After five years working in London, I decided it was time to move back to Los Angeles, but not before taking a year off to see the world. I gave up my great job with Lehman Brothers in Administration and a fantastic flat (and roommate) I’d lived in for over three years, packed up all my belongings into some 60 cubic feet of boxes and said farewell to the wonderful friends I made in London. Before setting off for Asia, I spent seven weeks in the States including a weekend getaway in Chicago with my best friends from high school, corrective eye surgery in Philadelphia, Aud and Rob’s wedding in Bermuda, 13 days in Israel on Birthright (with a side trip to Petra) and time in quiet Oak Park with my parents and sister. Then, on July 18, 2010 at 1am, with only 13 kilograms in my 50L backpack and a small shoulder bag, I boarded a flight to Singapore. The goal of my adventure is not one of self-discovery or mending a broken heart but a journey of true desire to explore the world, experience new cultures, taste various cuisines, explore beautiful wildernesses, meet local people, and maybe learn some Spanish along the way. What lies below are my stories (or more of a daily recount of events) from the road.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Flying in style to Beijing

Going to keep this one short, but I probably won't be able to post anything on my blog for the next 2.5 weeks while I am in China.  Might try to figure out a system where my mom updates this, but we'll see how it goes.

Am currently sitting in the South business lounge at Terminal 5.  I am so excited about flying today.  It is my first time in business class long-haul and I can't thank myself enough for splurging on the business class around-the-world ticket.  Ten comfortable hours on the plane.

Had a lovely few days in London.  It was wonderful seeing some of my friends.  Went for afternoon tea with Kate on Monday, my favorite.  Stopped by my office yesterday to visit my old colleagues.  Enjoyed a latte with Theresa and a glass of wine with Joy and Stephen.  A huge thanks to Andrea (and her family) for letting me stay with them for three nights, and to Kate for having me crash for a night when I first landed.

In the first post I mentioned the first six weeks of my trip.  Well, those have come and gone.  Here's an overview of what I'm up to until early December.
- China for 2.5 weeks of exploring with my dad.
- Vietnam (3 weeks), Cambodia and Laos (2 weeks), Thailand (2 weeks) and Myanmar (1 week) [let me know if you want to join]
- Few nights in Hong Kong
- New York on 18 November, Philly for Thanksgiving, back to New York for Leslie and Dave's wedding, St Louis, Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles
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1 comment:

  1. Colorado girlSeptember 1, 2010 at 5:40 PM

    Erica:

    Katie shared your blog with me. I think you are very brave and independent to tackle this year of traveling solo. You should think about writing a book about your adventures.

    Sending you a big hug,
    Barb McKenzie

    ReplyDelete

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