Thankful for Wanderlust
It’s Thanksgiving again and I’m in the process of mending a broken heart for the second time this year. Every single time I go through a breakup, I have an immediate urge to book a plane ticket, and I know I’m not alone in that pattern. I want to get out of here, even though “here” is my head, and no matter how far I travel, it will still sit proudly on top of my neck.
Whether or not it has immediate results, I have found that endless exploring does heal. The truth is, whatever drives you to see new places and experience new things is something to be thankful for. Here are the places I got to see (so far) in 2017, and a little bit of what I took away from each of them.
January: Las Vegas
I started the year in Las Vegas, three days after the most traumatic breakup of my life. I arrived to meet my coworkers for CES, realizing I had barely spoken or eaten since New Year’s Eve. It was shocking at first, but this would actually turn out to be my fifth and favorite trip to Sin City. While I still had a lot of healing ahead, the forced work trip saved me in the short term. I dove head first into working and playing very hard, with long hours and late nights, endlessly surrounded by really kind people. I saw Anderson Paak and Blink 182 live, felt comfortable playing blackjack in a casino for the first time, and even took a joy ride in one of our fleet vehicles to Seven Magic Mountains, checking that off my 2017 bucket list early. While five days is far too long to spend in Vegas, sometimes a change of scenery and a forced schedule is exactly what you need to shake yourself free of sticky, lingering circumstantial depression.
February: New York & Philadelphia
When I returned from Vegas, I published an essay and then emotionally blacked out for about three weeks. I went on a few dates with people much younger than me and went to the Women’s March with a very appropriate sign, but mostly stayed home, didn’t eat or shower enough, and focused on work as much as possible. It wasn’t until my trip home to the East Coast that I was able to finally snap out of it. Being surrounded by family and friends, eating good food, seeing great art, and spending Valentine’s Day eating tacos with my favorite person in the world filled up my heart. Then I had a chance to go to Philadelphia and see love in action, wearing head-to-toe sequins with the best group of strangers, dancing until I couldn’t feel my feet, and speaking from the heart as a Maid of Honor, with one of the only love stories I’ve ever written. I returned to Los Angeles reborn as a better version of myself (with a temporary spray tan), and everyone could feel it. I was so grateful.
March & April: Southern California
I stayed close to home in March & April but had some great visitors from out of town, got a tattoo for the first time in over a year, made a new friend, ate a tray of seafood in San Pedro, met a goat named Marshmallow, accomplished a lot of big stuff at work, finally organized my makeup and decorated my bedroom, went on a lot of hikes, saw more great art and live music, and finally started to resolve the cystic acne struggles I had been battling with for years. Spring is repeatedly the season I flourish in, when I feel like the best version of myself. My smiles are bigger, my makeup is on point, and the weather seemingly beckons to my call and requests. In the meantime, I was scheming for a summer filled with adventure. Work was getting more challenging, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to make time to travel.
May: Texas (& Tijuana & Ohio)
In May, my travel bug kicked into high gear, the months ahead of me filling up with flight reservations and blocked off weekends in my calendar. It started with a spontaneous and romantic trip to Austin, Texas, which continues to be one of my favorite cities in this country. I hadn’t visited in five years, and had never been without tickets to a music festival, so this was a brand new experience, filled mostly with bike rides, breakfast tacos, an incredible sculpture garden, and fantasies of a life that could be in a charming Airbnb.
My next planned trip was to go back to Texas, but the following weekend we spontaneously drove down to Tijuana for lunch. We were still only friends back then, and I thought that was how we were going to stay, when on our long drive I described in detail the man I had developed a crush on and you talked about going out later to hit on girls at a bar. It was only a matter of days before that would change, but first, I flew to Ohio for less than 24 hours for business. I couldn’t stop, and I wouldn’t. At least my airline miles were racking up.
The next trip was one of my favorites of the year, by far. I flew into El Paso, TX to meet my oldest friend, and we drove straight to Prada, Marfa, another longtime bucketlist item for me. We had a lot of plans for this trip, and most of them didn’t work out (who knew most of Marfa would shut down for Memorial Day Weekend?), but it was a good reminder to go with the flow and keep our eyes open for new opportunities. Highlights included a variety of Tex Mex, great lighting, kayaking through Big Bend Ranch State Park, flash thunderstorms, a Dan Flavin installation that made me actually gasp, and a 900 mile drive through West Texas, waving at cows along the way.
June: Mexico City (& San Francisco)
For my thirtieth birthday, my best friend and I checked off yet another bucket list item, a visit to the colorful, vibrant, Mexico City. We did so much in five days, it was hard to even describe the trip when I returned, and when I think of it, I only taste delicious food and see a dance of rainbow hues, painted on wooden signs, metal gates, and cement walls. My absolute favorite day of the trip and my highest recommendation for when (not if) you visit, was spent at the Floating Gardens of Xolchimilco. If you do some quick research on this place, you’ll find a lot of mixed reviews. While it sounds idyllic, a lot of people also call it a tourist trap and say they were ripped off. All I can say is, I’m really glad we went. We had an incredibly pleasant experience walking around the small town surrounding the canals, meeting strangers, watching giant families celebrate on boats together, hiring a mariachi band, and eating meat cooked right next to me on another gondola. To me, it felt genuine and true, and every moment of the experience was really quite perfect. Overall, the trip solidified my passion for all things Mexico, and my desire to live there someday.
Days later, I flew up to San Francisco, experiencing one of the longest flight delays and strangest happy hours of my life. I always say I don’t like San Francisco, but recently the trips up there have been quite pleasant—this one included a visit to the Conservatory of Flowers, which not only houses gorgeous and exotic plants, it also has some magical stained glass light streams you can get your hands on at the right time of day.
