the Spirit Lake Highway, only to run into a very unusual type of traffic in Toutle Washington. 

Come to find out, there was a bike rally scheduled for the day of my hike, and there were hundreds of them on the side of the road, making their way to Johnston Ridge, the very same place I was going.

Now, I can almost hear you reading this, and shrugging, no big deal right? Well for most people that would be true, but for me, well… driving is something that makes me feel anxious, my mind likes to mess with me, and so for many years I didn’t. It’s only been recently after a lot of work and dedication that I’ve felt safe getting back behind the wheel again and now I had to deal with bikers everywhere, some of whom were so bold as to occupy the car lane, and refuse to yield. 

On top of this, the weather turned foggy as I entered what is colloquially known as Big Foot Country, so as the long and windy road took me towards the parking lot, I was feeling more, and more stressed. 

The day was beginning to feel cursed, my confidence was getting shakier by the moment, and I hadn’t even set out upon the trail yet.   

Finally arriving at Johnston Ridge, the trail head, almost 4000 feet in elevation, the fog was even thicker. I couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of me at any given time. Still, that was enough to sight the trail, and there were others there, getting ready for their own adventures. It was a motley mix of hikers, tourists and those waiting for the bikers to arrive as they picked their way up the road, but hey, at least there were porta-potties.  

 After taking a few centering breaths, and strapping on my gear,  I set off, hiking towards Boundary Trail, which would eventually take me to Loowit Falls. 

This entire section of Mt. St Helens is filled with history, making this trail an even bigger draw for me than others. Boundary Trail #1, was founded way back in the first decade of the US Forest Service. In 1911, Park Rangers rode horses from ridge to ridge, patrolling what was then the border of two national parks, Ranier and Columbia. 

Loowit Falls on the other hand, is of the newer type of history. After months of erupting back in 1980, one morning a 5.1 earthquake struck the already battered region, and an entire wall of Mt. St. Helen’s crater collapsed, and turned into a hellacious landslide, ultimately opping a peak before crashing into the valley below, inundating Spirit Lake.

Loowit Falls was one of the many new features that arose out of the cataclysm shaping the region, up on the mountain itself, directly in the path of the former landslide.  

First though, I had to get there, and the hike starts off easily enough. There’s an observation loop that lets out to the Boundary Trail, that’s made more for tourists than hikers, so the first little bit is paved. Soon though, it gives way to gravelly dirt before angling down zig zagging and switchbacking, but I’ve seen all that before. Been there done that.  

 And there’s another cliche… 

After about a mile and a half in, still wondering if I should really attempt to go for the falls, socked in by fog I came across a sign showing the trails in the area along with this picture… 

Nervously, I set out from there, heading towards my decision point. I could have gone left, or right. Left had an easier hike, that went up to a peak, ending at around 10 miles covered, with less elevation gain, but to my right, shrouded in fog and mystery, was the hike I came to conquer. 

This was the real moment of truth. All I had was my research that said it could be challenging. Some reported the height could be intimidating, others said it was merely tough. 

What should I do?

Taking a (figurative) leap of faith, I decided to for it, comforting myself with the idea that it was ok to turn back if things got to intense, and began to descend down the trail, and the mountain, making decent time. The pillowy shroud of fog continued to lay across the trail granting me no wider vista than 5 or 10 feet, but the path was wide, and  while I did get closer to edges I still had plenty of room.

Eventually things leveled out and I could tell I was in a valley as the fog slowly began to lift, and I’m thinking is that it? Really? 

From my perspective there had been nothing to be truly afraid of. The descent wasn’t especially challenging and I had felt safe the entire time.  Unlike the husband searching for life insurance, this buoyed my confidence, even though I had eleven miles still to go. With a bounce (hop?) in my step I set out, the fog continuing to lift, revealing more of the stark landscape around me. Black and red lava rocks dotted landscapes that were in some places sandy, other places akin to moonscape, sparkling with volcanic glass and in others, covered with thick shrub like trees, or coated in wildflowers of amazing colors. Chipmunks ran to and fro, eating flowers and wondering if I was going to feed them, while birds flew overhead. 

Then it happened. Suddenly the clouds broke and there was a literal mountain in front of me, emerging out of the fog like some giant from the dusty tomes of mythologies. Mt. St. Helens lay before me in all its majestic glory, and off in the distance, a light glinted off a fast moving waterfall surrounded by volcanic sand. 

That was my half way point, where I would turn around and come back, Loowit Falls. 

I stood there for a moment and took it all in. The vista before me left me awestruck by the power of nature. Then, taking a deep breath, I dug in my trekking poles and began to hike.

And hike…. 

Then hike some more… 

As I went traffic fell away to a few familiar faces, I’d pass them, then they’d pass me as we took alternating breaks, until finally around 2pm, I rounded a switchback, and heard for the first time the roar of a waterfall. 

There it was, right in front of me, the moment I had been waiting for. Loowit Falls, in all its splendor, flowed relentless down the mountain as the wind howled off the glaciers above, chilling the air to what felt like the mid to upper 40’s. 

Buttoning down my outer layer, I made my way to a flat spot, laid my pack out and had lunch, reveling in my victory only for my open pack to flop over and spill out on the ground, voiding its contents. I went from resting to scrambling as I dove for my glasses and meds, hoping they wouldn’t fall off the edge.

In some ways, it reminded me of the day so far, there was a sensation of “emotional breathing” to the experience, stress followed by periods of ease, akin to the contraction and relaxation of breathing. Up and down, in and out, oh shit to okay…

And this was the halfway point, soon I’d have to go back the way I came, picking my way back up the mountain I had descended to get back to the trailhead. The only difference being, was that now I knew the trail, I knew what to expect, so I hoisted my pack, tightened down my straps, took some water, and got back on the trail. 

My speed increased, as the air warmed and I left the slopes of St. Helens, making good time across the dramatically stark volcanic plains. Gradually, I began to feel  more accomplished than I had in a while and, by the time I had hit ten miles I was riding high. With four miles left to go I charged forward, eager for the challenge. 

Then I started to climb. All of the descent from the morning, had to be repeated, this time going up. This is where it got grueling, as if the trail was attempting to punish me for every step I made down upon it just a few hours before, but there was nothing else to do but push through it, keep pace, and enjoy the view as I ascended, granting me new perspective now that the fog was gone. 

There were places where it was quite steep, and the drops quite far, the morning’s fog had hid all that from me, but there was room, there was space, it was something to respect, but it wasn’t anything to fear.  

 All of that worry, all of that concern, and if I had let it stop me, I wouldn’t have been there. 

Humbled by that revelation, sore from the elevation I was having to make, and humbled by a day full of experiences, I pushed myself up the trail. Soon there was the last arcing climb, until I set my feet on the pavement of the observation trail yet again, and just beyond was the parking lot. 

Setting my gear in the well of the passenger seat, I popped an electrolyte tab into my water and watched it fizz as I nibbled a Clif bar, feeling like the master of my own little universe, resting from the exertion of the day. Once I had some time to recharge, I put the key in the ignition, put the car into drive, and had a major anxiety attack.  

The problem with anxiety attacks it that you know, rationally, everything is fine. The problem is your brain isn’t listening to reason. I worked through my coping skills, and tried to get myself centered, but nothing was working. I was exhausted from the hike, and the worries of the day, and it was all crashing in on me at once, amassing as a parade of my biggest fears, and inner demons within my mind. 

I made it about three miles before I had to pull over. I stopped in at  the Coldwater boat dock, the location of last week's hike, and took a few more deep breaths, walked around the car, and tried to get my  mind right. Finally I messaged my husband letting him know what was going on. 

Messages travel slower by satellite than text, and so I had some time to sit. I looked out on the parking lot, at the strange bathrooms that looked like forgotten temples, and it reminded me that I had hiked twelve miles last week, and today, I had hiked fourteen…  

That caused my brain to stop and pause for a moment, like rays of sunshine penetrating the gloom.

I had excelled through challenges, walked along ridges, and managed my water.  I was capable, I was competent, and I was ok.

In the face of this revelation, the anxiety began to let go, and a lightbulb went off in my head. I had a weapon now against it, a reminder, that I was stronger than I thought, and as the messages came back from my husband and other supportive folks, the anxiety withered away.

In spite of all of the difficulties of the day, I had made it, and now, all I had to do was drive home. Turning the car back on, and setting into drive, I carefully made my way out of the parking lot, already thinking of next week's adventure.

Carry Me Home - Part One

Type: fanfic

Pairing: Jungkook x reader

Summary: You move to Seoul with your parents and hate being there, until you meet a tall dark stranger..

Chapter One: Tall Dark Stranger

I’m in Seoul. Fucking. Seoul. My mom and dad had been talking about moving here for such a long time. I just thought it was a crazy dream of theirs, but after my father got a job offer at a IPG Legal Law Firm everything went really fast. And I hate it. I loved the place we lived before in the middle of Salt Lake City. We had a big house filled with walls that just begged to be painted. I had just finished a mural of me, my family and my friends in my room, then, just a few hours afterwards, my parents broke the news. I was heartbroken. I had to paint my room a couple of days later and managed to capture a picture of the mural before it was whisked away and then again just a white wall.

Then I had to break the news to everyone else. First, I had to tell my boyfriend, Adam, that I was moving to a country on the opposite side of the world, which he definitely wasn’t happy about. He begged me to stay with him in Utah, but I couldn’t afford it and my parents were stubborn in their decision to bring me with them. “It’s going to be great, just you wait and see.” Yeah, moving 6,000 miles away from everything and everyone you know seems fun.. I promised Adam that I would message him every day and he promised me the same. Then I had to break the news to my best friend, Anna. I think we cried for about three hours straight, until we both looked like absolute monsters, dark circles under our eyes from mascara and red eyes worse than a pink-eye breakout. We both started laughing uncontrollably for several minutes and then started crying again. My mom fiddles with the key for the new apartment, eagerly trying to open the door to her “dream apartment”. I sigh heavely and take the key from her hand, putting it in the lock after one try. “Thank you, honey” she says, and I move out of the way so she can slam open the door. My dad and I look at each other and he shrugs his shoulders and smiles. I do a minor eyeroll but follow him inside. I’m almost blinded by the white walls that dominate the hallway walls which lead directly into the living room/kitchen. Yes, my American parents wanted an open concept kitchen and a living room the squarefoot space of three apartments combined. What a surprise. The lowered living room has a giant window in front of it which takes up all space of that wall.

