Hi all! 

As most of you know I began a big adventure this week. I’m attending an inclusive dance teacher training in Eugene, Oregon for the next month. That’s right, I get to spend the majority of each day for the next month dancing. I’m a pretty happy lady! Here’s my first email installation of what I’ve been up to… 

It started out with an epic road trip…19 hours in fact, many of which I slept through. Thankfully, I’m lucky enough to call the kindest man in the world...

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I've been on the road now for a few weeks and considering I came here with a bag full of dirty laundry, this week it was necessary to find a laundromat.  Thankfully my friend Mike found one here in downtown Budapest.  We were so excited and grabbed our dirty clothes, piled into a cab and headed into the city center.  

We passed the parliament building decked out in gold lights as we drove across the Danube River.  It looked beautiful and made me really excited for our days off next week when w...
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Fun Spanish Christmas fact for you: in Catalonia (Northeastern Spain) nativity scenes typically include a figurine with pants pulled down, pooping in the stable.  I stumbled across this gem of information while perusing the goods of a rest stop off highway 68 when the company was en route to Zaragoza, Spain. 

           

The rest stop restaurant was decorated with large wine barrels on their sides that were hallowed out with scenes depicted inside.  One barrel held the nati...

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Although going to a traditional English pub doesn't differ too much from a night at a local watering hole in the states, here are a few tips to keep in mind before visiting England's oldest inn, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem.


1. You must order food/beverages from the bar tender or risk looking completely silly and awkward by sitting in a dark corner booth waiting for someone to come around and take your order.  And as Ye Old Trip to Jerusalem has several hidden, cavernous corners it is very possib...
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The latest stain I received at breakfast today when I began peeling what I t...
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I was feeling pretty down on my flight to Aberdeen after reading an article in the Lufthansa magazine in which various celebrities from Jane Goodall to Jamie Oliver of Food Network's the Naked Chef shared their feelings on what our world will look like in 2050.  They spoke of the loss of species, destruction of the environment and starvation and dehydration.  Not exactly the lightest reading.  

So I sighed in relief and awe as our plane broke through the clouds and we hovered for landing over ...
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I love sitting in the window seat.  It's a different world up here and there is something exhilarating about watching as the plane dives and dips into the white mist of clouds.  From up here, the world looks as I feel it seems now, after traveling for so long, small.  It no longer feels as though I'm leaving my country, but more going back to another part of my world.  

In the days leading up to my departure to join this European tour I was afraid of leaving the comfort and happiness I found w...
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“Thank you for your medicine, your positive energy and the joy you bring to Mexico.”

The sun had set hours ago behind the Teotihuacan pyramids, as Gorilla, our tour and spirit guide bid us farewell.  Our bus wound it’s way around vibrantly decorated homes towards the highway. 

The scenery slowly began to change; from the simplistic, cheerful dwellings of Gorilla’s neighborhood, to the grey-toned concrete of the modern world.  But even as we left, I don’t think there was one pe...

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“Something’s not right with my tooth,” Jarred told me a few days after arriving in Tampico, Mexico.  He cranked open his jaw and I got a good view of the gaping hole in one of his top molars where a filling used to be.  

We asked at the front desk and surprisingly there were two dentists with in walking distance of the hotel.  Only one had a website which said i...

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I could hear waves crashing onto the shore outside when I awoke Tuesday morning.  I sank deeper under the covers and wondered if my first day off in Natal, Brazil might be better spent relaxing in the five-star Serhs Natal Grand Hotel complete with pool bar and beach access instead of going on the dune buggy tour Jarred and I had signed up for the day before. 

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Just a short walk from our hotel in Fortaleza, the bright lights of the cities skyline bounce brightly off the cool, black water of the Atlantic Ocean.  The colorful creatures of Fortaleza’s nightlife gather along the boardwalk and entertain passersby with warped sexiness and magic tricks. 

 

Tonight we walk in their midst searching for trilling night of fun in honor of fellow cast mate, Diego’s birthday.  We’re hit with the strange paradox of watching yellow and orange bands of li...

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After spending the majority of the past week confined to either the hotel or the theatre across the street, Jarred and I ventured out on our first official day off to see a bit more of Sao Paulo, Brazil.  We didn’t want to wander too far, as we were still feeling the effects of last night’s round of caipirinhas, Brazil’s official cocktail made with lime juice, sugar and a Brazilian distilled liquor called cachaca. 

 

Luckily about five or six blocks from our hotel we stumbled upon D...