July: Palm Springs & Big Bear
Another month close to home, but I couldn’t sit still. Two short road trips—the first to the desert on one of the hottest weekends of the year. I have always loved Palm Springs, but in the past two years have also developed a love for driving further east. In 2016 I found a Mexican restaurant in a strip mall in Mecca, CA featuring giant handmade tortillas, and have since returned three more times. Any excuse to be within 30 miles, and I’ll beg to visit for just a taste of that warm, soft masa creation. It was way too hot to visit the rotting body of water that is the Salton Sea, but we did it anyway. This was the first trip we took as a couple; it was challenging, and a reminder that the road from friendship to relationship might not be easy, but it was still a really special 24 hours.
Two weeks later, I drove out to Big Bear for a weekend—it was a weird trip with an almost-stranger during which I was mostly petulant, drunk, or napping, but I still always appreciate the opportunity to see something new. Mostly, it made me wish I owned a boat and miss jumping into frigid lakes in New England.
August: Minneapolis & Hong Kong
Okay let me gush about this trip to Minneapolis because I never, ever thought this would be a city I not only love, but actually crave. Thanks to the internet, one of my best friends in the world lives there, and I have met the most amazing people through her. Truth be told, I didn’t do a lot in Minneapolis—I went to the Mall of America and Walker Art Center, of course, then went dancing one night and spent the entire next day recovering in bed with face masks, take out, and Broad City. No regrets. Slumber parties, spa nights, and homemade music videos are basically my favorite things in the world, and I already can’t wait to return to the Twin Cities for more next summer. (No thanks on winter there though, sorry.)
In a strange flight pattern, I flew directly from Minneapolis to Hong Kong (by way of Chicago) for a number of firsts: my first international business trip, my first trip to Asia, and my first time flying business class. I spent most of my visit in a conference room or working in my hotel room, but luckily was traveling with some excellent coworkers, and we did have a day and a half to explore the dense, sweaty, pungent city. We spent a long day hoofing from Wong Tai Sin Temple, where I had my fortune told and held onto as many good luck charms as I could carry with me, all the way to the Ladies’ Market, with stops for dim sum in between. It was the experience of a lifetime, and one of the most incredible opportunities I’ve received in my career.
September: Zion National Park (& Las Vegas again) & New York (again)
How many times do you need to do something to make it a tradition? Is twice enough? Last year, two former coworkers invited me on a road trip through Arizona to see the Grand Canyon, then this year we planned a trip to Zion National Park, and we’re already planning ahead for what the big trip will be next year. The great thing about traveling with them is that our personalities really balance each other out. No one’s too Type A or too go with the flow—we’re able to establish a broad plan and move forward, keeping everyone happy and fed. We went on one short hike and one very long hike, lounged by the pool, and took solace from the sun in a darkened hotel room watching Mean Girls as needed. We even stopped in Las Vegas on our way home for a quick bottomless buffet brunch and a few rounds on the blackjack tables. Spending time with women who inspire, empower, and encourage you is priceless, and something I’ve really grown to appreciate this year especially. Seeing these National Parks together has created an inextricable bond between us, and only fuels our desires to continue exploring.
Unfortunately, my mother missed her annual trip to Los Angeles this year because I was in Hong Kong, and that seemed like a great excuse to visit New York again. I didn’t take this as a vacation and chose to work for most of the trip, but still had some shining opportunities for photoboothing, rooftop hangs, and of course Chinese food with the girls. Every trip to New York feels too short, running around trying to hug as many people and eat as many things as possible, so I’m planning something more stretched out for next time. I’ll love you forever, New York, but I really don’t miss the subway system.
October: Northern California (again)
The next few weeks were really good for us, and this trip was a surprise from you—so romantic. You took a Sunday off and I took a Monday off, and you wouldn't tell me where we were going for so long. To me, everything was perfect that “weekend”; I had never felt so sure we were in the right place at the right time, doing everything exactly as we were supposed to. The light seemed to sing to us and I felt swept off my feet by the amount of love we had catapulting us through this crazy world. Was I imagining all of that? We drove from Los Angeles to San Francisco, a long time to be alone in a car together, explored some of your favorite corners of the city you’ve always loved and I’ve always complained about, slept in the suburbs, and the next morning drove to Big Basin Redwoods State Park before seeing a hand painted sunset on our way home. I thought we were going to last forever.
November: Dubai
When we returned from our trip, you quickly faded away. Work got more intense for me, and I leaned harder into you. Typical for us, the more I reached out, the more you pulled away, and everything came to a head right before I traveled more than 24 hours for my second last minute international business trip of 2017. Dubai was strange and lonely, consisting mostly of working from my hotel room, running around at the Motor Show, with a little bit of adventure and one good hunt for the best Pakistani meal I could find. This was the furthest I had ever been from home, and I felt pretty far away from myself that week too. I remember being a kid and hearing about this luxe and futuristic city, but I never thought I’d have a chance to see it with my own eyes. It was one of the most surreal journeys of my life with the most intense jet lag. How would I describe it? Like Las Vegas but with malls instead of casinos, and even the locals will agree with that. I wish I had the time and mental capacity to enjoy this trip more, but I didn’t. It’s important to remind myself that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for the experience, but sometimes you can’t force yourself to be in the right headspace to open your eyes.
I’ve only been home for a week, and have felt every feeling since I returned. I’ve gotten to know myself very well this year, and this is just one chapter in my life of wanderlust. My heart will repair itself again, and quickly at that. I’m already planning more trips for December, and even more for 2018. I will keep exploring, and I may be alone, but I will not lonely. If nothing else, I will be filled with experiences and a lot of very good stories to tell.
Thank you for listening, and Happy Thanksgiving.