“Isn’t it great, Lily?” my mom asks.

“If by great you mean excessive to the absolute fullest, then yes.” I say. My mom stops looking in the kitchen cabinets and turns around to give me a sympathetic look.

“I know it’s a lot to move here, away from all your friends and Adam, but can’t you try to just enjoy it a little?” she asks. I look at her feeling a little guilty, but I’m still too mad to forgive her.

“I just don’t understand why you couldn’t lend me money so I could stay in Utah, when you have money for a place like this. It’s not fair.” I say and turn around to go find my bedroom.

Even though I would rather go back to Utah, I must say that I love my new room. Again, everything is way too white, but nothing a little paint can’t fix. The room is at the end of the building meaning I have two windows that meet at the corner of my room. I have a great view over the city and I already know that I’m going to use a lot of my time here, listening to music and dreaming of being someone and somewhere else. My mother knocks on the door and slowly steps inside my room.

“Sooo, what do you think?” she says, anticipating my answer.

“It’s okay, I guess.” I turn around and face her, and she gives me a bright smile. She has her hands behind her back, as if she’s hiding something.

“What’s that behind your back?” I ask, still with a dissatisfied expression on my face and my arms crossed.

She puts out her hands and hand me a card. It reads “Homi Art Shop” – Giftcard. I glance at her with a confused look on my face.

“Your dad and I talked about using the spare room as a guest bedroom, but also as your new studio, so you have a place to work. That is a giftcard to a big arts and crafts store just a few blocks from here. There should be enough money on there to buy new equipment.”

I widen my eyes. My own studio?! I didn’t have that back home, so I just used all the walls I could get my hands on and painted them. I’m in shock, looking at the card, then at my mom, then back at the card, then back at my mom. She looks at me in anticipation. I can feel the tears coming, so I put my arms around her and hug her tightly.

“Thank you.” I mutter into her shoulder, tears rolling down my face. She lays a hand on my head and the other around my back, and we stand there for a few seconds, until dad shouts from the kitchen.

“Hey, I think our furniture just arrived!”

 Moving in takes a lot of time, and after several hours we only have the big pieces of furniture ready and in place. My room is plastered with boxes and I don’t know where to start, so naturally I take my huge beanbag, throw it in the window corner, sit down, plug my headphones in and start blasting Bring Me the Horizon till my ears start bleeding.

I must have fallen asleep, because my mom shakes my shoulder and I quickly take out my headphones.

“Did you hear what I said?” she asks.

“No, sorry, what was it?”

“I asked if you wanted to go with me down to the grocery shop so we can stock up the fridge.” I look at her, knowing that if I say no I have to deal with all the boxes, and that’s just not something I wanna do right now. But I really don’t want to go with my mom and pick out the best offer on chicken either.

“I actually thought of going down to the arts and crafts shop and buy new equipment, so I could have the studio ready before school starts.” I say. I was accepted to attend Seoul National University College of Fine Arts which was one of the few things I was looking forward to.

“Oh, you don’t want any company? Maybe dad can help you carry it home?” I know she only says this because she’s worried that I will get lost. I am not the best at finding my way around new places, so my parents always keep an eye on me when we are out.

“Mom, if I have to live here for a long period of time, don’t you think I should find out how to get around? Besides, I have my phone, so if I get lost I can just use Google Maps. I already have the address in my phone, so don’t worry.” I can see my mom is contemplating whether or not to cancel her grocery plans and go with me.

“I am also almost 20 years old. You have to stop treating me like I’m still 5.” I can see that this convinces her by the look on her face shifting from concerned to smiling a little.

“Fine, but if you are not home in an hour, I’m calling the cops and I will send the whole police force out looking for your ass.” She’s trying to sound intimidating, but I just smile and nod.

 I follow my mom’s instructions on how to get there, and after 15 minutes of speed-walking I reach the arts and crafts store. It is humongous. It’s three stories from what I can see, and by the looks of it they have everything an artist’s heart could desire. I try to find a sign that says something about paint, but everything is in Korean, so I give up, and just wander around until I find the painting section. Acrylic paint, oil paint, canvases in every size imaginable, easels and paintbrushes. I let out a small shriek of excitement and start choosing the things I want.

I end up carrying way too much on my way to the cashier, almost dropping all of my new brushes, but I manage to catch them before they land on the floor. I put everything down before the cashier, who just looks at me with wide eyes like I’m a weirdo, and then start to scan everything. I fumble around my pockets trying to find the gift card. I slowly start to panic, as I notice it is in none of my pockets. I then remember I put it in my pocket inside my jacket so I wouldn’t lose it. I glance at the entrance and through the door comes a tall dark figure, but before I can catch a good enough look the cashier says something in Korean and I turn around again. I look at him not knowing what he just said, and he points at the display, showing the amount I have to pay. 450,000?! Oh wait, it’s not dollars. I almost had a heart attack. I hand the cashier my giftcard and he swipes it through the machine. I start taking the things from the counter, trying to figure out how I’m going to carry all of this home. The cashier again says something in Korean, and I figure he asked if I want the receipt, so I just say no thank you. He says something again, and this time I look at him, and I can see that something isn’t right.

“Not enough.” he says, and again points at the display. I start freaking out, I didn’t bring anything else than the giftcard, so I just hoped that would cover it. What do I do?

“I live only 15 minutes from here, can I please just go get my card? I won’t be long I promise.” I don’t think the cashier understands me, because he again says “Not enough”. I can see that I’m 2,000 won short and I try to rummage through the pile to find something that is around that price. The cashier is growing impatient which only makes me stress even more, and I end up dropping a pack of acrylic paints on the floor. The tubes fall out of the box and I crouch down to pick them up, when suddenly someone starts helping me. Finally the cashier has found a more humane side, I think, and as I look up I don’t see the clothes of an employee, but big Dr. Martens boots, black tight pants, a black shirt and a big black coat. The bucket hat and mask hide most of his face, but just under the top of the hat I’m immediately fascinated by the dark piercing eyes staring right at me. For a split second I forget where I am and just want to stay right here. The stranger gets to his feet and I shake my head a little, picking up the box, getting to my feet and as I turn around, the stranger hands his card to the cashier.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, I’ll just leave these here, thank you.” I say. He doesn’t say anything and before I get to say anything else the cashier has already scanned his card and handed it back to him. He puts it back in his pocket and turns around to walk upstairs.

“Hey, I didn’t need.. I mean, you shouldn’t.. uh, thank you!” I almost manage to stutter my way through a sentence just as his feet disappear up the stairs. That was weird.

 I get out of the store and I am immediately met by the freezing cold weather. Fortunately, I have my big winter coat on, but I forgot my gloves at home. As I try to figure out which way I need to go I can feel my fingers get colder and colder. On the way here I was able to put them in my pockets, but now I have to carry all of this shit and I don’t even know which way to go. Fuck. Luckily I have my phone with me, so I can just.. oh no.. I don’t have more power. I must have used it all when I was listening to music. Dammit, now I have to rely on my sense of direction which is just great. Okay, I can just trace back what mom told me about getting here. So firstly, I went left. Wait, or was it right?  Shit. Shit, shit, shit. My fingers are not getting warmer, so I make a decision and turn left.

After having walked around the streets for 20 minutes I end up back at the arts and crafts store. You have got to be kidding me. I stop and put down the art supplies, so I can blow on my hands to get some feeling in them again.

A deep voice appears behind me: “Do you need help?” I turn towards the entrance of the shop and notice the tall dark stranger once again staring at me. I immediately tense up as I meet his gaze. This time I get a better look at him. As I saw before his outfit is all black, but I didn’t notice the chains on his pants and the long earrings dangling beneath his black hair that protrude out from his hat. I must have been staring for some time, because he repeats his question and as I come to my senses, he looks at my hands.

“Are you cold?” he asks, pointing towards my cupped hands that I am still holding in front of my face.

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” I say and quickly hide my hands behind my back.

“Let me see.” he says, and steps closer.

“No, really its fine.” I say, and try to walk a little backwards, but I hit the wall. I think he realizes that a man coming towards you in all black clothes wearing a mask and being way taller than you might seem a bit frightening, because he removes his mask and reveals what I can only describe as the sexiest grin I have ever seen.

“Do you know me?” he asks and tilts his head a little to the side. I look at him confused.

“No, should I?” I try to slowly slide to one side, but before I move just and inch, he places his hands on the wall, trapping me between him and it.

“No, I guess not. Let me see your hands.” He bends forward to grab my arms and by doing so gets very close to my face. He pauses, looking directly into my eyes making me hold my breath. He then slowly removes my hands from behind my back, still keeping his eyes locked on me, as he leads my hands closer to his mouth. He cups my hands between his and starts breathing on them. Even though this is incredibly weird, something in me doesn’t want it to end. His soft hands and warm breath on my hands make my heart flutter and I could swear I have actual butterflies in my stomach. Before I lose myself too much, a picture of Adam flashes before my eyes, and I pull my hands from his, and break our eye contact. I start quickly picking up my things, and he asks if everything is okay.

“Yeah, I just have to get home before my mom gets worried.” I try not to drop anything as I pick everything up from the ground.

“Do you need help with that?” he asks.

I burst out a “NO!”. I accidentally drop a paintbrush and before I can reach it, he gets it for me.

“I mean, no thank you, I can take care of it myself.” I say and take the brush from his grasp. I start walking and immediately stop. I still don’t know where I need to go.

“Do you know the way to Laymean Daychi Palace Apartment Complex?” I ask, as I turn towards him while looking at the ground.

“Do you mean Laemian Daechi? It’s just down the main road and to the left. I can show you the way if you..”

“No thank you, I know where it is now.” I hurry past him and start walking in the direction he pointed.

“I didn’t catch your name..” is the last thing I hear as I turn around the corner.

Enter the Kitsune - Prologue pt1

Summary:

Being thrown back in time is hard enough without it being in a completely foreign country.

Aerion Foxx is a creative department employee at a fashion magazine. She was finally doing her dream job when this happened. Now trapped in the past she has no choice but to play along with whatever life throws at her next so she can get back to her own time alive.

The inner circle of warlords thought they were able to handle everything. from the daily running of their own fiefs to full-scale war. With the arrival of the new tomboy Princess, each one of them finds something new that they were not prepared for. For one warlord, in particular, his world is about to get a lot more entertaining and maybe even a bit brighter.

