Mikki Lauren

Serenity. Serenity is a word that I believe we humans continuously seek to feel. For many of us, there are moments that nearly reach that perfect, serene sensation. For some, the feeling is unclear. My serenity was discovered underwater. I'm someone who always has countless thoughts continuously circulating. Mental over-stimulation is my greatest strength, yet my greatest weakness. It perpetuates a constant desire to ensure that i'll lock in future flights to valuable moments, relationships, experiences and challenges. The weakness? The weakness is that this overdrive quite possibly has, does, and could affect my present. I've discovered that finding the switch to perfect this balance is the true journey. But what i'm realizing is that i've already begun this journey, and i'm determined and to travel the hell out of it, and celebrate the endpoint. Until ... read more

My next adventure to teach in Thailand has officially begun! It's safe to say that continental hopping is quite habitual for myself, and is surely a characteristic that will stick for the long run. Some people know exactly who they want to be, where they want to be, what they want to do and when they want to do it, from the start. Then there are the people that wait on the chance of opportunity, and choose to spontaneously play "trial and error". And of course, there's the people scattered throughout this broad spectrum of lifestyle. I find that several walks of life are incredibly enticing. Sure, a beautiful house, stable career and a family sounds fulfilling, and like everyone's ultimate aspiration. However, the route of beautiful, unconventional disaster is full of exciting promise as well. ... read more

It's been over two months since I last updated. Partially because I finally hit a somewhat normal routine and because this is my third time in Buenos Aires,Yes, I repeat my third time! When individuals question my logic for returning to this beautiful city AGAIN, I have often been left without a explanation that truthfully justifies the impact it has had and continues to have on my life. I have found that the best approach in explaining is by striking people on a more intimate level, with that said, my closest response is this: Remember when you fell in love for the first time, it provoked sides of you that you never knew once existed. Gravity starts to pull you in new directions, new powers hit you and all the walls that surrounded you before, have ... read more

Since I had seperated from Julia and Anna, I had planned on actually being on my own for awhile. I had arrived to Arequipa completely on my own, but ended up meeting some pretty incredible people. Because of this I ended up spending a lot more time there than I had originally anticipated. I took the bus (about 7 hours) and it was a peaceful ride. This was the first time I really had a solid amount of time to myself to seriously reflect. However, I found myself distracted quite a few times for the following reason.... In many places in South America, buses are the main form of transit, however, if you pay the right price, you can get a bus thats rather luxurious meaning the seats can go all the way back and you ... read more

I arrived to Cusco early in the morning, the sun was shining and the air was warm! I was worried that I would suffer from altitude sickness but thanks to my personal pharmacy, there were no problems! When I arrived at the hostel (which by the way had a beautiful terrace, bar, tv room and lounge area) my room was not ready so I stored my bags and began exploring the city. I hit the main square of Plaza del Armas and began working my bargaining skills at the market. When I returned to the hostel I passed out in the sun and then made it to my bed once it was clean. It was really hard to sleep though because I was too anxious to see more of Cusco. Once awake I began my search ... read more