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After much anticipation, yet relative ease, I've made my way to Sao Paulo, Brazil.  After a somewhat long wait in the customs line, I wearily wobbled towards the luggage carousel, and I'm sure the Avianca attendant standing near the belt instinctively knew I was in need of help.  He asked to see my baggage claim ticket and his brow instantly furrowed as he read aloud "American Airlines".  

"Your bags," he began apologettically, "are in Bogota."  Having been through this exact scenario more tim...
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As it turns out, I did have to resort to high school Espanol in transit today.  My plane buddy for my flight to Bogota, Columbia was a sweet, little old lady who wanted to chat, regardless of my inability to form complete sentences in Spanish and her inability to understand anything beyond "American".  

I learned she was from a canyon somewhere near Bogota with the held of the maps in the inflight magazine.  I managed to communicate that I'd flown from Colorado to Miami and was heading to Sao ...
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A cold shower to wake me up, last minute toiletries packed in my carry on, peanut butter toast carried in the car and gobbled up one hour after taking my Malaria pill, all before the sun peaks over the endless ridges of the Rocky Mountains.  

It's another day at work for me and I can't believe how lucky I am.  Off to Brazil to begin a tour with Mickey's Magic Show.  The rest of the cast is by now hopefully in the hotel in Sao Paulo, but because of bad weather in Denver two nights ago, I've bee...
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In the early hours of morning before the sun peaks out from the horizon, the aroma of fresh bread baking wafts up to the third floor and into my room at the Palace Hotel in Senigallia, Italy.  I check my watch, and discover it’s nearly three hours before the alarm will begin its incessant chirping.  

I layer myself up in running paraphernalia and tiptoe out of the small room, trying my best to not wake my roommate.  As I creep down the carpet-lined stairs, avoiding the small, shaky eleva...

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"If you get a chance, go to Taroko Gorge."  

Not really much to go on, but it was my father's only advice when I asked him what to see while in Taiwan.  He served in the Peace Corps in the Philippines after graduating college, and visited the nearby island during one of his breaks.  After spending a week and a half bathed in the brightly lit chaos of Taipei, I was craving some rural landscape and decided to give it a chance.  

I woke early the next day with determination to make it to the break...
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Pure Yoga is a yoga studio chain located throughout Taiwan, and while staying in Taichung, a city in western Taiwan, some of my fellow performers took dance and aerobic classes there on our days off.  On the Fourth of July I woke early hoping to catch one of the classes but was disappointed when the studio appeared closed after 9 a.m.  I decided to go for a run instead despite the intense heat and humidity, and ran towards the large science center not far from our hotel. 


The center is surroun...
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Our first leg of our Taiwan tour begins in Kaohsiung, a city lining the southwest beach of the island.  Near our hotel is a large park surrounding the cultural center where groups of people gather to practice tai chi, ballroom dancing and group exercise of several kinds.  This morning I leave the hotel early in the morning to photograph some of the massive statues that surround the park.  After circling the park twice, I'm drenched in sweat and look for a place to rest for a moment.  


Near ...
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Ok, I'm going to have to go out of order here.  There are still several blogs I need to write on the rest of my trip in Japan, however, they'll have to wait because I am currently in Taiwan, and this country is amazing!  So many things to write about...starting with an ever hectic travel day...

The night before my departure, my sister and I sat on the couch of our screened porch, riffling through aged photographs to use in a slideshow for my brother's 30th birthday.  Mom sat beside us drifting...
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Between stretches of grey, brick walls and dark thunderous tunnels, our train breezes past the hilly countryside of Nagoya's outskirts at 300 K.  As the track descends a somewhat steep hill covered in bushes resembling cauliflower, I feel my stomach slowly creep up into my throat.  Despite it's speed, the train is incredibly smooth, rocking only so slightly as to lull several of it's passengers to sleep.  

A business man wearing wire rimmed glasses nods off and on between sleep as his cell pho...
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It's Saint Patrick's Day in Nagoya, Japan.  I don't think I could have picked a more green atmosphere in which to celebrate the holiday.  

 
It's the beginning of spring, and as I sit in a lush city park near Nagoya's Sakae Station, I can hear birds chirping in delight as an older gentleman throws seeds into the sky for them to catch.  A group of young children wearing matching yellow hats explore the park's stream, and poke at multicolored fish that lazily swim through it's clear water.  An ol...
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After another long day of rehearsing in Nagoya at our silo shaped rehearsal building where you have to bring a second pair of shoes to wear as you "indoor shoes," Nathaniel, Dennis and I head out of the hotel to immerse ourselves in a little Nagoyan culture.  We walk along a covered street, that offers a market-like shopping experience with designer store pricing.  The only things we buy are lunch and ice cream.  
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It's my first full day in Japan.  And as a combination of jet lag and the sun's brilliant light wakes me up in country's own version of the Motor City, Nagoya, I feel inspired to explore the area.  Armed with my camera, sunglasses and a light jacket, I head out the door of Tokyu Hotel.  