Warnings: Strong Language

Masterlist

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Prologue part 1

Modern-day Kyoto

One place I never thought I’d find myself was here. Thanks to a frantic phone call placed to my department about some messed up photos from an important fashion shoot we needed for next month’s spread, I found myself now wandering the busy streets of somewhere I only ever got to see pictures of. I should have been cursing my luck to have the work put on hold back home but I just couldn’t, finally, I had a bit of a break and got to travel on my job.

I was one of the lucky ones. At least that was what most of my friends from college said when I landed a job after graduation. I was so excited to be hired at a popular magazine publisher. I was an ordinary office worker back then. It was hardly my dream job but it takes time and experience to get to the level of being able to be put on a team to discuss trends, layouts and hot topics that go to print.

Last month I was over the moon when they said I could take part on the team dealing with the rise in the trend of Japanophilia. Naturally, other magazines were looking at different aspects of the land of the rising sun’s cultural history and beauty but we had gone with a “Trends across Time” theme. And if you wish to show off traditional kimono the first place everyone thought of was here in Kyoto. The fact there was still a large number of historical buildings also made this the best backdrops for the photos.

It had been a seriously long day. If it hadn’t been issues with the photographer who was a Pro at everything except communication without insulting people who were not in front of the lens then we might have finished earlier. Still, the shots were in the bag and emailed back to the main branch. One of the models had suggested a great local shop that seemed to cover everything from ramen to Teppanyaki. The idea of sizzling thinly sliced pieces of meat and vegetables cooked on a hot plate was too much of a temptation to ignore after standing around all day plastering a smile on my face and doing damage limitation in order to get the job done.

Now I had eaten my fill I was feeling a little sleepy. I stifled a yawn as I made my way in a direction, I thought my hotel was, it was darker and the lights of the city were on. The air pressure must have changed a little so I dragged my favourite hoodie out of my backpack and pulled it on over my head. It would be my only defence against the approaching chill in the air. The soft fabric made me smile and as I pulled the hood up, I caught a glimpse of my shadow on the ground now sporting animal ears. I rounded a corner of a building and realised I was actually more than a little lost now. Did I come this way? Dammit! Ok going to have to pull out my phone and check google maps here. I began patting down my pockets in search of my elusive smartphone. I pulled it out the back pocket of my jeans only to sigh at the low battery warning flashing on it. Great.

I noticed something that looked like a landmark ahead of me. If I can figure out what it is, I might find the route back with no problem. Moving forward I discovered that what I had found was, in fact, a small monument at a site for a temple. The words carved into it weren’t in any way readable to me so I looked at the curator sign near it. “Oda Nobunaga 1534 – 1582” Oh it’s a memorial then? Ok. As I worked out what I was looking at I heard the sound of someone approach me from behind. Turning my gaze, a little I saw a young man dressed in a green shirt, dark trousers, glasses and what looked to be a lab coat. There was an ID badge clipped to it but I couldn’t see what it was. Guess he is either from a lab around here or maybe that big University I saw the other day.

He must have noticed my staring and looked back at me silently for a moment before starting to speak in Japanese and after registering my confusion corrected himself attempting English instead.

“Sorry. Good evening.” He seemed to be friendly enough even if his face didn’t move much more than to open and close his mouth as he spoke.

“Oh! Yes, Good evening.” I gave s small nod and an awkwardly sociable smile in reply. I felt it before I really saw it. A big fat raindrop landed on the back of my hand that was holding onto the strap of my bag. “Great…”

“Are you alright? Do you have an umbrella Miss?” The young man looked a little concerned and shifted closer. Honestly dude its just a bit of rain.

“Somewhere just not with me right now. Might have left it back where I’m staying.” I shrug knowing I’d left it on my bed in the room. The wind whipped up and then there was an almighty crack as a blinding light touched down near us. “AH!” Looking at the point of impact I could clearly see the modest stone monument had snapped in two. Did that bolt of lightning do that? The hairs of the back of my neck stood up straight at the thought. If I had been closer it might have killed me.

“Please be careful Miss…”

I looked back at the young man who seemed to be holding a hand out to me but almost as soon as I’d seen that he had disappeared. No, it wasn’t just him everything had vanished, swallowed up in some sort of impenetrable fog. Along with the loss of visuals, I felt something like the worst ever drunken night out experience. That feeling you get if you have more than one too many and you are stuck in a limbo between having a wide-awake hangover and that curious detachment from your body shortly before passing out. God, I feel sick. I squeezed my eyes tight shut the hand on my bag tightened its grip while the other just balled into a fist. Anything in an attempt to try to keep control over myself while I just felt that floating, swirling sensation wash over me in the empty darkness.

– SMACK, THUD –

Burning… something’s burning. I opened my eyes and was hit with a lancing pain piercing through my brain.

“AH!” I cried out and groaned as I held my head in my hands. It was so sharp I ended up having to scrunch my eyes shut again a few times in an attempt to get used to it enough to focus on what was going on around me. Did I hit something? Remembering the smell of burning I looked around and saw the ribbons of smoke and flame licking at the building I was in. How the hell did I get here? The thick smoke was creeping around me clinging to the breathable air turning it against me. Pulling my collar up higher to cover my nose and mouth I tried to scan my surroundings to see if there was a way out.

Of all the unbelievable situations to find yourself in on a business trip, this was one that was going to make everyone in the office call me crazy. I couldn’t see the man from before anywhere. I edged closer to what I thought could be a stable exit and then found something that might as well have been a scene from a movie.

A Japanese soldier laying on the floor in full armour that looked like it was right out of a museum. There was a shadow moving that was darker than the others in the room, it was getting closer to the soldier. No that’s no a shadow… The light of the flames glinted off what the shadow had in their hand and my blood went cold. The cold unyielding gleam of metal reflected in the darkness cutting through the acrid smoke.

“Look out!” I called out before I even knew what I was doing. The shadow turned quickly and fled leaving the fallen soldier on the ground alone. I rushed to the soldier crouching down to look him over. Wait… was he asleep? Who the hell sleeps through a burning building? “Hey. Wake up!” I shook his shoulders urgently making his body rock on the hardwood flooring. With a small groan, the man opened his eyes. It’s ok no need to rush not like the building is about to collapse or something.

“Who are you?” The soldier's voice sounded deep and was almost rivalling the creaking timbers of the building that were struggling with the heat from the flames.

“Introductions will have to wait we have to get out of here.” I made sure my bag was secure on my shoulder before holding out my hand to the still-sluggish looking man on the ground. “Come on.” After hauling him to his feet we took off running through the building chasing the clean air to freedom.

Once making it outside I doubled over. That thick smoke had gotten into my lungs and as I gulped for air I glanced behind at where we had just been. A traditional looking building was in full flame now. Parts of the roof were already starting to creak and collapse in sections. Thank god we got out of that in one piece.

“Someone tried to do away with me while I slept? Audacious, but foolish. Killing my guards and getting that close to me are another matter. You there. Woman. Let go of me.” The soldier I ran from the building with addressed me and I then realised I still had hold of his hand.

“Ah. Sorry.” After giving a quick apology I dropped his hand and straightened up again. I hadn’t noticed in the smoky room but the guy was actually not a bad looking one. He was observing me clearly thinking of something. His black hair looked like it was absorbing the light, which probably had something to do with the soot in it making it appear even darker. His eyes were like a fine dark wine, the red of them was so deep and mesmerising you could easily be lost in them. If we had met in another way I might have been put under their spell easily.

“You saved my life. You may be some girl the monks snuck in for amusement, but I owe you my thanks.”

“Amusement? Seriously is burning down a building what passes for amusement these days? And what do you mean Monks? I have zero idea how the hell I even got in there.” With each confused, exasperated word that left my mouth, I felt a throbbing skull-splitting pain. I’d probably kill for some Advil right about now.

The breeze around us had managed to find something wet that was seeping down the back of my neck from where I had my hair tied back. The cold dampness on my skin was such a contrast to the heat of the burning building that it made me shiver. I really don’t want to look into what that is right now. Did I hit my head on something? The man in front of me looked every bit like a screen print of some historical samurai. The armour, the stance, hell even that cold calculating brutal look in his eyes all screamed of power you couldn’t ignore. That sword hanging from his side just added to the “do not ignore me” feeling.

“What are you staring at? Surely you know who I am.”

“Not a clue.” I sighed giving a slight shrug and small apologetic smile.

“You saved me without knowing who I am? Not expecting reward or favour? So be it. I shall tell you my name. I am the man who will rule all under the sun –” As he was speaking, he seemed to stand up straighter and taller than before. He was intimidating but it was the way he spoke and puffed out his chest that really set off a small beware alarm inside me.

“You really don’t have to tell me who you are.” I blurted out, cutting his introduction short.

“What?” His powerful gaze looked at me once more, full of interest and I’m guessing from the way his mouth was a little gaped he was also slightly surprised. Something about this whole thing makes me think I’m not going to enjoy solving the mystery of who you are.

“You’re a curious one, woman. No one’s ever spoken so impudently to me before.” He burst out into loud echoing laughter. I guess I missed the part of this where any of it is funny. “You intrigue me, which is almost as worthy of praise as saving my life. I am the Lord of Azuchi Castle and Daimyo of Owari, Nobunaga Oda.”

“That’s nice… Wait, what?” Part way through accepting who he was my sluggish brain caught up to speed with it and stalled. He just said Nobunaga Oda, as in that guy that got that monument at that old temple site. That Nobunaga Oda?  I began turning my head around looking for the guy with a camera that I was certain was about to jump out at any moment and tell me I had just been Punked. I saw the engraved sign on a gate. Honno-ji. So that building back there was a temple? “This is going to sound very strange but excuse me. Could you tell me what year it is?”

“It is 1582. Why?” Nobunaga asked inclining his head. This has to be a bad dream. No way this is real. I put my hand on my arm and pinched it as hard as I could. Ouch! Ok… bang goes that theory. “What are you pinching yourself for? I’ve given my name. It’s your turn.”

“Huh? Hey!” I cried out as I realised Nobunaga had stepped forward and abruptly used his hand to tilt my chin to force me to meet his gaze.

“Give me your name.” His voice was deep and commanding but it also made me bristle automatically. I am not something to be commanded. And clearly Please was not something this guy was taught as a child. Matching his gaze with a glare of my own I stubbornly refused to allow my body to react to him. Well, I guess there isn’t much harm in telling him my name.

“My name is Aerion Foxx.”

“Aerion then? A good name.” He had a smirk on his face that was like a child that just won a game. Ok, that is another annoying thing. I don’t mind games but there is something about this one that makes me think it's not one set on a foundation of mutual respect.

