Tag Archives: traveling

Reason #9 Why I’m Glad to be Leaving my Twenties: Traveling

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There’s nothing like traveling in your twenties – the youth hostels, the many layovers you took to get the cheapest airline possible, the feeling of seeing Europe for the first time in your life, and the incredible anticipation that this is going to be the best time of your life thus far. The utter curiosity that comes with having no clue what awaits you, but thinking that maybe you do know, and then realizing you could have never imagined it.

Also, I feel that when I traveled in my twenties, I wasn’t as set in my ways so I was able to assimilate quickly to new cultures and become a chameleon to wherever I was. Every country I entered, they thought I was a local.

I can’t imagine traveling in my thirties will be much different. I still have no idea what Asia is like or Australia or South America. But I might have more connections which will mean more tours by local friends of friends. I’ll be able to see the cities in ways that I could never have afforded to before – for example, in a helicopter or by renting a motorcycle. In my twenties, it was more about hoping I would meet someone who would invite me to do something so adventurous. Now I can do it with or without anyone else, or I could even be the one to invite them to join me.

But the flashiness is not what matters in traveling. It’s the learning of other cultures; the mind opening to ideas and places previously unimaginable; it’s about the conversations that happen without knowing the same language, and the heart opening to humankind.

The biggest thing I think traveling will give me as I get older is a renewed sense of wonderment in a mind that is able to process it in a wiser way.

A New Year’s Resolution – quite literally

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I was very excited for New Year’s eve this year. Last year, we spent it with Jock’s brother and girlfriend and had an amazing time. See examples below:

So, this year was MY sister’s turn! For Amanda, it had been her first time out on New Year’s for nearly 5 years – being a single mom, and then pregnant last year will do that to you. We also had a fabulous time. See examples below:

During all of this merriment, however, my purse was stolen. Those f&*%ing bastards!!!

Despite the club being a private club where Guillermo (my sister’s fiancé) knew 60% of the people inside, and despite the fact that we had a private table, someone yanked my purse from underneath my coat, and ran off with it. It gets worse – not only was my wallet, new Windows Phone and makeup in there, but Jock’s $200 Hugo Boss wallet with all of his cash and credit cards was in there as well. He never gives me his wallet to put in my purse when we go out out – so this stank even more.

We searched the club up and down for about an hour before we gave up, and decided it was a lost cause. I tried to rationalize – perhaps someone took the purse by accident, thinking it was their own. There was only one problem with that thought – my purse was BRIGHT orange. Jock’s brother had bought it for me for Christmas from Top Shop in London, and I highly doubt there was another purse in that club even remotely similar to it.

So, at 2AM, we went home, and suffice it to say – all that fun we had earlier in the night was sucked out by the fact that neither Jock nor I had a wallet, any money or any credit cards. You start thinking about the little things that you lost in that wallet when you’ve been violated like that – such as the lucky $2 bill that my best friend Courtney gave to Jock, or my USC student ID that never expires, and allows me to get discounts all over Europe, or the one pound coin that we found in our backyard in Bristol that dates back to 1882. The credit cards and ID’s can be replaced, but that kind of stuff can’t.

We called the cops, and I met with them the next day in Baltimore City. At first, they acted as if I were the suspect – asking me questions like, “Well, why didn’t you call us as soon as it happened?” Quenching the urge to cry and yell, “I didn’t steal my own purse, damn it!!”, I simply told them that Guillermo knew the owners of the club, and we decided to wait until the next day to see if it turned up because we didn’t want to waste the police officer’s time.

They liked that answer. We filed the report, they left for ten minutes to “search” for my purse, and came back with no answer.

THANK GOD Jock and I had just been abroad and had our passports in our suitcases, or else there is no way we would have been able to get on that plane the next day back to Chicago. And, as much fun as we’ve had over the last months, we were really ready to get back.

We got back home to Chicago, slightly depressed and really annoyed at what happened. I kept going over and over in my mind how it could have happened – there was always someone by the table, and my sister’s purse was right next to mine, but they didn’t take hers. Then, I decided I would be grateful for what I did still have, and tried to make myself feel better by realizing that it was just a material object.

I kept checking our credit cards, and nothing had been charged. Jock urged me to cancel the cards, but I just had a feeling something might happen. I decided to just carefully monitor them.

Two days later, at 10:15am, I see a call coming in from a number I don’t recognize in Baltimore. My stomach lurches, and I have this feeling…..

MY FEELING IS RIGHT!!! A kind woman and manager of the Professional Arts Building three blocks away from the club (named Charmaine) has found my purse. I should say that the janitor found my purse in the trash chute, and handed it in to her. My business cards were in the purse, and she called me.

I couldn’t believe it!!! She said everything seemed to be in tact, and my ID and credit cards were all in there, as well as Jock’s credit cards. There was even cash in an envelope that my Grandmother had given to Jock as a Christmas present. When we received it two days later (thanks to my incredible sister and mom for picking it up), we saw that everything had been shuffled around, and actually, there was no cash nor any sign of  Windows Phone.

So, clearly, someone had stolen the purse after all. I just can’t believe the janitor found it in the trash! The likelihood of it being buried under something, and never being found is quite high. I feel so lucky. You can laugh all you want, but I truly believe I have a guardian angel watching over me.

My thoughts before the purse being sent back: 2012 is going to be a really shit year.

My thoughts after receiving purse in the mail: 2012 is going to be the best freaking year of all time – I’ll get a book deal, a movie deal, and SocialKaty will become the best social media marketing company in the country! I’ll get engaged, grow my hair really long, and get in kick-ass shape. Hell yeah – bring on 2012!!!

