A whirlwind 40-hour trip to Vancouver, British Columbia is just what a girl needs sometimes. Granted, Vancouver is like Seattle’s Canadian cousin in every possible way. Every once in a while, there’s a desire to get lost.

Getting around, where to stay

I arrived to Vancouver via Bolt Bus. This trip was so last minute that most of the hostels were booked, except for St. Clair Hotel-Hostel. I was willing to spend a little extra this time, since the location was right in the city center.

When it comes to getting around the city, using a Compass card can make it easier. It’s a pass that gives you access to the public transit system, such as buses and the SkyTrain. As of today, it’s $10.25 CAD for a day pass.

The first night in Vancouver

Vegan food or bust!

One of my favorite things to do is eating my way through a new city. The first thing I did was go to Indigo Age Cafe and tried their delicious salad wrap with mixed greens. It gave me lots of energy for the rest of the night, as I walked through the city. The restaurant also offers vegan high tea, but it needs to be reserved in advance.

For dessert, I went to Vegan Pudding & Co right next door, where you can find coconut- and soy-based puddings. There are classic flavors such as chocolate and vanilla, and then there are Japanese-inspired flavors such as matcha and sesame. They provide complimentary whipped cream if you want to eat it immediately. It’s smooth and silky, as pudding should be.

The second day

I woke up early and had breakfast before running to Stanley Park, a lap around it, and back to the hostel. The 400-hectare public park features beaches, lush gardens and attractions throughout, as well as historic landmarks and a restaurant. I just stayed on the main walking path that morning, which is 10 km.

I went to the Vancouver Art Gallery, where there are multiple rotating exhibitions. My favorite current show there is Moving Still: Performative Photography in India, where photography is used to explore themes of gender, cultural identity, and migration.

Currently, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival is also happening in Downtown, right in front of the art gallery.

Vancouver Vegan

For lunch, I went to Virtuous Pie, a vegan pizzeria that seems to be a favorite for both vegans and omnivores alike. The cheesiest pizza on the menu is called Grandma Pie, and it was such melty goodness. With pizza that good, it’s easy to see why people flock there.

Later for dinner, I stopped by Wallflower to eat vegan poutine smothered in vegetable-based gravy and cheese sauce. When in another country, you might as well try the dish it’s best known for. It hit the spot.

Meow, meow, meow

Of course, the Vancouver visit wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Catfé. This cafe had 15 cats when I went in, and they were all so overwhelmingly cute. It’s recommended to reserve for a spot in advance, because those can fill up fast.

Catfé also sells coffee and pastries, such as these Hello Kitty-shaped macarons. They aren’t vegan, but they sure are adorable. I got a slice of vegan peppermint chocolate cake instead. We could take our food in, but we’d have to make sure the cats wouldn’t get to it.

Street art in Vancouver

I mostly walked around Commercial Drive and Mt. Pleasant, known to be two artsy areas in the city. Both have incredible street art that liven up the neighborhoods. Vancouver also has its own mural festival, which is one big street art party spanning over a week in August. The results are beautiful.

Pride weekend

Vancouver was also having a little Pride celebration in one of the parks along Commercial Drive. There were so many colorful people and I felt right at home! Then again, the city is just like Seattle.

Winding down with the city

I was on my way back to the hostel from Mt. Pleasant when I stopped by Aperture Coffee Bar, a trendy cafe with rustic touches. Sometimes you just need a pick-me-up after running and walking all day. They have a library, and it’s a little cozy, but the vibe is chill and friendly.

Places in Vancouver generally close a little early, say around 6:00 to 8:00. Some places might be open later. I’m not really the type of person who stays out late often anyway. It was such an amazing full day, and the health app on my iPhone said that I walked and ran a total of 19 miles!

One last walk around

The next morning, I walked through Gastown as the city was waking up. Gastown is a historic district dating from the 19th century, and it was known as Vancouver’s downtown. Today, the remnant Victorian buildings now feature art galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants, and chic cocktail lounges. It’s akin to Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood.

For breakfast, I had a vegan Earl Grey doughnut from Cartems Donuts. They have several vegan flavors, such as chocolate, vanilla, and maple walnut.

I went back to Seattle later that morning. Even though I did the exact same things as I would in Seattle, sometimes there’s a desire to wander around in an unfamiliar city without knowing a soul. Getting lost and finding one’s way back again is what someone might need occasionally, if only to come back bright-eyed with pleasant experiences. I can’t wait to come back.

The final stop of this Eurotrip takes place in Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is a city I kept hearing about through friends and artists. It’s one that boasts a strong arts scene as well as its own long political and cultural history.