“Thank you I like it too. Now let go of me.” Brushing his hand away I was quick enough to put a gap between us again. Seriously ever hear of personal space? I need to work all this stuff out but I just can’t get my head to stop pounding. I don’t know if it was pain or shock but I felt my body start to tremble. I could feel a rumbling sensation under my feet. I had visions of that iconic scene in movies where you see a glass of water quake just before a huge monster arrived. Looking around I saw a wall of armoured figures approaching.

“Nobunaga, my lord, you’re safe!”

--- 

Solo Trip to Bogota

Nervous about my first international solo trip, I landed at the El Dorado International Airport and worked up the courage to use my very limited and very broken Spanish to acquire a SIM card, exchange some cash, and grab a taxi to head to my hostel. I gave the driver the address to the hostel, which he did not recognize, and after telling him it was in the La Candelaria neighborhood and setting my google maps GPS to direct us to the hostel, I let out a sigh of relief. While he was driving me to my hostel and occasionally getting lost, I directed him by telling him “derecha aqui”, “izquierda a la calle once”, etc. With 15 minutes remaining on our drive to the hostel, I looked down at my phone to the terrifying realization that my phone only had 9% battery remaining. I thought to myself, “if my phone battery dies now, I have no way of knowing where to go, and neither does my driver”. Luckily, I made it to my hostel with 3% battery remaining, and again, I let out an even deeper sign of relief.

I put my belongings down in my aesthetic and quaint hostel, plugged in my phone, and let my mind rest. As I was hanging out on the hammock in the shared space, figuring out my plan for the rest of the evening, two guys arrived at the hostel named Colin and Luke. Talking to Colin for a bit, I learned that he was a coffee roaster for a small company based out of Chicago.

I started to wander toward the Botero Museum, but got distracted by the large crowds down the street. I wandered past artists selling their handmade jewelry and handwoven bags and into a wide open square covered in pigeons. Looking at google maps, I realized I had wandered into Simon Bolivar Square - a popular tourist destination. I sat in the middle of the square and watched as vendors went around trying to sell jewelry, selfie sticks, fruit, and corn kernels - used to feed the pigeons in the square. I scanned the square and laughed as tourists tried to stay still and pose for a picture as pigeons flocked to their corn kernel-filled hands.

After being approached many times by vendors and being satisfied with the photos I captured in the square, I made my way back up the street to the Botero Museum. Fernando Botero is a famous Colombian artist, made known for his unique painting style of chubby subjects. In addition to artwork from Botero, the museum was also scattered with paintings of Picasso, Monet, and Degas.

The Museum was closing soon so I decided to head back toward the hostel to find a place to eat. I stumbled in on a restaurant called “De Una Travel Bar” and used my best Spanish to order myself a meal and two local Colombian beers. Satisfied with my first meal in Colombia, I made my way back to the hostel, hoping to meet and spend time with some of my hostel mates.

Oscar, who was originally from Sydney, Australia was already hanging out on a hammock in the common room and he was quick to start up a conversation with me. Soon after, Shaun and Emily, a couple from Perth, Australia joined us in the shared space. Emily was originally from the states but recently moved to Perth to be with Shaun. Later, Marcel joined us.

We went around the table and answered the following questions: How long have you been traveling, how long are you in Colombia, where have you been and where are you going? Most of the people around the table had some wild travel stories, and had been on the road for quite some time. I was the odd one out, admitting that I was only in town for the weekend.

We quickly exhausted the conversation about the logistics of each of our travel plans, and began talking about the different places we call home. I was most curious about Emily and Shaun’s story, of how Emily who grew up in the United States learned to live in Australia, whose seasons are opposite to what she was used to. Curious about what mysteries lie on the opposite side of the planet, I eagerly listened to the stories that Emily, Shaun and Oscar had to share about Australia.

Soon it was getting dark so we made plans to go to a nice coffee shop in the morning and went to bed.

I’m not sure if it was the sun or the sound of cars driving by on the cobblestone roads just outside of the window that woke me up in the morning. Coffee is one of my big passions so I sprang out of bed, excited to get going to this nice coffee shop other hostel mates were buzzing about. We gathered our crew and walked to the highly aesthetic coffee shop down the street.

Luckily, this cafe had a cupping (coffee tasting) option where they brought out three different coffees in little taster cups. In addition to the coffee, we also each ordered avocado toast. As the food came to our table, we were blown away at how beautiful and delicious the breakfast looked and joked about how much this delicious breakfast would have cost in our respective countries.

Marcel, David and I planned to do the “Bogota Graffiti Tour”, a local walking tour that took us around the streets of Bogota so we could learn about the graffiti of the region, the history of the artist, and the political and social message behind the artwork. As a solo female traveler, I was nervous about venturing too far from the comforts and safety of the tourist areas, but this tour was a great way for me to comfortably explore more of the city of Bogota without risking my safety.

Our tour guide was very informed about the graffiti in the city, as he was a graffiti artist himself. He explained that many of the pieces in the city were politically motivated and made me appreciate the power of art in cultural and social movements. In addition to having the opportunity to learn about the public artwork, I was also glad to have the opportunity to witness the daily lives of the local people.

Unlike any North American city I have ever been in, I felt as though each of the neighborhoods in Bogota were wearing the emotions of the people that resided in them. In the urban, residential, and economically unstable areas where the effect of the government is palpable, the political and social frustrations of the people manifested in powerful murals that could be found along every main street. In the La Candelaria neighborhood, home to tourism and the international youths, the walls were vibrant, fun and whimsical. The political messages did not adorn the walls of this neighborhood as to not upset or confuse the guests. In the business district of the city, the walls resembled that of a North American metropolitan center - plain, simple as if trying to keep up with other technologically advanced cities.

After two hours of walking around the city of Bogota in the heat of the day, we returned to the La Candelaria neighborhood and found a restaurant with local food. We all ordered the meal of the day, which was a humble coriander soup, rice, salad and a single fried plantain. It was exactly what I needed before returning to the hostel to recharge for the remainder of the day.

I took an hour to recharge - both myself and my phone, and soon after ventured out on the streets of La Candelaria on my own, exploring the architectural details of this colorful town. The lights and shadows of the day played well on the brightly painted walls and the warm sun and Latin American humidity was a treat for my dry and weathered skin.

The sun was beginning to set so I took toward Cerro Monserrate - the mountain that towers over the city of Bogota. I was told that the view from this mountain top would put into perspective the size of the Latin American metropolis. There are three ways to reach the summit - a 2,000 ft vertical hike up the side of the mountain, a cable car (which was currently undergoing repairs), and a funicular - a train like vehicle that slowly trails up the side of the mountain. I didn’t have the proper attire for a hike so I opted out of the active option, which left me with a ride up the funicular. As we climbed to the top of the mountain, I started to grasp the size of the city of Bogota.

Latin America is heavily influenced by the Catholic Church and the city of Bogota is no different. At the top of Monserrate Mountain was a giant Catholic Church that was built to honor God in the highest and most visible place in the city. Looking across to the neighboring mountain, there was a gigantic status of Jesus Christ much like the famous “Christ the Redeemer” statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil though this one was not available to the public.

I was expecting to meet up with David, Marcel, and Bella at sunset so I killed some time by venturing around the tourist market while I waited. Time after time I turned down the vendors trying to convince me to buy their souvenir trinkets.

About half an hour before sunset, David arrived and together we looked out on the city in silence. Having just met and both of us being relatively introverted, we didn’t have much to talk about. It brought me joy to look around and see all kinds of people and groups enjoying the sunset on this particular evening. Next to us was a very intimate and well-dressed couple, and if I had to guess, this was one of many romantic stops for the evening. Families with crying babies huddled together s the temperature began to drop. International groups of high schoolers couldn’t contain their excitement to be in a foreign country with their 25 “closest” classmates. And then there was David and me, silently appreciating each other’s company without necessarily needing to fill it with words.

A couple minutes before the sun tipped below the mountains in the distance, Bella showed up with her signature bubbly personality and Marcel quietly tagged along behind her. We enjoyed the final moments of the daylight and as the temperature quickly dropped, we started back toward the funicular and down the mountainside.

We went to a restaurant near the hostel called Gato Gris, another recommendation from a fellow traveler. It was a nicer, more expensive restaurant, but it was my last night in Bogota so I decided to let myself splurge. We were seated in a tiny room in the upstairs corner of the restaurant and I admired the decor in this space. The first thing I realized was that an old door had been fashioned into a dining table, and the space was dimly lit with a uniquely boho light fixture.

As we sat around the table waiting to order, I was surprised at how much our time together was dominated by silence. As a group of travelers with a royal collection of unique experiences, I was expecting our time together to be filled with conversation, jumping in and out of stories and never finding enough time to tell the best stories from each of our travels. Instead, our group tended toward silence, over dinner, while waiting in line to buy tickets for the next tourist attraction, and this uncanny silence took me by surprise.

I woke up bright and early in anticipation for my last day in Colombia. Looking around at the other bunks in my room, it was only me and one other person in the sleeping quarters, and everyone else had continued on with their travels. I was on my own for my last half day in Bogota so I decided to go and explore as many coffee shops as I could. Unfortunately, it was Sunday which meant that most of the cafes were closed, but I had a plan to visit two different ones.

I returned to the cafe we went to the day before - Azahar cafe and in my best Spanish, I ordered another cupping plate, but asked for different coffees from the ones I had the day before. The barista seemed to understand my request and brought me different flavors from the ones I had the previous day. I enjoyed the avocado toast from the day before so I decided to order that as well. After filling up on breakfast, I bought a bag of coffee beans to bring home and went on my way.

I stopped in at the Simon Bolivar square again to see it in a different scenery. Since it was Sunday, there was an ongoing Catholic mass that I got to sit in on for a couple minutes. Though many elements of my faith align with that of the Catholic church, the liturgy and catholic priests performing ceremonial acts made me feel very far from God.

I only had a couple hours remaining so I began to wander over to the next coffee shop. I located the coffee shop on google maps but was unable to find the storefront anywhere. Again in my best Spanish, I asked the security guard of the library if they had any idea where this coffee shop was. In very fast Spanish and some vague hand motions, they directed me into the library, through the hallway and around several corners. After asking several other guards inside the building, I eventually found my way to the very kind cash register who made me a fresh cup of coffee and helped me pick out two more bags of beans to bring home.