As I walk along litter free sidewalks crowded with business men and women on their morning commutes, I hear an woman's voice overpowering the sound of traffic, warbling loudly in rapid Japanese.  I soon discov...
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The wait at Gate D4 of the Detroit airport turned into hours as a nice, thick fog settled in around Chicago's, O'hare Airport making it impossible to land the miniscule plane parked outside the window.  I kept nervously glancing at the ticket for my connecting flight, which was planned to leave for Tokyo, Japan in about two hours. I could hear a business man behind me gabbering on and on to the passengers around him, and based on the one-sided conversation, I gathered that he lived in Japan, ...
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Today at work, our boss announced there would be a company party to celebrate New Years Eve later that evening in our hotel, "at the boat".  That's right, "at the boat".  Amid the slot machines and crap tables that fill up our casino/hotel, guests enjoy the cuisine of a Mediterranean themed restaurant, Galileo complete with a life-size ship docked between the buffet and the bar.  Customers can choose to sit at the port or stern side of the deck, or those without their sea legs can opt to sit ...
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If you find yourself in Moscow in winter and a local offers to show you around town, a word of advice: either wear every piece of clothing available in your suitcase, or (when in Rome…) down at least three shots of vodka before heading out.  Both of these options will help you combat the intense cold, although the latter may leave you hugging the ol’ porcelain throne the few next days.  

Unequipped with my own advice, I threw on only one pair of long johns beneath my jeans and sweater,...

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Everyone is looking forward to enjoying our day off today in Moscow.  Especially since our kind security team has organized a bus tour of the city.  Cruising the streets of Moscow in the comfort of a heated bus sounds ideal!  

After pilfering a sack lunch from the hotel's continental breakfast, Chris and I head to the lobby with our cameras and notebooks in hand.  Once we've all assembled, Tatiyana (our Russian tour guide) leads us to the purple coach bus we'll be traveling in for the day.

We s...
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Before heading off for a day of work today, my roommate, Chris, and I ventured out into the frozen tundra in search souvenirs to lug home in our already ready-to-bust suitcases.  The day before, while driving to work, we saw a few folding tables piled with Russian wares set up on the side of an overpass.  It didn't seem too far away from our hotel, and the shopping was limited to maybe fifteen or less tables, so we figure we'll be able to shop for at least a little while in comfort before nee...
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 A generous dose of Xanax is highly recommended for anyone wishing to visit the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia.  Among the themes featured in the Russian art are disease, flooding, derelict architecture, drowning, war casualties, funeral processions, and death in general.  One especially uplifting image entitled "Inconsolable Grief" depicts a widow dressed in black holding a handkerchief to her mouth to stifle back tears as she adds yet another bouquet of lilies to the blooming collectio...
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I smell the sweet sent of roasted almonds drifting from the nearby park as I crane my neck to look up at the vibrantly painted onion domes of the Church of Our Savior on Spilt Blood.  Our cast has lovingly named it “the Ice Cream Palace” and although I’ve stopped by at least once everyday since we arrived in Saint Petersburg, I’m no less awed by its stunning façade.  

 

A couple dressed in 17^th century clothing poses for photographs with tourists near the exit of the church (for a ...

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The first night after I arrived in Russia, I slept like a baby through the night.  Unfortunately, ever since then, bedtime has been a different story.  Last night I forced myself to stay awake until 11:00 pm, and drifted to sleep, which I enjoyed until the ripe ol’ hour of 3:00 am.  Hooray for jet lag.  Actually, as annoying as it is, being awake for hours on end does have it’s advantages. 

For example, this morning, after lying in bed with my eyes permanently fixed open, I decided to ...

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On our way home from work, our bus trudges over the snow covered bridge across the Neva River, St. Petersburg’s main waterway.  Looking quite different from the swiftly rushing river it was just days ago, the water is now at a complete standstill, jutting up in frozen ridges across the bumpy surface.  

A member of our security team told me the other day that we are lucky we’re visiting during the off season because when the river is thawed, the bridges are only kept down for a certain ...