Felt like home

I stayed in the Old Town of Prague, right in the thick of the action. Tucked away on a quiet street is an unassuming hotel called Bed&Books Art Hotel. It’s where I spent my first night. The vintage-chic decor and the Czech books made me feel right at home, a good environment to get work done.

The next place I stayed was at Art Hole Hostel. If you’re looking for a quirky, lively place to stay in Prague without it getting too crazy, then Art Hole is for you. The hostel is friendly and welcoming, plus the staff make you feel right at home. It caters to a younger crowd (age 35-ish and younger), but they seem to welcome anyone. This place is also introvert-friendly; the energy is mellow. The murals also make the space feel more like a home away from home, especially in the lounge.

The Wi-Fi is strong, and there’s free breakfast. Art Hole also hosts nightly dinners. There’s a kitchen that anyone can use, including an oven to bake vegan pizzas in! Free hot drinks are available all day, everyday. There’s a small bookstore/exchange library as well.

Exploring some of Old Town

Many times, I have to use Google Maps to help me navigate through a city or find my way back to a hostel. Prague is one of those cities where I barely did that. The city felt intuitive and easy to navigate, like I knew where I was going.

There was the Christmas market in Old Town Square, which features the Astronomical Clock.

There were also many alleyways with little shops and mini-museums around Old Town as well.

Prague Castle (close enough to Old Town, but isn’t part of it) was one of those places I almost skipped, until someone insisted that seeing it is a must. The sheer size of the Gothic 9th-century castle was astonishing. I could stand there all day and survey all of the pointed arches, flying buttresses, stained glass windows, and mosaics. Calling this “incredible” or “amazing” doesn’t quite cut it. A castle this grand feels like time has stopped.

A good day for a run

Prague was a wonderful place to go running. It’s a great way to see the city, especially Letna Park. It was also snowing! Here is a beautiful restaurant I accidentally found during a run. That’s the beauty of running in a city; you never know what you might find.

Prague Vegan

Eating vegan is exceptionally easy in Prague. Like Amsterdam, many things are clearly labeled as such, and there are plenty of places to eat. Loving Hut, an international vegan restaurant chain, seems to be very popular in Prague. There are several locations in close proximity. Although much of this food is fried or seems to have loads of sugar, it felt oddly nourishing. Below the Loving Hut restaurant is a vegan health store called World Vegan. Can I stay in Prague forever?

Art with Czech Roots

In Old Town, there is the Gallery of Art Prague showing the Art Nouveau illustrator/designer, Alphonse Mucha and Andy Warhol’s work. This exhibition also dedicates an entire floor to Warhol’s Czechoslovak roots and family history. It’s the kind of stuff we don’t hear in art history classes.

Pushing reset

Honestly, it has been a tough year. Before I left for this Eurotrip, a friend quipped, “traveling isn’t going to solve your problems.”

On the surface, he had a point. I think what he meant was that you can’t just run away forever. However, what he seemed to miss was that traveling comes up with all sorts of problem-solving opportunities that can spur growth in one’s mental health. Leaving the country for a little bit also helps to clear up my fogged-up head, since I’m constantly making sense of new information and surroundings. Encountering new languages, people, sounds, smells, and settings makes me more alert, so it’s hard to stay on auto-pilot. To answer my friend’s point, in the short-term, traveling might not solve anyone’s problems immediately. But in the long run, the lasting changes in the mind are sustainable and beneficial to anyone traveling and to those around them as well.

Whereas France was a whirlwind tour, Amsterdam provided a chance to take it a little more slowly.

Amsterdam uses bikes to get around, just like how Southeast Asia uses motorbikes. I considered hiring a bike to get around the city. Usually how I get to know the area is by walking or running, and taking the environment through the senses. When riding a bike, it’s hard to take it all in, since the focus must be on the road.

What is also hilarious is that sometimes people will start singing on top of their lungs. No big deal. Some people text and ride. Some even have small children on their handlebars. No one wears helmets, but everyone is fine. It’s all an organized chaos. These are kinds of things you can get away with in Amsterdam, but they would never fly in Seattle. Maybe I should write another blog post about that. (Ha!)

On being vegan in Amsterdam

I first stayed at Firejuice, a queer-owned vegan bed-and-breakfast. It’s run by this very sweet queer couple, Ben and Sonia. I met Ben four years ago during my first visit here, and he was talking about it. Now I got to see it for myself! The vegan breakfasts they make are guaranteed to energize the body and mind. Firejuice isn’t exactly your grandma’s B&B, but the space is quaint, beautifully decorated, and emanates good energy. What’s not to love?

