January 9 - Bodily Functions

Ew, gross.

No, not really.

But maybe.

Kind of.

Since I became vegan, I am much more aware of what my body is doing on the inside. I've always been pretty good with spacial awareness and whatnot, but paying attention to what's happening inside is interesting. Things like what happens when you drink too much water, or how much my digestive system hated me when I was first making the transition to veganism.

Today, all of the organs in my lower abdominal cavity seem to be staging a coup, at the same time I'm experiencing the first honest to goodness cold I've had in years. It's not pleasant. I'll spare you further details.

I do find myself wondering what is causing this coup, though. Because the entire time I was in the UK, I had no problems whatsoever. As soon as I come home and return to my normal eating habits, my digestive system hates me. Is it true that American food is so much more processed that it's hard to digest? I haven't been eating badly since I got home, so what's the deal?

This also puts the idea in my head that maybe it really is time for me to move overseas. My skin was happier there. My tummy was happier there. My sinuses were happier there. My hair wasn't fantastic, but I can play with that and find something that works well. Will they let me immigrate if I have a doctor's note saying it is better for my general well-being to live in London? Can I get a visa with a note like that?

Obviously, this is all affecting my brain function as well.

January 3 - Travel

The biggest problem I have with traveling is I never get to be anywhere long enough. And it doesn't really matter what I do while I'm there, I always leave with the feeling that I didn't do enough. I was thinking about that today - what would constitute enough?

I think, since in my travels, I like to try to find out what a place is really like, what would constitute "enough" would include making friends, grocery shopping, going on dates, getting my heart broken, ordering take-out that I eat by myself at home, fighting with landlords, finding my way to work on really icky days, complaining about the weather, finding a pub where they get to know my name, learning the public transit system well enough that I don't have to triple check a map every time I go somewhere. In short, in order to feel like I have been somewhere long enough and done enough there, I need to live there for a while. Though if you were to ask on my way out if I have done enough in Chicago, I would probably still say no and I've been there my whole life.

We went to the Guinness Storehouse today, which was kind of amazing. There is a rooftop bar with a 360 degree view of the city where you can sit and have a pint and look around. Dublin really is gorgeous, and it hit me that even if I lived here for years, I would probably not get to see all of it or know all of it. But I might get a basic feel for the energy of the city, moreso than I have in the past 24 hours. And I'd get a better feel for whether or not I spent too much on the gifts I bought for people (and myself).

All in all, I've had a really lovely trip. I miss my cat and my family so I'll be glad to go home, but I'm not looking forward to going back to reality tomorrow. Nor am I looking forward to the queue at the airport. Oh well. I'll just have to find a reason to come back here soon.

January 2 - Dublin

We've been in Dublin for about four hours and already done things I will remember for the rest of my life. More on that later.

Dublin so far is awesome. Granted, we're in a sort of touristy/shoppy area, so there's lots going on, but we've seen buskers and had Thai food and yeah. I'm really happy here. Our hotel is very much cooler than we are - we're not posh enough to be here - but the people are really friendly.

And yeah, I know this isn't the most exciting blog post, but lemme tell ya - if you get into the habit of writing something down every day for a year, it's hard to break that habit. I'm sure I'll have more to say about Dublin later, and stories about London to share that I've not shared yet. My big take-away from this whole experience is that I need to live in another country for a little while at some point in my life. Preferably sooner as opposed to later. And that I'm really good at finding my way around places. But yeah, I need to live elsewhere for a while. Let's see if we can make that happen.

January 1 - Happy New Year

Happy 2014!

The year started off with a bang for me, making some new British friends who I will likely never see again, and then waiting in a queue for about an hour in the rain to find out there was still another hour to go before the box office even opened. I would love to see Tom Hiddleston in Coriolanus, but I don't want to spend my entire last full day in London standing in the rain. Does that make me a bad person? Does that mean I'm the sort who gives up too easily? Would I be even angrier at the theatre than I am disappointed in myself if I had waited the additional hour and not been able to get tickets anyway? Probably. 

This is why I shouldn't blog when I'm tired. 

It has been a lovely trip, I've seen and done some great things. And I desperately need breakfast. 

Happy new year, everyone!

December 31 - Wow

So I did it. I think I missed three days of blogging this year, but I posted multiple times on other days enough to make up for that. I'm not saying they were all good posts, but they were posts. They got me writing again. Kind of. 

Speaking of which, we saw Once in London last night and it was brilliant. It made me angry with myself for not keeping up with my music, or for allowing myself to be afraid of singing in public for so long. I identified with Guy very much more than Girl, but Girl would be fun to play. And as Bill pointed out, I did get to play a female Hamlet. Maybe one day, they'll flip the gender roles and I can play the one ready to give up on herself who finds someone who believes in her. I've actually been the Girl part in some of my real life relationships - bringing the guy's dreams and talents back into focus. Sometimes I wish I could find someone who would do that for me. 