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Laughter comes in so many different forms.  There's the nervous laughter that comes when you attempt to explain yourself away to someone you care about.  There's the laughter that covers tears that comes when you put on your brave face.  And there's even that evil laughter that comes when plotting revenge.  But the best variety of laughter by far, is that true laugh that starts off deep in your chest and comes out in the most obnoxiously wonderful sound through your mouth and ears and eyes.  ...
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Alongside an article in The St. Petersburg Times describing the death and destruction of a fire at a local nightclub ignited due to negligence of fire safety rules during a pyrotechnics show, I read about a movement started by a former St. Petersburg cop to expose corruption in the Russian police force.  Alexei Dymovsky release a You Tube video in which he speaks out against police quotas for prosecutions, and low wages, which he says ultimately leads to evidence fabrication and police abus...

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I think this flight attendant seriously needs to rethink his profession if he ever plans on smiling, laughing or partaking in any other enjoyable activity again.  The distain with which he throws the packet of exactly 12.5 pretzels onto my tray makes me incredibly envious of the passengers on the other side of the plane who are greeted by the gracious smile of white-haired, somewhat plump Kathy-who loosely resembles my childhood friend’s granny.  

The fact that I actually know Kathy’s ...

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Today is our first day in Tianjin.  Eger to explore, I bug Chris as she unpacks her suitcase to leave everything in reckless abandon and walk around the city in search of adventure.  For the first half an hour or so after the hotel staff hands us our room key, Chris likes to organize her toiletries in the bathroom, arrange her snacks on top of the TV and acquaint herself with the little room we’ll call home for the next week. 

I, on the other hand, consider myself domesticated if I de...

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As I ventured out this morning, bound for the Beijing Zoo, I committed the ultimate of travel blunders here in China.  I took an absolutely ridiculous route to get where I was going, only to realize there was a much simpler way to go once I arrived.  In an act of what I can only guess was an inability for my body and mind to wake up, I rode the subway for about ten more stops than necessary, which honestly was quite enjoyable.  The Beijing Subway is in immaculate condition.  

I guess ...

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I could feel the sun’s intensity pierce through the thick folds of the course coach window curtain, and knew that the SPF 55 I’d slathered on earlier that morning just wasn’t going to cut it.  In defeat I pulled the curtain aside to reveal the lush countryside of Beijing’s outskirts.  As the bus climbed higher and higher up Yanshan mountain, my anticipation spiked as well.  In about a half an hour I’d be walking along the Middle Kingdom’s ultimate defense structure, the G...

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Note to self: when in China, a morning walk through the park can lead to recruitment with the local Chinese dance group.  By some ironic twist of fate, I woke up this morning (my only day off while we are here in Shijizhaung) around 7:30 am.  After taking an uncomfortably lukewarm shower (apparently even that early there’s no hot water), I got dressed for the day and pulled on my kaki pants.  In my haste to pack my suitcase in Shanghai, I had wedged them into the only open cranny, an...

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On every street corner you can spot him.  His eternal smile finds you from nearly every inch of the Peoples Square. And just when you think you’ve escaped his Gumby-like figure, a street peddler accosts you, shoving a stuffed, blue toy of his likeness in your face.  He is the face behind the slogan, “Better city, better life”.  He is the mascot of the 2010 World Expo, Haibao. 

 

With all the world’s eyes on Shanghai next year, great efforts have been taken to live up to the...

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If you ever want to feel like a rock star, I suggest making a visit to China.  I’d been journaling earlier today at the edge of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, and I had a Chinese teenager, dressed in punk clothing, a group of young girls and their mothers, and two shy teenage girls approach me and ask to have photographs taken with me.  There was also a curious policeman who attempted to read over my shoulder, and a small boy, wearing a homemade grass crown, who also seemed to be very ...

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I woke up this morning with no idea of the adventure ahead of me.  I hadn’t planned on going sightseeing, but when I strolled down to the lobby of the hotel, a group of my friends were planning a trip to China’s national tea museum, and then they were heading to a teahouse for the real experience.  It sounded to me like a great day out, so I decided to join them.  We grabbed two brochures from the front desk with the tea museum written in Chinese characters so we could show each of o...

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Often referred to as “the Venice of the East”, Zhouzhuang offers visitors a unique shopping experience as they zigzag through this water township’s narrow cobble-stoned closes encountering treasures to remind them of their travels.  Although it can at times be difficult to maneuver through the crowd, avoiding the eager shouts of the shop owners advertising less desirable wares and mustering the courage to barter with those who offer true gems. 

Despite my own reluctance to haggle...