Being in Amsterdam was the cleanest I have eaten during this Eurotrip. It’s very easy to eat vegan here. Everything is clearly labeled. Pictured here are some spring rolls from the vegan store, Vegabond. This is some delicious, nutritious, beautiful vegan food.

After Firejuice, my friends, Kristina and Thomas, graciously hosted me in their apartment. They’re another sweet couple with a cat named Kelso.

That digital nomad life…

As was the case while seeing my friends in London and Nancy, work continued to keep me glued to my laptop in Amsterdam. Part of the reason why I’m doing this Eurotrip is seeing how I can handle being a digital nomad. Much of the anxiety comes from finding a reliable Wi-Fi connection. I mostly stayed home with Kelso and my laptop. But this kind of opportunity is one I’ve never had before. The whole world has become my office. It’s incredible.

And the best art galleries/museums

The last time I visited Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum had reopened after undergoing renovations. I spent well over five hours marveling over art history lessons coming to life. There wasn’t enough time to do that again, so here are some places worth mentioning.

Amsterdam has a museum called Katten Kabinet, and it’s a cat art museum. Yes, you read that correctly: a cat art museum. I’ve seen it once before, and a second visit was clearly needed. It’s a collection of paintings, posters, and illustrations that feature cats, and going there is a must if you love feline friends.

I also went to the Moco Museum, a boutique museum displaying contemporary art. Currently they have exhibits featuring the work of Banksy and Icy & Sot. It was the first time standing in front of a Banksy original. Although I can’t say that Banksy was ever high on my radar, the political and humorous messages in his work are still something to be appreciated.

Amsterdam’s pop surrealism gallery is KochXBos. This piece is by Meryl Donoghue, an artist who works on the theme of painful narratives with a surreal twist. This piece here is called “Dreamland.” The owner of KochxBos said that it’s about the age of social media, how we share only the highlights of our lives on this digital medium. We hide behind those parts while masking the darker parts of ourselves. My parallel interpretation was along the same lines, but without the social media. To me, it seemed like a child seemed to have it all, but is hiding a very dark secret deeply beneath this façade.

Turn on the bright lights

On the last night in Amsterdam, my friends and I walked under the twinkling Christmas lights. We went on a canal tour to see the Winter Light Festival, a collection of illuminated art installations throughout the city. The canal tour gives a different perspective, as the boat navigated under bridges and between streets.

Amsterdam is one of those cities I could live in. It’s progressive, bike-friendly, has a freakin’ cat art museum, loads of vegan food, and being queer is widely accepted. This is a city I’m coming back to again and again, for sure.

Last Tuesday, I embarked on a trip to the U.K., France, Netherlands, and Czech Republic.

Sometimes, self-care involves running a full marathon and then going on a three-and-a-half-week Eurotrip two days later. It’s something I’ve wanted to do while I can keep this freelance job. It does, after all, let me work anywhere in the world. Here, I will break this trip down by country in a four-part series.

Instead of planning every detail out like I did in my around-the-world tour last year, I am taking a different approach and being more flexible this time. Why not slow down and take everything in more fully?

Where I Stayed

I started in London and, after being awake for over 24 hours, crashed in the Dictionary Hostel in Shoreditch, a quirky part of the city. It’s a hip, friendly hostel, and it’s chill. I wouldn’t exactly say that it caters to the partying type. Unless you have a private room, you will meet others. As an introverted traveler, this was fine; I wanted to do just that. This hostel has free continental breakfast and Wi-Fi, plus an exchange library, which I always love browsing through. I spent much of my time in the courtyard, working.

London has a lot of beautiful street art. Sometimes it’s worth it to just wander around, because you never know what you might find.

Shoreditch also has a cat cafe, but it’s highly recommended that you make reservations. It’s usually full otherwise. That’s a mistake I learned, but I’ll make sure to visit these cats next time.  They probably meow in British accents. (Kidding about the accents part…maybe.)

There’s Something for Everyone

London also has some of the most beautiful cafes, such as Élan Cafe. I have never seen one like it. Every goth girl has a soft side; we like simple comforts like tea and vegan cake…even pastel colors from time to time.

My favorite art genre is pop surrealism, so a visit to the Dorothy Circus Gallery was worth a visit. This space just opened a few weeks ago, and they’re just about done setting up. They’ve done an excellent job with the space!

The Sweetest Friends in the World

I also had the pleasure of seeing two friends of mine. My friend Sarah and I used to work together at my previous job. We met up for tea in a cafe and caught up. And then Einar and I met in Iceland a couple years back. In Reykjavik, we shared stories and drew in our sketchbooks. As someone with PTSD and social anxiety, it can be hard to make friends. There is this wall that serves as a defense mechanism that I’ve been slowly chipping away for the past four years. But when I travel, much of that melts away; it gets easier. Now I have some of the sweetest friends in the world.