But anyway. I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Cardiff, Wales, largely for the wi-fi, so I'm not going to get too reflective on my year. But I will reiterate what I said yesterday, that I need to focus on a more direct path to get my career where I want it to be. No more aiming for side-doors and missing. It's time to shoot for the moon. 

Wish me luck!

And have a very safe and happy new year. 

December 28 - Exciting

As travel days go, today was a beast. But I am, right now, waiting for the theatre to open so I can watch David Tennant in Richard II. And I'm really freaking nervous about it. No idea why, unless you take into account the fact that I will be watching my artistic idol do what he does best. I'm sure I'll have more to say about it later, but I wanted to get something down really quick as I'm not sure when I'll have internet again. 

I get to see David Tennant in Richard II. It's not quite real yet.

December 27 - Update

I think I'm in love with Ireland. 

The weather is a little crazy and gross, and in all truth, I'd probably go batty living in a very rural area. But I'm having a lovely time and I've just barely been here 24 hours. 

We asked for a pub recommendation last night, somewhere with food that was open because a lot of places are closed on St. Stephen's Day. We took a cab to the Windsor, and the cabbie was lovely, so we didn't mind too much when the Windsor was closed. We walked down a block or so and found a pub that was open. I think there were only four women in the place (including the bartender and I), but I was completely comfortable. We had a pint and watched the Manchester City/Liverpool game. Exactly what one should do in Ireland, right?

Then it was off to find food, and we found a nice little completely empty Indian restaurant with really good food. And after a bit of a walk in the rain, we found another pub. I mostly wanted to absorb some Irish atmosphere, and we found it in spades. 

Again, there were many more men than women in the place, and the women were dressed up much nicer than the men. We're talking sequins, fur, and bling. While the men were in sweaters or button down shirts and jeans. After a little while, one guy standing near us came over to apologize for his friend's flatulence (it was rank), and chatted with us for a while. He talked to Bill more than to me, and I'm not sure if it was because he thought Bill was cuter or because he thought we were a couple and didn't want to step on anyone's toes. But he welcomed us to Dundalk, bought us a round, and left before we could return the favor. We finished our drinks and took a cab back to the hotel. 

All in all, a lovely evening after a long day of traveling. And today we're off to a wedding. It's already going to be hard to leave. 

December 26 - Flight

I've flown overseas several times before. What I've sort of learned about going from the US to Europe is that flights leave in the evening, you sleep on the plane, and when you wake up, you've landed the following morning. It helps deal with jet lag. 

The flight I took to Dublin worked a little differently, though. I don't think they wanted us to sleep. The first drink service happened about an hour and a half into the flight. Dinner was another hour or so after that. Then at about the four hour mark, they made an announcement and came down the aisles in case anyone wanted to buy SkyMall type crap. Then, with maybe two hours to go in the flight, they finally turned off the lights. Only to turn them back on about 45 minutes later for breakfast service. Needless to say, between that schedule and a screaming baby, there was not much sleep to be had. 

Nonetheless, I am in Ireland now. It is beautiful. I'll be glad to get where we're going so I can actually enjoy it for a bit, but so far, it is lovely. 

December 23/24 - Eve

I missed yesterday. I think that is the third day I've missed this year, and I apologize for that. 

But today is the eve of my trip overseas that I have been looking forward to for months. I'll be going places I've never been before and places I've already seen. And it is going to be amazing. I've already decided - it is going to be amazing. 

Oh, and there's another big Eve a lot of people are celebrating today, too. Hope yours is happy. 

July 19 - Travel

I may have said this before, but I think the way to travel to a major city is to avoid the downtown area. Yes, that it often where the tourist attractions are, so if you're into that sort of thing, you might want to stay there. I don't know your life. 

But I think the real life in and of any city happens in the slightly more outlying areas. I'm not talking about the suburbs, necessarily, just the areas where people actually live; not where they just go for a few hours every day to work. The outlying areas have the dive bars that carry local microbrews. The non-downtown areas have restaurants that are not chains. The neighborhoods away from the city center are where you find the people who live in that city doing what people do in that city. It is where you find the real culture and heartbeat of the city. Or I'm just biased and in love with my general neighborhood and want everyone to see it. 

Anyway. This is why the big flashy hotels and attractions don't appeal to me as much as the places slightly off the beaten path. The joy of going somewhere new is seeing new things and meeting new people. So, with that in mind, where should I stay in London?

May 8 - Travel

So I'm doing some traveling the next couple of weekends and I have to admit, it is filling me with incredible anxiety. I've been trying to figure out why for the longest time and I think I figured it out.

There are going to be other people there.

People who I know.

I've traveled a lot in the past, I don't know, ten years? Twelve? But a lot of that traveling has been on my own and/or for work. I show up somewhere, set up a trade show booth, man the trade show booth, take down the trade show booth, and go home. I have a hotel room to myself, I often fly solo on the plane. As an introvert, this is the way to do it - I get to see places without the pressure of moving at someone else's pace or worrying about using all of the hot water in the shower or anything like that. It's nice.