I sat on the couch in the silent library hallway, sipping on my coffee when a stranger joined me and began to talk in very fast Spanish while pointing at my camera. I regretfully told him that I didn’t speak Spanish “lo siento, no hablo Espanol” and he lit up and responded in very good English “Oh, do you speak English”?

He told me that he was planning on buying a camera but wasn’t sure what kind he wanted. I walked him through different types of cameras, the different models available, but after a short while, I realized that this all seemed to be going over his head, and I wasn’t sure if that was because of the language barrier or the content of our conversation.

It was time to head back home, and a part of me was glad. I felt like my mind was being pulled in so many directions and I had so much to think about.

On the flight home I had a lot to think about. As my first international solo trip, I carried with me excitement, and fear, and had a mind full of doubts. Being able to explore Bogota with the company of other foreign travelers, I felt much more at ease about my own safety, but felt like sticking to my comfortable, English-speaking bubble limited me from truly experiencing all that Bogota had to offer. Spending time with these carefree, fearless travelers unexpectedly stirred up emotions about a topic I feel so passionately about - the purpose and intention of travel. I once envied the boldness and bravery of people who choose to put their lives on hold to travel the world for several months, but after spending time with these people, I was confronted with the reality of this glamorized life choice.

I still have much to process about my reasons for traveling, and hope to one day be able to develop cohesive thoughts about the value of modern day travel.

April 29, 2022

Today is Showa Day, a national holiday here in Japan. I believe the name Showa means that this day is in celebration of the emperor before last (current emperor’s era is Reiwa, last one was Heisei, and I think the one before that was Showa). But I don’t know much else about the day, beyond that it meant I didn’t have class.

Unfortunately, yesterday I got a notice that Japan Post had tried to deliver something that needed a signature and I had to reschedule it for today. I chose the morning delivery. The other options were in 2 hour increments in the afternoon, but this one was 午前中 (in the A.M. basically), so I had to stay in my room all morning until they showed up. I was hoping it would be like 10am or something. Nope. It was 11:57am when they rang my doorbell. 11:57am. I mean, I did manage to do a little bit of cleaning and took a short nap this morning thanks to sticking around, but dang it, if I knew it would be basically noon, I would have done something more with my morning. If I have to do this again, I’m going to pick an afternoon slot. But now I have my Japanese equivalent of a Social Security Number, so that’s cool.

But I definitely needed the nap. Today, the weather turned suddenly ridiculously rainy, and I think the barometric pressure drop destroyed my body. I had zero energy and a bit of a headache.

I had been meaning to visit a drugstore for a while now (I followed the rules upon entering the country and only brought 28 days of allergy medicine—that runs out soon), but the headache sent me on a mission through the rain. I don’t understand why Japan is so particular about where you can buy medicine, but for the most part, you have to go to a specific drug store. Thankfully on the allergy side of things, they carry Claritin (but no generics, because Japan, so it’s ridiculously expensive for just Claritin). But for my headache, I had to stand there and Google “ibuprofen brands Japan” because let me tell you, it’s not obvious. The one I got is called EVE A, and I think the name is a bit of a pun? They shortened イブプロフェン (ibuprofen) to イブ, which is pronounced the same way they would pronounce the name Eve.

When I got back to the dorm, I downed some Eve and curled up for another nap. This weather really was messing with me.

Shortly after I woke up, one of my dorm-mates knocked on my door. They were all about to go out shopping before grabbing some dinner, and I was invited. I had been considering going for a wander around the local area since I was feeling better, so shopping and dinner seemed like a good extension of the concept.

We hit up the Adidas store and the H&M in Shinjuku. I didn’t get anything, but they did some spending. At one point, we were standing outside and I noticed that one building looked especially weird through the foggy, rainy atmosphere (the cross-hatch one in the distance in the picture below).

Once the others were satisfied with their shopping, we went in search of something to eat. After the same girl followed Google Maps back to Kabukicho again, I realized that it was a mistake to follow her lead. I made my objection, and we turned around before going back in there (especially considering it’s Friday night—I don’t want to know what Kabukicho is like on a Friday night).

Instead, we followed Google Maps over to a Thai restaurant. When we got to the building, we saw that the building also had a Mediterranean place (which advertised itself with Spanish, Greek, Italian, and Turkish flags on the sign). I think it was really primarily a Turkish place, though. We abandoned the Thai place.

It was the perfect twist. Ten years ago (EXACTLY, our final day there was April 29, 2012), I was in Turkey on a school trip. It almost seems like fate that I would unintentionally end up at a Turkish place during the anniversary of that trip. Almost like the universe is saying that I’ll look back on my time here as fondly as I look back on that time, especially with this being my first solo international travel experience.

Even the view out the window was great.

After dinner, the others were too tired to do anything else, so we made our way back to the dorm (once again using my sense of direction to get where we needed to go).

For a day that started out with me feeling so crappy, I feel like I had a really good time.

——————

On a side note, I’ve been wanting to mention this one cool detail about my dorm room, but haven’t found a natural place to slip it in (I also wasn’t sure I could get a good pic, but today it was easy to get a good shot). The lock on my door has a glow-in-the-dark strip to make it obvious in the dark whether it’s locked or not. More places should have locks like that.

The Great War S7

D&D 5e Campaign

The Great War

Session 7

The party is awakened by loud vibrations coming from somewhere outside the Inn. The Party quickly rushes outside to see what all the ruckus is about. Once out there they meet a large somewhat furry creature that sort of resembles Grim. He is being held in a stockade and swearing his innocence. Believing the man’s story the party wants to free him so Paul quickly picked the locks on the stocks and freed Rooklus. Once free Rooklus then says he was here to find his younger brother, a man named Grimgore. The party makes room so that Grimgore can come forward and the party does notice a distinct resemblance between the two. Rooklus sees Grim, and boldly states to him and the party, “My name is Rooklus Troompalin, and Grim you are my younger brother. Our parents and I have been trying to find you for years.” Rooklus then gives his brother a giant hug and continues, “It is so amazing to finally find you after all these years. Now please we must get you home to see our parents, there is much to fill you in on.” Grim pauses for a minute and responds, “While this is amazing, I am afraid I can’t. I have prior duties I have sworn to fulfill. Paylor would not be happy if I abandoned the task I was given to help these people in their journey.” Rooklus smiles at his brother, “You have indeed turned into the noble man I had hoped you’d be lil bro. I shall take your charge in your stead so that you may go to your rightful home and learn about your true family and get acquainted with your new life. I swear to you brother I will assist this party and risk life and limb for these people as if it were my own charge. You have my word as prince and heir to the throne of Uthana “ Grim can’t help but believe this man as this feeling of warmth and uncanny familiarity comes over him. He agrees to this then, quickly says goodbye to the adventurers and thanks them for the good times however brief they were and leaves to finally meet the family he has been searching for. Rooklus then looks to the party, “Now let me officially introduce myself again in proper, I am Rooklus Troompalin, a Loxodon Barbarian, heir to the throne of Uthana and I hereby offer my services to this party to prevent this war from breaking out.” During all of this, Biska and JJJ overheard the guards talking about a standing contract from the local assassins guild. The contract was to deal with a clergy of pedophiles at a local church. The party rushed to assist in taking down these vile people. When they arrived  there were bodies of dead clergy everywhere and a message sprawled on the wall in blood, “If I find you play with the kids, then I will play with you.” As the party continued into the main room where they would meet Angra Myu, High King of Clocienti and accomplished assassin. They walked into the sight of him cleaning the blood off his blades when he uncloaked himself. He looked at the party and said, “That’s what I call dead on arrival, you’re late.” It was at this time before anyone could figure out what was happening, a man in red and black leather armor appeared and said “Finally, there is the target I was hired to kill. You know DM you sure made this one hard as fuck to find. I mean seriously, ever hear of google maps?” He then rushes Lolxsis grabs him and blows them both up. He then reforms, looks at Angra, “Thanks for the tip buddy, assassin to assassin that is. Well I’m Outty 5000, C-y'all!” and vanishes as quickly as he appears. Angra then approaches the party and explains that he is joining them as he sees the need to assist in stopping the things that are going on. Now with the third person of royalty from yet another nation with the party, Rin said that she felt it was time that they gathered a few of others of the council together for another meeting to discuss what she found out.

However as soon as the party left the church and before the arrangements could be made Ara stopped everyone and told them that while she understood this was important, she had to leave for a while.  “I don’t know if I have a brother or not. I mean, I don’t remember ever having one but I can’t just ignore what Alfonse said. Given the nature of this possibility I feel this is something I need to look into alone. I will need time to process if this turns out to be true.” Ara explained. Rin and the rest of the party asked her not to do anything rash, like attempt to see him alone. Ara reassured the party that she had no intention of doing anything like that. She just needs the time alone to process it all if it's true, plus she may have to go visit her family she has never met before and she would rather face her family’s past alone. With that Ara went and used the free pass the council had given her to go to anywhere at least once using the train, she went back to Urildyr, to the town she was born in to begin her search.

At the meeting Rin announced that she had found out that the one queen was in fact a spider demon and told them about how the party was attacked by archnae last night. Rooklus saw that his delegate that represented him at the council was acting a bit twitchy and nervous upon this news, once he was called out on this behavior and threatened, he spilled the beans. Confessed that he had been working against their country. After confessing he attempted to take his own life with a poisoned dagger. Rooklus however stopped him in time and removed the blade from his hands. However in the process it nicked a guard who suddenly dropped and was slowly dying. However Paul had somehow made his way into  the room and shot a dart into the guard from under a table that stabilized the guard. Rin then healed the guard and the traitor was taken off to be dealt with. JJJ then walked in to rejoin the group after he had wandered around town with Biska eavesdropping on random people. He informed them that he had heard about a cult that is nearby that needs to be dealt with and a cave that may have some interesting loot. About that time an owl phased through the wall during the meeting and it left a feather that turned crimson and drew a map that showed an island, one unknown to the world and not charted on any maps. In the end they decided it was best to hold off on making any moves on the spider demon queen. Let her get back to her own country before making any moves in order to avoid an international incident.

After the meeting the party followed Angra to the assassins guild hall he runs in Ashenport. There the party just kind of glanced around as Angra asked for any high profile four star contracts and all five star contracts from the vault. He received them and then everyone went back to the inn to rest for the night. Meanwhile Ara had finally gotten back to her hometown where she crashed at her room in the brothel. Soon her search for answers would begin.