Clearly, I was very excited. I know it seems crazy, but this has made me truly remember how good people can be (and how bad), but mostly how good they are. What a whirlwind of a week.

What are your goals for 2012? And do you have any crazy stories from the holidays??

Returning to The List

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In December of 2009, I put together a list of things I wanted to do in the next eight months. We’ve gone back and forth so many times on whether or not we were going to move back to the states, but in December, we apparently were already planning on heading back.

I’d like to revisit it to see how much of it I’ve actually accomplished now that we have 5 weeks left in the UK, and I doubt I will have time to do any more.

Here goes:

1. Use the word “whilst” in as many situations and posts as possible. – Although I’ve used this in writing as much as possible, not sure how much I actually used it in speech. I promise not to when I return, that I can assure you.

2. Use the term “double fisting” instead of “double parked” in as many party situations as possible  – I think I gave up on this shortly after this post. Not very classy of me, would you say?

3. Mulled Wine – drink as much as possible. – I was able to drink quite a bit over the Christmas season. Unfortunately, they tease you with it and then abruptly get rid of it after December. Just like they do with Christmas decorations – not fair!

4. Tea – drink as much as possible. – You could say I’ve had my fair share of tea. As in, if I never have another cup it may be too soon. Not really! But I am ready for a good latte.

5. Absinthe – illegal in the US. Drink as much as possible. – Wow. I come across as quite the alcoholic in my posts. Nope, never got it. Just good old Poitin from Ireland.

6. See Manchester United play at Old Trafford. – DONE AND DONE! See my post about it here: “My First Old Trafford Experience.”

7. Visit the Brecon Beacons in Wales whilst it’s not raining. – Amazing. This was probably one of the best things I have done in the UK. Have gone back twice. See post about Carreg Cannen here and Eileen’s account of our day here and Abergavenny here.

8. Tower of London – Went with Courtney in March, and was so worth the trip! Highly recommend it. Photo here.

9. Write an entire blog with English sayings and spellings. – No, never. Never. Attempted a while ago, but gave up. I’m not English or British. A French blog entry, that’s another story!

10. Meet the Queen. Sir John (i.e. Grampy), can you set this up? – No, but I did see her dog. (Read: “27, But Who’s Counting?”) Does that count? See in the left side?

11. Go back to Edinburgh just because it’s so wonderful, and it’s right here. – Am very bummed we weren’t able to do this, but we’ll be back and I’ve been there before. We’ve done so many other amazing things.

12. A day at the horse races. Never been. – YES! Again, with Courtney, Jock, Tommo and Greg, we went to Chepstow Horse Races. Very exciting and everything I hoped it would be. Did I mention Courtney won 60 quid?

13. Gambling. – Yes, at the horse races. Besides that, I realized that gambling is really not my thing.

14. Long Boating down the Thames, or another English river. – OH YEAH. For Jock’s brother’s birthday. Read all about it here and here: AND Magazine, Barge Into Family

15. Pantomime. – Brilliant. It was truly brilliant. We did indeed go with Jock’s parents. Here is my take on Panto – “Not Exactly Shakespeare, It’s Panto.”

16. High Tea at the Ritz. Expensive? Probably. But it’s a must, right? – No, but see number 4 above.

Bring on America!


We’re Moving!

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Tis the end of the lady who lunches era/reign/bubble…she will soon be a lady who busts her ass at a wonderful job in writing that she adores in Chicago (that’s the idea, at least). In six weeks, we will be on our flight back to Baltimore!

We’re ready to try America out for a while. It’s been a year and a half in lovely England, and it just feels like the right time to move. We’ve gone back and forth on this decision for many months, hence my lack of discussion on here.

I am ecstatic!

Jock will be doing his same job in the states, and I will have to find something new. Don’t particularly fancy going back to casting (although for the right job, maybe), and now that I’ve started my career in writing, I’d like to continue – magazine or newspaper would be ideal.

If I can get a book deal in the next couple of months, obviously that would help majorly. As you know from my previous post, I am working hard at getting that done. Any contacts or advice from the Chicagoans would be greatly appreciated!

Meanwhile, the first couple of months in America will simply be relaxing and traveling. Jock and I have managed to save up a good deal of money so we don’t have to worry about finding work right away.

We’re thinking – uncle’s house in Las Vegas, grandpa’s cabin in North Carolina, best friend’s apartment in NYC, perhaps the beach in Ocean City, MD, a friend’s wedding in Chicago and maybe grandparent’s house in Miami, oh and of course Baltimore for a couple of weeks!

So, although our flight home is in just six weeks, we won’t actually be living in Chicago until September. (Chicago is the place where Jock and I fell in love nearly two years ago. We considered moving back to LA, but I kind of feel like I’ve been there, done that. Plus, he has a lot of friends in Chicago, and it’s right in between my hometown of Baltimore and my college town of Los Angeles.)

Never thought I would say that about moving back to the states, but I can’t wait to have my family and friends around me, grab a big gulp at 7Eleven, dry my clothes in a machine and wrap myself in a freshly dried, soft, warm towel, sunbathe in the SUN on a sandy beach, and eat a butterfinger, buy cheap intercontinental flights to Miami, LA, NYC, Baltimore, etc., and to talk to strangers in the street.

Things I am not looking forward to: American television, every girl and their mother asking my boyfriend where he’s from (and then batting their eyelashes and swooning – I will knock them out with a bat if I have to! *random aggressive feeling*), portion sizes, American radio (except your show Tyler, I will tune in for country just for you), country music, that feeling I always get in America that I’m not doing enough and can always do better, talking to strangers in the street.

P.S. Watch out Chicago ladies, because I will be starting another ladies group when I get there. Need my women around me! But of course, I will miss the original Ladies Who…!