We had planned to do more stuff in London, but unfortunately, I suddenly got so caught up in work despite requesting the week off. I felt bad, since it was his birthday week. But he was so patient and stayed with me while I worked.

When there was time, we wandered around Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Crowds can stress me out sometimes, but after working hard to meet my work goals for the week, a good break was in order. Winter Wonderland is like a German Christmas market mixed in with a carnival. It’s big, and full of flashing lights and laughter. While I usually shy away from crowds, the energy was invigorating.

I’ll Return One Day

London is one of those cities that has something for everyone. It’s so big, that even a month isn’t enough to do everything. With being swamped with work, this is a city that definitely calls for a revisit. This is a city where I fit right in. I cannot wait to go back.

I have returned from my worldwide trip three days ago. I visited a total of seven countries: South Africa, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and New Zealand. My two layovers were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Brisbane, Australia. I’m still processing what has happened over the last three months.

First, let’s talk about coming back to the U.S.

It was a doozy being admitted into my own country where I’m a citizen. Going through the security clearance was practically one step below being taken to an interrogation room. It was that kind of clearance. Usually I can walk on through without an issue. The TSA personnel scrutinized every minor detail. Every answer I gave was challenged. They took every little thing out and went through all of my receipts, clothes, and personal belongings. Even the coffee beans I brought back were opened and sniffed. (They smell good, don’t they?) My payment cards were taken out of my wallet to see if anything was hiding in the slots. They even went so far as to skim my sketchbook, calendar, and journal. They looked up all of my medications, both over the counter and prescriptions. I actually thought they would confiscate something, but that didn’t happen. It was nerve wracking to say the least. About half an hour later, they let me go.

I collect currencies and this is what’s left over from my travels: money from nine different countries. The TSA apparently frowns upon having a big wad of cash, as I learned from the rigorous screening. They asked what do I need all of that cash for, implying that it must be used for something illicit. When really, it was about $10-$15 worth of currency from each country. But it wasn’t worth converting back to US Dollars, because a percentage gets taken with the conversion. For starters, it should only be of concern if it’s $10,000 cash or more. I think they just wanted to give grief because they were bored. At least I have cash for next time!

Now I’m back in Seattle and wondering, “what the hell just happened?”

It is like waking up from a three-month dream. Practically nothing has changed here. But I know that I’m not exactly the same.

I went on this worldwide trip because a change was badly needed in my life. Every aspect of my life had stagnated, and travel was the only the only option left to give a jump start. My own world needed to be shaken up in order to move forward, so I made the decision to explore the one outside my own environment. Time to tear out old roots and plant new seeds, as the saying goes.

The extent of the changes will take months, perhaps even years, to sink in. What I can say for certain is that this journey took me out of my comfort zone in ways I’ve never experienced before.

I started off in South Africa to attend AfrikaBurn, where my social anxiety was swiftly confronted, and I found myself in a brand new community of friends who embraced emotional vulnerability. I then landed in Vietnam and got horribly lost while navigating among a language I did not understand. For the next seven weeks, I was immersed in the chaos and beauty of tropical Southeast Asia, perpetually in motion like a spinning top. I learned to negotiate prices as a confidence-building exercise and to not be sorry for what I want. I took a vegan cooking course in Vietnam. I ate the most delicious vegan food, petted the friendliest cats, and went on a meditation retreat in Thailand. I hiked up a volcano at 4 AM to watch the most breathtaking sunrise in Bali. I learned to ride a motorbike in Cambodia and was awestruck by the Temples of Angkor. I went scuba diving for the first time in Indonesia. I planted trees, weeded gardens, and volunteered my time at an urban farm in New Zealand.

But it wasn’t all sunshine, roses, and “a-ha” moments. The week after AfrikaBurn was spent fighting the debilitating norovirus. I got into more accidents in Southeast Asia than I could keep track of–which included sideswiping a motorcyclist on my bicycle in Vietnam. I fell on slippery rocks and broke my ribs in Laos. I literally ran into a car which put a dent in it, so I had to pay for damages in Indonesia. As if physical pain weren’t enough, halfway in my trip I had reached a turning point: My heart was shattered by a romantic interest back home at the same time one of my best friends shared that she has breast cancer. My weight dropped to nearly 120 pounds at my 5’9″ frame, and there were more 24+ hour benders than I could possibly count. There were nights where I truly felt like I was going crazy, especially in Southeast Asia, where I was all alone. It felt like nothing in the world could silence the fire raging through. The only option left was riding it out.