Into the Eastern Block

        While in Finland we received an email from Mike that we had an appointment with Herr David to pick up our Residency Visa cards, and it had to be done in person. Said we’d be there, then went to Google Maps to realize that in entailed 18 hours of driving and we had a week. We normally limit ourselves to 2 or 3 hours of driving per day at a leisurely pace so this was a change. We drove 5 hours/day for 3 days and straight to the drop zone to jump for the weekend. People on the drop zone were happy to see us and it’s nice to feel welcome. Picking up the cards was uneventful on Monday and it felt great to have that bureaucratic challenge behind us. My next, and hopefully last bureaucratic challenge is getting a German driver’s license since I can only drive on my US license in the EU for 6 months. The German system is tough and fortunately I only have to take the written test, not the road test, and lucky for me the test is available in English. Mike said he would probably not pass the test today. There are driving schools but I’m trying to find online resources to study from. There is a 9 hour mandatory first aid course and an eye test, both are no brainers but squares I must fill. Charlotte is thrilled that she doesn’t need to endure this additional “root canal”. I already know more about German traffic laws and signs than most Americans know about their own laws, and I still have more studying to do.         Rather than sit in Germany for all of this we decided to travel into Poland and up through the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Our first stop was to Berlin and the famous Potsdam just 20 miles outside the city. Potsdam is noted for palaces and gardens where many kings lived. The town is beautiful and well maintained in typical German fashion. The gardens and palaces were opulent and reflected a time past. As usual we brought the good weather with us and had some clouds, pleasant temperatures, and a passing sprinkle. The next 2 days we wandered around Berlin itself. It is a modern city with more tourists, and cities in general and touristy places are not our first choice of places to be. On the second day we made a point of going to the Stone Brewpub, a company out of San Diego, California. We had an excellent dinner there and great beer, but had some issues finding our way back to the campground after a few buses and trains. Luckily we caught the last bus and arrived at our “home” at midnight.         Berlin is only an hour drive from the Polish border so off we went to a new country for both of us. Spent a day in Gdansk, a town noted for amber jewelry due to local amber deposits. By chance it was on the last day of an annual festival and we’re told it’s one of the largest in Europe. There were lots of street vendors that initially we assumed it was always like this for the tourists, before learning of the festival. We visited the “Amber Museum” and saw some incredible works of art created with amber. Late in the day we stopped for a beer and enjoyed a lovely craft beer while listening to Queen on their high end sound system. It is impressive how often we hear American/English language music as we travel around the world. In SE Asia we often heard Hotel California by the Eagles, sometimes from live bands who didn’t speak English, just sang it phonetically. This music tradition continued at our first stop in Lithuania, the city of Druskininkai. While wandering through this beautiful small city we came upon a dancing fountain whose movement was accompanied by “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. We enjoyed the show and then laughed about the musical choice.         We’ve made several observations about the Eastern Block countries, and assume this is a residual effect of their Soviet dominated past. It’s been 26 years since the Soviet Union collapsed. In some places we still see the stark, utilitarian looking buildings completely lacking any atheistic traits. In other places we see they’ve been dressed up with some paint, etc., and then there’s the post Soviet buildings. Although the infrastructure looks like an economy that’s doing well the people, in general, do not smile. We look them in the eye and smile and get the great stone face back. We assume this is a cultural carryover from the communist regime. Travel does give us a different perspective on the world and helps us appreciate that our home culture, with it’s numerous faults, has so many positive factors to offer. For all the photos see John and Charlotte’s flickr sites. Just click on either of our names.

We were supposed to go sailing with a family friend, and right beforehand, the friend broke his leg! Needless to say, the entire trip was off. For them, not us. We continued on with…

No plans. No reservations. No…really

I knew there’d be pros and cons to seeing a country this way. On one hand, it allows for more freedom. On the other hand, I probably spent entirely too much time scrolling Booking.com or Airbnb on my iphone for places to sleep that night. Must-haves: good reviews, A/C, Wi-Fi, preferred Superhost, location, location, location.

If you’re going from Hungary to Croatia, you have a few transportation options:

Rent a car with a v high one-way drop free (unless you plan on going back to Budapest)

Hire a car & driver for a high fee

Take a train (that wasn’t running the day we left because of a public holiday)

Take a bus

Day 1

We left Budapest at 10:30am on a FlixBus (booked day-of!) for about €20/passenger. Now I’m not a traveler that typically gravitates towards the public bus systems of central Europe, but this one didn’t disappoint mostly because it was half full, clean, and came with a view…and because the bus driver let me off to get a banana because HUNGER PAINS. With a border crossing consisting of 25 minutes, the total drive was ~5 hours. That’s 5 episodes of GoT. All good in my book.

Once at the Zagreb bus station, t’was time to hail a cab to the airport so we could rent a car and be on our way. (So let’s rewind and count: that’s 1 cab to the Budapest bus station, 1 bus ride to Croatia, 1 cab to Zagrab airport just to get to the rental car. PHEW). I wasn’t in the Volkswagen for 5 minutes before I went the wrong way down a one-way while stopping traffic everywhere. Then Google Maps took us the scenic route which was the definition of backroads if I’ve ever seen ’em – tractors, horseback, cyclists, greenery, and loooots of wide open land. Honestly, it looked a lot like Arkansas. I immediately felt right at home

After another 2 1/2 hour drive with a pitstop at Cowboy Western Ranch for lunch (if you’re doing this route, you must stop here and get the Texas Burger. Just do it. Not because it’s good, but because it’s a monstrosity and funny when you’re sleep deprived. Plus, it’s like you’re in Texas but you’re in Croatia. It’s weird).

Stay

Around 8pm we finally rolled into Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo. It’s not perfect (rude creaky floors), but I’d stay here again for its location in the heart of Plitvice Lakes National Park and extremely close proximity to Entrance 3. While you can’t purchase entrance tickets to the national park at Entrance 3 (big question mark here), the hotel offers to do it for you – alleviating you of getting back in the car and driving to Entrance 1 or 2. *Raises hand*

Day 2

Explore the gems of Plitvice Lakes National Park

Breakfast at the hotel

All day exploration of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Note: You walk here, there’s no driving, and you also can’t swim. I’m sure it’s for safety/sustainability reasons, but the waters are crazy inviting. Near the entrances, there’s food/water/ice cream stations. Stock up on water! Beware of the circus during the hours from 10am – 6pm. I honestly can’t come up with too many other nature-derived experiences that have been *this* crowded. Once 6pm hit, it was insanely calm and beautiful.

Dinner at Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo

Shop my favorite pair of high-waisted pocket leggings (pictured below)

Stay

Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo

Day 3

More Plitvice Lakes National Park + Travel Day

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning exploration of Plitvice National Park. Here’s a favorite spot of mine:

In front of the Big Waterfall is a staircase. Go up the stairs and at the top, walk right. You’ll find a road. Walk for about 2-3 minutes until you see a wooden bridge. Turn right after the bridge onto a path and walk for 1-2 minutes until coming to a lookout point. STUNNING!

Around noon, head towards Split (or Krka National Park on the way to Split)!

Dinner in the Old Town Harbor while the best people-watching unfolds before your eyes for some gold nighttime entertainment.

Stay

Marasovica Apartments – highly recommend based on location (5 minute walk to Old Town), communication, price and terrace views!

Day 4

Explore Split!

Wander the many historic alleyways and dig deep. Get lost. Eat at any gelato stand. Twice. Maybe three times. Take too many photos of 4th century Diocletian’s Palace. Head towards Marjan for a 550-ft high hill forested with cypress and Mediterranean pine trees – a perfect spot to hike off the questionable decisions from the day before.

Fig Split for dinner (or all meals because it’s *that* good)

Stay

Marasovica Apartments

Day 5

Island Day!

We went back and forth between hiring a private sailboat for the day or taking a small passenger speed boat to neighboring islands. Ultimately, we chose the speed boat because it allowed us to go further, see more AND get dropped off at Hvar that evening. We booked the tour the afternoon before down at the Old Town Harbor where many tours are on offer.

Komiža on Vis island

Stiniva Cove

Budikovac Island for snorkeling (lunch here)

Blue Cave

Hvar (we got off the boat and stayed on Hvar, although everyone else went back to Split)

Shop my easy breezy black sarong (pictured below)

Stay

DeVecchi Rooms in Hvar – This was one of my favorite hotels from Croatia due to the location, furnishings and outdoor space/view! We booked a Deluxe Double with balcony

Day 6

Langonini Beach Club

But first, coffee. Head right outside the hotel to Kava 37

Catch a small boat docked at the harbor (you can’t miss them) for the 15 minute journey

Just typing the name of this beach club makes me exhaleeeee. Laganini means “slowly” in Croatian, and it’s the exact vibe we encountered while there. A relaxing, no worries atmosphere, where water splashes and Balearic music make up the soundtrack. Note that there’s a spending minimum for bungalow use. We enjoyed a few cocktails and sushi mMmMm.

Leave on the last boat back to Hvar (6pm I believe, the same boat that took you over will pick you up) and wander into somewhere yummy for dinner. I’m not going to lie – we chose a very bad pizza spot so I can’t recommend!

Shop my Red Carter bikini top and bikini bottoms

Stay

DeVecchi Rooms

Day 7

Travel day

But first, wake up and hike to the Spanjola Fortress for insanely beautiful views.

Breakfast at Fig Hvar

More options: St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Square, Hvar lavender fields, Sveta Nedjelja aka wine region! Red Plavac Mali grapes thrive here.

11am ferry back to Split (ferries are every hour and tickets can be bought at a booth near the docking point)

Find the rental car where you left it at the last hotel Drive to Dubrovnik. Realize that the drive from Split to Dubrovnik is insanely pretty. Cancel all plans to swim next to pirate ships and explore Bosnia.

Shop my Aritzia yellow one-piece

Stay

In order to get to the southern portion of Croatia, one must pass into Bosnia and Herzegovina occupying just 12 miles of Adriatic coastline in the city of Neum, the 2nd shortest coastline in the world after Monaco…essentially cutting Croatia in two. There are a few other examples of geographically discontinuous countries, but this is definitely a rarity, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this geography lesson. Due to extremely late booking (around 4pm day-of!), options were minimal, especially good ones. We ended up booking at the Grand Hotel Neum, an extremely large hotel that I’d never recommend. Between feeling like cattle and the horrid buffet, I’ll sleep in my rental car next time… (kidding, sort of).

