I'm Back

I'm back from Ankara. I got home last night 7 hours late, minus one suitcase, seriously sleep-deprived, and looking somewhat unwashed, but otherwise safe and sound. I'll post pictures and reminisces soon!

Dammit, I'm going to be on a plane!

There's a pantsless Metro ride planned for the afternoon of January 12. That would have been such a cool birthday gift--seeing a railcar full of pantsless people. Read more at DCist. It kinda reminds me of flash mobs, which was a brief fad I'm sad I never got to experience. Oddly enough, flash mobs were purportedly created "as a social experiment designed to poke fun at hipsters, and highlight the cultural atmosphere of conformity and of wanting to be an insider or part of 'the next big thing.'" (I so totally wanted to be a part of the next big thing--guess the joke's on me!)

Spanish Love Song

How I wish someone would sing this to me....

Alternate Transportation

So, I found out that the airport that serves Freetown (Sierra Leone) is separated from the city by a bay. Actually, I had heard this previously, but didn't really think anything of it--that's what bridges are for. Except that I discovered today that I have two options of getting from Lungi Airport to Freetown: Helicopter or hovercraft. Hm. I guess around the end of this month I'll either experience my first helicopter ride or my first hovercraft ride!

And you know what? Looking back at my last post (and what I wrote above), I seriously can't believe I wrote that. Really, who the freak am I, summiting mountains and running 10 miles and riding on hovercrafts in Africa? Where's the Stephanie who's scared of riding a bicycle? Oh wait, I am still scared of riding a bike. No worries.

Year in Review

Looking back at 2007, I traveled, but not as much as I maybe would have liked. I only went to 3 new countries--Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, and Paraguay (4 if you count my unplanned day-long stay in Brazil). But 2008 looks busier in terms of travel, since I already have plans to visit 3 more countries by the end of February (Turkey, Sierra Leone, and Serbia). I'm still basically enamored with my job. Hopefully that will continue. In fact, I think things will get better, since one guy I work with (whom I don't particularly care for) is leaving, and his replacement will be a friend that I worked with at Kimley-Horn. My goals for 2007 were mostly met--I've been taking French for almost a year now (check), I finally bought an SLR camera (check), and I hit South America...but not Asia. My goals for 2008 are:

1. Finish a 10-Mile Race;
2. Summit Longs Peak;
3. Go somewhere (anywhere) on the Asian continent;
4. Practice more with my new camera (aiming for one "assignment" a month);
5. Figure out what I want to be when I grow up.

That last one is going to be a bit harder than the others. I thought grad school (public policy) was the answer, but I still haven't figured out where to go. Or when, really. Or what I'll do after that. All this possibility is paralyzing!