The more challenging parts also provided opportunities for growing emotional aptitude. It can be so easy to be swept away in a raging storm, and for me, the best I could do was take things one moment at a time. I may have been in hell some days, but it was the cleansing fire that burned out the old cobwebs of my psyche for new growth. A friend of mine had said, “don’t worry. Whatever happens, it always works out in the end.” I am grateful for the good parts of my trip and the bad.

This trip, with its good and bad parts, was a net positive to say the least. I’ve had to tackle my social anxiety by actually immersing myself in unfamiliar environments where I had no choice but to put faith in others. For most of my life, I was instilled with the belief that the world is a dangerous, scary place. In reality, most people around the world that I’ve met showed kindness and compassion. I was also led to believe that I was incompetent and not smart enough, and this trip has shown that maybe I’m actually more capable of things than I realize. It has built more solid confidence in me and others by really forcing myself to live in the outside world instead being so wrapped up inside my own head.

It had been a while since I felt that viscerally, thrillingly, brilliantly alive.

In New Zealand, the koru is a ubiquitous spiral symbol in Maori art for growth, change, new life, strength, and peace. It is based on the shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond. The outer shape of the spiral suggests perpetual movement while the inner coils show the return to the point of origin. It’s congruent with the belief that life is more of a spiral than a linear form. At the core is where the soul originates. As we grow, we sometimes return to the same point on whole new levels. We are in perpetual change, as nothing is permanent or pure.

“I’ve met travelers like you come and go. A lot of them are trying to find themselves or whatever light they are seeking. It could be the man who went though a divorce or the woman who is running from a traumatic past. Everyone has a story and happiness to find. But you know what, you don’t need to look so hard. You don’t have to go to the ends of the earth to find it. The light is already within you; it’s already there! You’re just still opening your eyes to fully see it.”

I shared that quote before in a previous entry. It’s from a conversation I had with the owner of a hotel I stayed at in Bali. It really struck a chord in me, as it was an encouraging reminder that every single person has inherent self-worth to begin with.

It’s what I’m actually beginning to see now.

I wish there was more to write about. I wish this blog entry was more detailed. But things are still sinking in, and as I said before, it will take a while before the entire experience is fully comprehended. It’s like a year of my life has been compressed to a period of three months. Now I’m back to where I started on a brand new level. Traveling the world solo has changed me in more ways than I can count.

Now that I’m back in Seattle, it’s time to decide where to go from here. Already I’m feeling restless from not having a next destination to go to, so…I’m planning an impromptu day trip to Portland tomorrow with my best friend, Brad. It’s a way to decompress after being set in constant motion.

Time to tie those boots on again.

It was my last week in a New Zealand. After WWOOFing, I’ve took a bus to Turangi to meet a friend, which is further up north.

I met Mary in Vietnam two months ago. It’s a funny story how we met: I had snapped at her partner for sitting on my bed. (I had gotten into a bicycle accident ten minutes beforehand and was shaken up about it.) Then I later apologized about being rude to him, and that’s when I met Mary! We became friends fast. She’s so rad. She’s also vegan and we ate tons of vegan food during the time I visited Turangi.

Making new friends during my travels has been so easy. Usually my social anxiety warning light is flashing, and it has been ignored more as I went on. The friends I have made didn’t mind that I was a bit nervous at first, but when people are present and kind, it’s easier to relax.

Mary and I hung out at the ski fields, where she was staying for work. We had a great time, even without skiing since my rib was still sore. And then there were the some of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen, the spectrum of colors reflected off the snowy mountains.

Later in the week, I tried my hand at climbing for the first time and reached the top several times before the pain in my ribs flared up again. Otherwise, I would have kept on going.

In 2006, one of my cousins fell 800 feet to her death from rock climbing in Washington State. This deterred me from ever trying climbing. But I’m so tired of being afraid. I’m tired of this fear that was instilled in me. This is not who I am. I was warned to never try something like climbing and was kept within the boundaries of “don’ts.” But you don’t grow that way. You never know what you’re good at until you actually try it.

The week has drawn to a close, and so has my worldwide trip! I have departed New Zealand to return to the US of A, thus completing the circuit of going around the world. I will be flying so far out east, that I will land in the West again. By the time I arrive in Seattle, I will have landed almost the same time as I have left, so I will be living the same day again.

And what an incredible three months it has been! It’s hard to find the words to describe this experience. It’s like living a typical year of my life compressed into three months. It has been beautiful and frightening, surreal and visceral. And now it’s all over. It has changed me. This calls for a separate entry, and that one will come when I have finally returned and the dust settles.

I’ll be home soon.