Day 8

Wake up very early to explore Bosnia & Herzegovina. This little country is super underrated. Having only spent 24 hours here, I’m sure there’s SO much we missed. Next Up: What to do for 24 Hours in Bosnia

Drive 2ish hours to Dubrovnik

Eat dinner at Horizont (recommended by host, yummy Mediterranean!)

Stay

Airbnb Stella Mia with a Sea View 2 – I highly recommend this Airbnb due to its size, location, price, and host. Fair warning: If you don’t like stairs, don’t stay here. Scratch that. If you don’t like stairs, don’t go to Croatia at all.

Day 9

Walk the Old Town, get lost in the alleyways and get your steps in on the steep staircases

Let the Game of Thrones tour commence (sorry not sorry)! It was fun, it wasn’t cheesy (not to me, at least!), and our tour was mixed in with lots of Dubrovnik history. 2-in-1, how good is that?! You can find times inside the Visitor’s Center near the Onofrio Fountain.

For everyone who said take the cable car: It was closed due to tax evasion. *EmBarRasSing*

Dinner at Pizzeria Tabasco (recommended by host b/c I had a pizza craving!)

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Stay

Airbnb Stella Mia with a Sea View 2

Day 10

Walk the City Walls as soon as they open (8am). Note: It’s HOT, even early.

Hydrate, eat somewhere yummy in Old Town, try to stop sweating

Take a ferry from the Old Harbor near the east gate (10 minutes) and relax on Lokrum Island for the day

Find the window cave (near station 5 and 6)

Take the 6pm ferry back

Walk to Buza Bar for sunset drinks (and cliff jumping if you dare). This hole-in-the-wall bar on the side of a cliff was so nice, we went twice!

Stay

Airbnb Stella Mia with a Sea View 2

The next morning, we flew to Slovenia. On my wish list for the following Croatia visit: Pula, Rovinj, Brac, Korcula and the Peljesac Peninsula!

The post Road Trip Itinerary: A Guide to Croatia appeared first on The Road Les Traveled.

Is Colombia Safe to Visit?

Posted: 6/22/2019 | June 22nd, 2019 Colombia is one of the most popular countries in South America for backpackers and travelers. In 2017 (the last year there were figures), it saw over three million visitors — three times as many as there were 10 years ago! Over the past few decades, Colombia has been working hard to dispel the violent image it earned thanks to the drug cartels that once ravaged the country. While Colombia still isn’t perfect, it’s come a long way since our parents’ generation. Violent crimes that were once common here, such as murder and kidnapping, are no longer everyday concerns for travelers. Kidnapping has declined 92% and homicides are down by 50% over the past two decades. Slowly but surely, conditions in Colombia are improving for locals and tourists alike. But a lot of people still ask me: is Colombia is safe? Table of Contents My Experience in Colombia 10 Safety Tips for Colombia Is Colombia Safe for Solo Travelers? Is Colombia Safe for Solo Female Travelers? Is it Safe to Take a Taxi in Colombia? Is the Food Safe in Colombia? Can You Drink the Tap Water in Colombia? Should You Visit Colombia?   My Experience in Colombia Before I went to Colombia, I’d heard countless stories of petty theft. While there, I heard even more. A friend of mine had been robbed three times, the last time at gunpoint while on his way to meet me for dinner. Locals and expats alike told me the same thing: the rumors of petty theft are true, but if you keep your wits about you, follow the rules, and don’t flash your valuables, you’ll be OK. There’s even a local expression about it: “No dar papaya” (Don’t give papaya). Essentially, it means that you shouldn’t have something “sweet” out in the open (a phone, computer, watch, etc.) that would make you a target. Keep your valuables hidden, don’t wander around places you shouldn’t at night, don’t flash money around, avoid coming out of nightlife spots alone at night, etc. Simply put: don’t put yourself in a position where people can take advantage of you. I heeded such advice. I didn’t wear headphones in public. I didn’t take my phone out unless I was in a group or a restaurant, or completely sure no one else was around. I took just enough money with me for the day when I left my hostel. I warned friends about wearing flashy jewelry or watches when they visited. But the longer you are somewhere, the more complacent you get. When you see locals on their phones in crowded areas, tourists toting thousand-dollar cameras, and kids wearing Airpods and Apple Watches, you begin to think, “OK, during the day, maybe it’s not so bad.” Suddenly, you step out of a café with your phone out without even thinking about it. You’re giving papaya. And someone wants to take it. Which is how I ended up getting mugged and knifed. (I’m OK.) This was also just a matter of being unlucky and not specific to Colombia. A wrong-time-wrong-place situation. It could have happened to me anywhere where I didn’t follow the safety rules that help you minimize risk. The experience reminded me of why you can’t get complacent. I gave papaya. I shouldn’t have had my phone out. It didn’t matter the time of day. That’s the rule in Colombia. Keep your valuables hidden. (Especially in Bogotá, which does have a higher rate of petty crime than elsewhere in the country.) I didn’t follow the advice. And I got unlucky because of it. I’d been having my phone out too often and, with each non-incident, I grew more and more relaxed. I kept dropping my guard. What happened was unlucky, but it didn’t need to happen if I had followed the rules. This is why people warned me to be careful. So, if you follow the rules, you’re unlikely to have a problem. All those incidents I talked about earlier? All involved people breaking the ironclad “no dar papaya” rule and either having something valuable out or walking alone late at night in areas where they shouldn’t have. I’m not going to let this freak incident change my view of such an amazing country. I’d go back to Colombia the same way I’d get in a car after a car accident. In fact, I was terribly upset to leave. I was having an amazing time. I still love Bogotá. I still have plans to go back to Colombia. Colombia is amazing. Learn from my mistake. Not only for when you visit Colombia but when you travel in general.   10 Safety Tips for Colombia You can’t get complacent in Colombia. Once you do, bad things happen. You have to stay vigilant. To help you stay safe during your trip, here are a few tips you’ll want to keep in mind as you travel around the country: 1. Stay somewhere with 24-hour security – You always want someone around in case you need assistance. Most hostels and hotels have security cameras or guards. If you don’t feel safe somewhere, don’t hesitate to move on. This way you always have someone to talk to in case something goes wrong. 2. Don’t flash your belongings while you’re out and about – Keep your phone out of sight, and don’t wear any jewelry or watches. If you need to use your phone, do it inside and not out on the street. This is where people get in the most trouble. This is how I got into trouble. Put everything away so you don’t stand out. 3. Don’t travel alone at night – Try to go out with other travelers if you’re going out at night. If you do plan to go out alone or party late, be sure to take an Uber home or have someone call you a cab. Don’t walk alone really late at night. 4. Learn some Spanish – Even just a few phrases can help you in an emergency. Download Spanish on Google Translator so you have it offline as well, just in case. 5. Download an offline map of the city – Having a map will be helpful in case you get lost and need to guide yourself (or a taxi driver) back to your accommodation. If you use your phone at night, be sure to not use it out in the streets. 6. Don’t do drugs – The drugs cartels have crippled this country. Don’t support them by buying drugs. Locals don’t like it because drugs have so devasted the country and doing it just further cripples the country. It’s really disrespectful. Additionally, getting involved with drugs here increases your chances of getting into trouble. Also, doing drugs here is illegal, and you don’t want to end up in a Colombian prison. 7. Keep your valuables separate – Never carry all of them together. When you’re going out for the day, leave some credit cards and cash in locked in your accommodation. That way, if you lose your wallet, you’ll still have cash and cards back at your hostel. Also keep some emergency funds in your main backpack too, just in case. 8. If the worst happens, just give the attacker your stuff – Handing over your things is much better than risking the alternative (trust me). If you have travel insurance, you’ll be able to get reimbursed (just be sure to save all of your receipts). 9 . Download the Prey app to your phone and laptop – If either device gets stolen, for a small fee you’ll be able to track it and remotely turn on your camera to photograph the thief (you can also wipe the data and message the thief too). The app is free to download and only costs $5 USD for additional support should you get robbed. 10. Buy travel insurance – If something does go wrong, you want to be sure you’re covered and someone has your back. Travel insurance can help you find medical treatment and give you money to buy replacements for what was stolen. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially in a country where petty crime is still a problem.   So, is Colombia Safe for Solo Travelers? Colombia is safe for solo travelers. While petty crime is still a problem, as long as you don’t flaunt your valuables, you’ll likely not run into any problems. When you go out, only take what you need for the day and leave your other valuables in your hostel or hotel room. If you’re not feeling comfortable, try to meet other travelers so you can explore together. That way you’ll never be alone and will avoid being a target for pickpockets and petty criminals. At night, make sure you’re never traveling alone and that you have your ride home planned in advance. Don’t get into sketchy cabs. Avoid wandering around non-touristy areas at night and alone. I never felt really unsafe in the country during the day or in public places. You’ll see locals with phones out and, generally, going about their life. It’s really at night that you have to be careful.   Is Colombia Safe for Solo Female Travelers? While solo female travelers will want to take some extra precautions in Colombia, the country should definitely still be under consideration. Whenever possible, avoid traveling alone — especially at night or in areas where there are not many people. Don’t flaunt any valuables, and avoid taking taxis alone at night. Always have a downloaded map and translator so you can find your way home or ask for help if you need it. By taking some precautions and planning accordingly, solo female travelers will be able to have a rewarding time traveling Colombia. Just make sure to follow the advice and tips above! Here are a couple of helpful posts on safety written by our solo female travel experts: How to Stay Safe as a Solo Female Traveler 8 Myths About Solo Female Travel Debunked 10 Common Qsestions About Solo Female Travel   Is it Safe to Take a Taxi in Colombia? Taxis are safe here, but always make sure you call your taxi in advance. Never get into a random vehicle. Even if it looks like a taxi, it might not be one. It’s always better to play it safe. Get your hostel or accommodation to call a cab for you, or download a taxi app (Uber is in Medellín, Cali, and Bogotá) so you can order your own. Avoid taking taxis at night as well (especially as a solo female traveler).   Is the Food Safe in Colombia? The food in Colombia is quite safe. Just make sure to avoid any food that’s been sitting out in the sun all day. Look for places with lots of patrons — that’s how you can tell the food is fresh and delicious. Also, make sure any fruit you eat has a peel to avoid it getting contaminated. If you’re a vegetarian or have other dietary concerns, you might be hard pressed to find food here, as most dishes are meat-based. Learn some basic phrases (or download Google Translate) to help you ask questions and find foods suitable for your diet. Lastly, always wash your hands before you eat. That’s the best way to avoid getting sick!   Can You Drink the Tap Water in Colombia? While improvements in water treatment are coming along, you can’t really drink the water outside of Bogotá and Medellín. I’d suggest you travel with a Lifestraw or Steripen so you can purify water no matter where you are. That will help you save money and reduce your reliance on single-use plastic. Double win!   Should You Visit Colombia? So, is Colombia safe? Yes. While petty theft is a growing concern, the country has so much to offer the intrepid traveler. There is amazing nature, vibrant cities, a fun nightlife, and a growing community of entrepreneurs and digital nomads who call Colombia home. It’s cheap and easy to navigate, and as long as you follow your instincts and use common sense, you will avoid trouble. Even if you’re a solo female traveler, Colombia still has a lot to offer. So, while my personal experience in Colombia didn’t end well, I am definitely planning on going back. Because it’s just too amazing a place not to visit. Just be sure to get travel insurance just in case something goes wrong. The past is not prologue and you always want to play it safe. Travel insurance was there when I lost my bag, broke my camera, and got knifed in Colombia. I never expected those things to happen and was glad I had insurance! You can use the widget below to look up the travel insurance policy that is right for you (or just click here to go to their website directly):   Book Your Trip to Colombia: Logistical Tips and Tricks Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are: World Nomads (for everyone below 70) Insure My Trip (for those over 70) Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too! Looking for more information on visiting Colombia? Check out my in-depth destination guide to Colombia with more tips on what to see, do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more! The post Is Colombia Safe to Visit? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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Cephalonia, Paxoa and Anti-Paxos - on our way to Corfu.

