My first post is a repost, which seems appropriate because it's a flashback to the first time I realized I had a real point of view to share. This comes from the Tumblr I started when I was living in Singapore more than four years ago:
April 20, 2010
The most remarkable, breath-taking, smile-and-giddy-laughter-inducing thing happened to me today!
I had just gotten a package from home (yes, Mom and Dad, you will be happy to hear that “home” is still Orange, CA). I was lounging in bed, snacking on girl scout cookies and loosing myself in the latest issue of National Geographic when I turned the page to scene that immediately grabbed me and pulled me in with its jarring familiarity. April 20, 2010
The most remarkable, breath-taking, smile-and-giddy-laughter-inducing thing happened to me today!
Really, it was suddenly like I was there, in the photo. The strange blue-green color, the delicately lacy pattern of falling water, the rope knotted at remarkably regular intervals - I knew all these things. In my mind, I could fill in the off-camera surrounds. I could see the boy’s swing reach its apex. I could hear the splash that was sure to come.
Then it hit me: I had been here before, just a few months ago.
The spot is in northern Laos, about an hour’s ride outside of Luang Prabang. How we ended up at the waterfall exactly is still a bit of a mystery: part persuasion by local tuk-tuk drivers touting rides to “Kouang Si,” part sleep-deprived indifference on the part of my traveling partner (and fellow USC Trojan) Lisa and myself, and, I suppose, part serendipity.
The spot is in northern Laos, about an hour’s ride outside of Luang Prabang. How we ended up at the waterfall exactly is still a bit of a mystery: part persuasion by local tuk-tuk drivers touting rides to “Kouang Si,” part sleep-deprived indifference on the part of my traveling partner (and fellow USC Trojan) Lisa and myself, and, I suppose, part serendipity.
But the logistics of the journey matter less than this simple fact: I was there. And so was some adventurous photographer from National Geographic.
For as long as I can remember I have been gazing into the pages of that magazine and dreaming up adventures to far-away lands and friendships with exotic people from halfway around the world. All along I had been creating this fabulous globe-trotting life for myself that was all in my head.
But now, it isn’t just in my head anymore.
Since I came to Asia in August I’ve been living that life and loving it. So now, here on this blog, I’m going to share it all with you. And who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself at Kouang Si waterfall someday too. If you do, I hope you’ll share it with me.
With Love from Asia,
Stephanie