This weekend, I'll be staying in a house with eight of my girl friends. The weekend after that, I'm traveling as part of a group of 68 people. Sixty-eight. I don't know all sixty-eight, but I know some, and I will be sharing a room with a woman I've never met. I've known it was coming for a while, too, but just in the last couple of days, this thought has begun to terrify me. Absolutely terrify me. Not that I'm not going to go, but I'm currently terrified.

What if I bring too much stuff? What if I don't bring enough stuff? What if the stuff I bring isn't as cool as everyone else's stuff? What if the stories I have to share aren't as good as everyone else's stories? What if I have an introvert freak-out while I'm there and can't be around anyone? What if I planned to bring stuff and then forget that stuff? What if I planned on doing something and then forget about it or don't do it? What if someone expects something of me and I'm not aware of it so I end up letting them down? Like these people I've never met in person before - what if it's a total disappointment to them that I'm not a "Woo! girl" all of the time? Or even most of the time? What if the stuff I want to bring with me doesn't all fit in my suitcase?

I know in my logical brain that these are all completely irrational fears. Who cares what stuff I bring? So what if I take up space somewhere? If I need some time to myself, I'll find somewhere to be by myself for an hour. None of it is a big deal. All of the people I'm going to be hanging out with are kind, understanding, caring people. And if there are any who aren't, I'm not really concerned with forging lifelong bonds of friendship with them because I know we wouldn't work in the long run.

Nevertheless, I'm feeling pressure about these excursions. And stress. Which is making my skin go bonkers. And probably means I should lay off the caffeine for a while.

I know I will have enough time to do the things I want to do. I will make enough space to bring the things I want to bring. I will treasure the time spent with people I love. All will be well.

I still wish the trips would just hurry up and get here already so I can stop worrying about them.

April 9 - Is This The Future or What?

As I waited for the bus this morning, I found myself wishing for pneumatic transport tubes like they have in Futurama or the Jetsons. I wouldn't have to rush out the door to meet my bus, wouldn't have to worry about weather, just hop in a tube and poof! I'm at work. I could sleep in later, too.

So if these are the promises for the future made to us by science fiction, my only question is, "Is it the future yet?"

March 15 - Tips

If you are driving, and approaching an intersection, and there is not enough space on the other side of the intersection for your car, DO NOT GO THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.

I cannot stress this enough. If there is no space for you, I don't care what color the light is, don't go.

As much as we would like to think driving is a personal experience, it is not. It is a shared experience. As a driver, you have to share the road with other cars, bicyclists, pedestrians, construction crews, and occasionally wildlife. The best way to keep things running smoothly for everyone is if everyone works together to keep things running smoothly. This means if there is no space for you, don't go. If you go, you'll end up filling space that should rightfully go to someone else, so they'll honk and get irritated and the people in front of you will try to inch up because they feel bad that you're being a dick but they've go nowhere to go so they get impatient, or you'll move into the bike lane preventing cyclists from going on about their day and they'll yell nasty epithets at you, and the people in the houses and businesses around the intersection will have to listen to the honking and the yelling which disrupts their day, so really all you're doing by going through the intersection when there is no space for you on the other side is being a dick. And as our beloved Wil Wheaton says, "Don't be a dick."

So listen to Wil Wheaton* and the transitive property. If you go through an intersection when there is no space for you on the other side, you fuck things up for everyone else; fucking things up for everyone else is something a dick would do; so by going through an intersection when there is no space for you on the other side you're being a dick. Q.E.D.

Don't be a dick. Wait until there is space before you proceed.

*This message has not been endorsed or approved by Wil Wheaton in any way.

February 10 - Tourism

I'm a terrible tourist.

I love to travel. I love going new places and seeing new things. I really love going places where people don't speak English and trying to figure out how to make my way. I say I'm a terrible tourist, though, because I'm not good at doing all of the things you're "supposed" to do when you go somewhere. I've been to New York City more times than I can count and I've never been to the Statue of Liberty. But I have been to the bar that has a TARDIS for a bathroom.

I'm in Orlando for one more day, and I'm done with my work obligations, so I thought about what to do with the rest of the day. Orlando screams Disney, but I just can't make myself do Disney World or Epcot on my own. There will be tons of people walking slowly and taking pictures of everything and standing in lines and I just can't do it. My preference would be to find a cafe somewhere where people who live in Orlando go and just sit outside for some tea. What I like about traveling is seeing how other people live in other places, not seeing what other visitors want to take pictures of. I'm sure when I have a family and I travel with my kids, I'll show them that stuff because you should see that stuff once in your life. But now, as I am, I am more interested in how other people live than I am interested in tourist attractions.

So I did my one tourist-y thing today and am taking it easy the rest of the day. Disney World will still be here next time I'm in Orlando.