July 23rd

It was late on the night of the 23rd when I taxied from Argostoli town on Cephalonia to the airport, which is about a 15-minute drive inland.  The weary Travelers (Mark and Vanessa) finally emerged through the throngs of tourists, and we were soon on our way back to Awanui, where the Binnings and Chris waited.

The one thing that was becoming apparent with being on the Ionian side of Greece, is that our poor guests have to get from Athens airport across to the other side, either by another flight or a very long drive.  Whereas being in the Cyclades Islands it was only a ferry ride, or a very short flight.

Gaybrielle and Chris at dinner,  before I headed  to the airport to meet Mark and Vanessa.

I was thrilled when, the next morning, after fueling up the boat and a short walk around Argastoli, we were motoring up the western side of Cephalonia towards a fabulous spot that is regarded as one of the best beaches in Cephalonia, Fteri Beach, which lies just south of Myrtos Beach. A great start to their holiday.

Argastoli - the main port of Cephalonia.

Vanessa, Mark and I at Fteri beach - happy to be here at last!

It didn’t disappoint.  What a magical place.  Turquoise water, that is so clear the shadow of our hull could be seen sitting on the white sand beneath us.  The Limestone cliffs that fall to the sea, give a clue as to why the water is such an amazing turquoise. They are a pearly white, and a stark contrast against the bluest of skies.

Gaybrielle and I paddling around in the turquoise blue .

The white limestone cliffs dropping into the sea. 

We spent the day here, as our new guests started to unwind and slot into the laid back groove of Awanui life.  After paddle boarding and swimming the day away, and of course a delicious lunch  – we motored just a little bit further north and found ourselves pulling into the most divine little harbour town of Assos. An Incredibly charming and picturesque hamlet sitting on an isthmus and snuggled into the hillside.

A view of Assos with Awanui in the bay. The sky turning hazy with the heat. 

View from the stern.

View from the bow - nice spot!

This anchorage is so small that we were probably at the top-end of boat size that can fit in here.  There appeared to be absolutely no room for us, however Captain Kosta was not in the slightest bit deterred and confidently backed us in to the dock – right in front of two yachts.

One of the yachties was rather rude we thought.  So much so that I had to go inside the cabin, and not watch.  He even verbally abused Captain Kosta. Really!!  And Captain Kosta was equally indignant that no one helped with our docking lines. “Very rude people” he said, “it is not a private marina!”

Gaybrielle and John were highly amused and thought the whole maneuver, and subsequent sideshow, was brilliant.  We ended up in front of the two yachts with a line between them tying us to the dock. We had to get to and from the wharf using the tender, which was fine. It didn’t take too long before the dust settled, and everyone went back to enjoying the beautiful afternoon. However, I must say that neighbourly relations were a little tense.  Never mind. No one stays cross for too long in this amazingly beautiful place.

Looking across the bay of Assos, with Awanui in the distance.

Gaybrielle and I - enjoying a wee stroll around Assos.

Loved the blue door - anyone home?

A group shot minus John (the photographer).

We wandered the town, dined at a beautiful taverna, and all thought it was a little gem of a place.  The next morning at 7.30am we walked up to the top of the hill where an ancient Venetian walled fort wraps around the peninsula looking down on the town. A Greek fort existed here originally, and later in 1595 the Venetians extended it.  One thing we have realised since being here is how much the Greeks, throughout history, were invaded - either by pirates or by neighbouring countries.  And the safest place to be was up high and behind huge stone walls.  Many ancient fortresses can be seen around the coastline.

There is a wide paved road that takes you up to the top of this fort. It’s a fabulous walk and the views are breathtakingly beautiful. The fortified walls once enclosed an entire town, and it is massive. By 8.30 it was getting pretty hot, and the perspiration was running in rivers and dripping off the elbows. My personal thermometer would suggest it is now in the late 30’s.

Standing at the entrance to the fort - notice the paved path! Thanks to the EU.

Inside the fort are the sprawling ruins of the town it once protected.

A view from the top. With Awanui below, re-anchoring to let the yachties out.

On the  homeward stretch .  No one else around this morning?

Little did we know at this stage, but a heat wave was brewing and the mercury was to rise even more.  We were in for a very hot few weeks.

We were heading north now to reach Paxos by early evening. We decided to pull into Fiskadho on the way to show Mark and Vanessa the beautiful little town and get some provisions.  We free anchored in the bay and took the tender in.  After a late breakfast ashore, and a little bit of shopping - this time for a bit more that just provisions, we headed north towards Paxos.

 Heading back into Fiskardho.

About three hours later we reached Anti Paxos, which lies about a mile south of the bigger Paxos Island.  There is no township on this smaller island and it gives the impression of being uninhabited, however there are a few houses dotted over the island. We pulled into a beautiful bay, which once more had that divine mix of turquoise blues and a white pebble shoreline.

One of the many beautiful little coves on Anti-Paxos.

A typical lunch on board - fried sardines and salad, always with bread and feta.

The island is extremely popular with boaties and day tripper boats from Paxos, and Corfu.  It’s much better for swimming than Paxos but it is not advised to anchor here over night, so all the boats head into Paxos to secure a berth after 5 pm (when the ferries and tour boats leave for Corfu).

So around 5 pm, we pulled into the tiny harbour of Gaios town, which wraps around a small island at the entrance, making a curved canal leading to the hamlet beyond. 

The entrance to Paxos - this inlet wraps around to the left  leading to Gaios.

Gaios is chaos at this time of year.  Yachts are trying to berth, dropping anchors and backing into tiny spaces, fending off other encroaching boats, and generally making for more great entertainment while we enjoyed a cool GnT in the cockpit.

Wandering into the town of Gaios on Paxos on our first evening. 

The town is a bustling vibrant spot, with the tavernas and shops wrapping around the quay.  The yachts that are tied up here go about their evening ablute right opposite diners at the tavernas.  It made me wander how many salads ended up with shampoo suds floating in their salad dressing. That’s how close it is. We were thankful again to Captain Kosta for placing us more to the mouth of the harbour, away from the craziness of the town.  

All the boats backed into the quay where all the tavernas are.

It was fabulous though to walk in and explore Gaois as it is a very pretty little place.  We dined at a beautiful restaurant, where I had prawn saganaki (which I love). However, later that night, and all night long, I was awake with a very upset digestive system – to be polite. No more prawn saganaki for me!

Anti-Paxos - taken from Google maps showing the turquoise bays.

Back to Anti Paxos the next day to swim, paddle board and enjoy this unbelievable place that is hard to compare.  That evening, as the wind was threatening, we headed over to the mainland to a very sheltered bay called Mourtos in the harbour inlet of Sivota. This is a favourite spot of Captain Kosta’s as it is extremely sheltered in just about any wind. It is surrounded by a lush green hilly coastline, with a busy little port area, and many bays suitable for holing up. Once anchored, we took the tender for a blat around the various inlets, and then into the town for a reckey and a cocktail. It was a home cooked meal aboard that evening, filet of beef and roasted vegies - delicious - and it made for a nice change.

We mostly have breakfast and lunch on board, but have found that with the abundance of tavernas along every coast and in every town, it seems silly to be sweating away in the galley at night. So we tend to eat fresh fruit and melon, with yoghurt and honey for breakfast; a light salad with either octopus or freshly caught local fish for lunch, and then venture ashore for dinner. We have opted not to have a full time Cook, as it would be one more person on the boat, and we would miss out on trying the various cuisine options.  Also, we would probably eat far too much!  

View of the old fortress at the harbourr entrance to Corfu town. 

After a lazy old morning we upped anchor and headed to Corfu, which lies about 18 nautical miles north of Sivota.  We were heading into Corfu port by early afternoon, and had to secure ourselves to the outer dock of the NOAK yacht club wharf.  This made for a fairly rough night as the wakes of large ferries and super yachts caused surges that hit the concrete dock and tossed the boats about.  Luckily we held well, as Captain Kosta always puts out miles of chain, so our bowline was secure.  Other boats were not so lucky and our neighbour hit the pier with a large crack.  The following day we were able to secure a place inside the wharf and this is where we stayed for the next couple of days.

View of the NOAK Marina from the yacht club bar, early evening. 

The NOAK marina is the best place to be as the old town is just above it, and we were off exploring as soon as we docked.  The heat was becoming quite amazing, and the boys found a little bar to have a cooling ale while we gals had a look around the shops.  Corfu old town is incredibly busy, es;pecially in these summer months, but it has a charm all of its own.  It seemed to us to be quite Italianesque which must be because of the Venetian influence during the ……. Centuries. 

A very old town house in Corfu town, heading a bit of TLC.

John, Mark and Chris enjoying a cooling ale.....while we investigated the shops.

Later we joined them - too hot to shop!...Gaybrielle, Vanessa and me! 

I’ll start the next blog from here in Corfu as we stayed here a couple of days while our port anchor winch was repaired and managed to see quite a bit of the island.  Also Tumblr gets a bit miffed if I try to cram too much in …..so…

....to be continued...