Introductions...

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Ok, so this is my travel blog. My eventual goal is to become a full time travel writer. I graduated from UC Irvine’s Literary Journalism program last spring and now I am floating around in Long Beach. I did an unpaid internship for a music magazine in LA and it sort of fizzled out into nothing. I admit, I probably could have been more aggressive about turning it into something more full-time, but I was poor, and stressed, and I thought I could do better, so I quit. Now I’m working full time at UCI and trying to write on the side. We’ll see how it works out. This blog is my first writing project outside of school.

The focus of my writing on this blog will consist mainly of my travel experience up to this point and maybe my travel plans for this year. Although, I will probably include some personal blogs as well, just because my life is crazy and often affects my travel. Disclaimer: I am NOT a travel advice giver. Anything you read on this blog is simply a reflection of my personal experiences. I can’t tell you what to do/what not to do in the countries that I visit or have visited. Maybe someday, I can speak from the point of view of a seasoned traveler, but for now, this is mostly a blog about a young Black woman lifting up rocks to see what she finds.

I decided to focus my writing career on travel after the summer I went abroad back in 2005. I had planned on going abroad since I was a freshman, but I didn’t know where I wanted to go and I wasn’t sure if I could handle traveling on my own in a foreign country. I’d been to Mexico a few times (a staple of the California lifestyle- I have yet to meet a native Californian who has never been to Mexico). I also went to Canada during a trip to Detroit while visiting my father’s relatives. However, I had never been out of the country on my own and I had no idea what I was doing. I am a city-girl, through and through, and I love big, sprawling, urban playgrounds.

So I went to my school’s study-abroad office and signed up for an intro/mixer/presentation thing. I decided that I was going to go to England, specifically Cambridge, because they offered the courses that I needed to satisfy a history requirement. Language was also really important. I don’t know a whole lot of Spanish and in a stressful situation, I’m sure I would totally blank. I didn’t want to go to a country with major political instability, harsh summer climates, or lots of anti-Americanism.

Most of you are probably thinking at this point that I am a horrible, stupid American who would never go to a third world country or learn the language of the country I’m visiting or constantly complain about my hotel room or insist on speaking English the whole time or do other obnoxious things that American travelers do. Not true! Even though I was a virgin traveler, I was well-informed, contentious, and open to all sorts of new experiences. But I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew on my first trip. England was like an appetizer. My next big trip will be a four-course meal.

So after months of planning and preparation I flew to England for the summer…
And made stops in London, Bath, and Paris. I will detail the trip every other entry or so. It was a long summer and waaay too much to describe in one entry. I will also include my plans for future trips and plead for my readers advice on travel and information about the places I mention. So, life changing trip details to come.

Right now, I’m planning a trip to New York in March and I am contemplating an excursion for late summer (end of August, beginning of September). Here are the countries I am nominating:
1) Italy- Mostly Southern- Rome, Venice
2) Thailand- All over
3) China- Beijing, Shanghai
4) Greece- Athens
Next entry: New York planning and England, Week 1!

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Comments

[Tiff]

advice
Venice = must eat at Harry's Bar (birthplace of the bellini), ride the gondolas just once...for the hell of it, its really not that magical...the water stinks... but do it in a group so you can get a group discount, try and go when its the season of high tide so that the courtyard of the Doges Palace is flooded and you can ride the gondola into the square China/Shanghai: I will cover this one. Go when I'm going and I'll show you around =) Bring pairs of your favorite jeans/clothes and you can have another made for a low low price exactly the same style/size. China/Beijing: Best time to go would be soon AFTER the Olympics when the tickets will likely be cheaper, hotels will be available again, and the Chinese are still keeping good appearances for the few foreigners that haven't yet left. Thailand: Try to leave Bangkok and explore some of the better cities, bring Pepto Bismal. Greece/Athens: Hit up an island to take a break from the big city (Athens). I went to Peros which is not as popular (and also not as beautiful but STILL beautiful) as Santorini, though most tourists like to party at Mykinos. Athens....go see the acropolis, avoid eating near there...the prices are exhorbitant, eat a gyro an some dolmas for the hell of it Rome: If you go to a cafe, stand at the bar, don't sit. That way you wouldn't have to pay a tip/sitting fee. Espressos there come in a small cup the size of your thumb. So to get your money's worth, order a cappacino/latte. Visit the Trevi fountain. Depending on the season, the Spanish steps are ugly because its often under construction or the flowers are being replaced. However, the fancy shopping is along that district. Things are expensive there, including the food. Walk around the city and you'll easily see ruins everywhere. Its like a free museum. Visit the colusseum. There are a lot of ruins around that area. Its usually a pit in the middle of the street barred off by some fencing. If you have time, go to Florence. I find it has the most authentic Italian feel. It is less chaotic than Rome and don't have as many tourists as Venice.

[Judi]

Olympics
This could work for or against you, but remember the Olympics will be in Beijing in August. Looks like your list consists of places that will all be really hot and humid in late summer.