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It’s a rainy day in Kunshan, not exactly ideal conditions for watching the solar eclipse that supposedly occurs today.  And so I retreat, for the third time since waking up, back to the billowy comforts of my hotel bed.  I realize how glad I am to have this hotel room, a small haven away from the (at times) shockingly public streets of China.                

I remember seeing my first half naked child at the local grocery store defecating into a nearby trashcan, and wonderin...

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When my roommate and I entered through the front doors of the Four Points Sheraton in Changzhou, our mouths dropped in unison as we absorbed the beauty of the high-ceiling, chandelier lit, marble-tiled lobby.  As we rode the elevator to the 23^rd floor, I read an advertisement describing the hotels beds as “900 pieces springs supporting your body,” and the fact that I slept in until 10:30 this morning attests to the coziness of the mattress.  The room itself, equipped with a flat scree...

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Pedestrians Beware: You do NOT have the right of way when crossing the street in China.  Who does, you ask?  Well, that is certainly debatable, but when I’m crossing the street it’s definitely that vehicle that is rapidly approaching without any intention of slowing down, despite the clearly lit WALK sign.

In China, the traffic lights count down to the change of the light.  Sadly this does not ail any impatience that drivers may have, because they usually just ignore the light all tog...
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When touring China, there is hardly need to bring along your StairMaster.  A visit to just a few of the sights will give you beefier calves than Jillian Michaels.  After huffing and puffing my way up the 392 steps atop Shongshan Mountain to the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum in Nanjing, I thought for sure I'd experienced my toughest climb.  

That was until I hit the streets of Changzhou and found myself starring up 153 meters to the top of the TianNing Pagoda.  The 13-story Ze...
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It's an interesting feeling being away from the States on the Fourth of July.  In some ways it almost passes without second notice, there are no parades, picnics or fireworks in the sky to act as a reminder of my country's independence.  And yet, a sense of patriotism creeps into my daily life here nonetheless.  I remind myself to be grateful for the freedoms I posses as an American when it comes to anything from the simple pleasure of watching tv shows on youtube.com to walking along the ...
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Last night our local host, Vivi, surprised us with an impromptu field trip to the Confucius Temple.  I was expecting a quiet, historical area for contemplation, and boy, was I surprised when our taxi dropped us in an area that looked more like a Chinese Los Vegas.  Every building was light up with a neon sign, and people swarmed the streets weaving in between the men with rickshaws begging tourists to take a ride and vendors selling exotic meats shish-kabob style.  

   

All of the light...
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Hooray I've found delicious food in China!  For dinner last night, a group of us ventured to a shopping and dining area a few blocks away, and decided on a place called Hot Pot.  At this restaurant, your waiter or waitress brings you a bowl of steaming broth, with floating spices, dates, and yumminess which is placed in the center of the table where there is a stove top service that heats the bowl's contents to a rolling boil.  Then your party orders plates of fresh vegetables, meats and ...
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Last night in a moment of confusion, I managed to get myself locked out of the hotel room.  I jumped in the elevator (which is lined with a matt displaying the day of the week in English and Mandarin, and changed everyday) and hoped the one receptionist who speaks English was on shift.  She was and by the time I had ridden the elevator back up to my floor, a maintenance person was waiting at my door to let me into my room.  These people have an incredible sense of efficiency.  

For example...
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After a long day of work, we were released from quarantine to eat at the restaurants a few blocks from our hotel and to explore the several levels of Carrefour, the local supermarket. Once the wall of humidity hit us as the sliding doors to our hotel opened, we were like kids in a candy store.  It's amazing what a few hours held up in a hotel can do to the spirit of a bunch of twenty-somethings.  We took photos, danced, even cried a little.  Ok, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but ...
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Yesterday I had the pleasure of experiencing my first authentic Chinese meal.  When I was younger, ev...

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                                                                                      With the economy in shambles the amount of discount airline e-tickets purchased online is increasing, and it’s hard to imagine taking a trip void of some type of layover.  Now I’m not usually one to complain about these stops in Podunk, New York or Kansas City, Missouri when I’m on my way to Orlando, Florida, after all it’s all about the journey, not j...

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I felt it the night before I left.  That feeling I get every time I leave home for an extended period of time, that homesick longing that always creeps up on me.  Senses are intensified and it suddenly becomes very, very clear how incredibly good I have it in life.  

I tend to pause when entering the kitchen, crowded with family chatting and children playing and flash a dreamy smile, like I'm reenacting a scene from "It's a Wonderful Life."

The annoying squeaks from the dining room floor so...
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