Rambling

I realized that I never blogged about the professionals we met throughout the trip. One in particular I’d like to mention is Oliver, from Young & Rubicon. Just knowing we would be entering the building gave me goose bumps. For those whom are not familiar with the name Y&R, it is one of the largest PR firms out there. They are up there with my #1 dream company, Ogilvy. My professor told me he could get me an internship there but I m not so sure if Id want to live there all on my own just yet. Don’t get me wrong I love Bangkok, and every element that makes up the country. Thailand was my main place that I was excited to visit, so I can definitely see myself being there, just don’t know if it’s something permanent. If I could intern there and then be transferred to an office in the states, I wouldn’t think twice to take that offer up. Who knows I am still young and opportunities still exist and are plentiful, no matter how the economy is doing right now.
As I gazed down at the Pacific Ocean from the plane’s window, I found myself thinking of all the things I want to change in my life. I always knew I was somewhat more independent than most of my friends for the main reason being the way I was brought up. Always travelling, living in vastly different cultures, struggling with identities, coping with not having all family members in one household. Anyway, my point is, I realized that I can make it on my own, as in living on my own, travelling on my own, being in a completely foreign place and finding my own path. I also missed the entire experience already and was happy to be going home but would love to turn right back around and do it all over again. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything, I am actually very fortunate that I was able to go on this trip. It’s not every day that you can be working in a company that lets you basically take a month off work when you haven’t even been over your one year mark. To show my gratitude, I have a duffel bag full of gifts from all the countries I’ve visited for them! I also learned that family is more important than ever when your gone for a long time. I always call my mom and make sure all is well and even make a visit to good old Hagerstown, Maryland from time to time but I feel like my siblings and I have reconnected on some level. I e-mailed then more; face booked them more, shared stories, in a different way. As if I wouldn’t talk to them the next day, we said I love you to each other after every conversation, that type of thing. I’ve enjoyed that a lot, for we were never a very affectionate family. It was just comforting to know that even when your thousands of miles away, your family will be there day and night to answer your call, your e-mail, what have you. I am fortunate to have friends whom are like family as well. One in particular, Dorian. She and I have kept in touch the entire way and she gave me the best going away gift a person could receive. It wasn’t so much the actual gift but what it represented. She gave me an anklet, an anklet that represented our friendship. Whenever I felt sad, homesick, stressed, or anything of that nature, I could look down at it and feel at ease again. That girl is so thoughtful and I shopped until I dropped to find her something, but all I could think of was anything I give her won’t even amount to the symbol of “us” she gave me. So I found her some cool stuff but I am going to hang out with her nonstop when I get back and hopefully that will be the best gift she could ever ask for. We are not lovers or anything, not that I have a problem with lesbians, just two girls from two completely different places, which found a common ground to share.

Okay enough about the mushy stuff. Work is going to be crazy when I come back, I don’t know if I should expect the place to be in shambles or find out that I have some competition to squash. I know that my former colleagyue is know the manager of my department! Very exciting news but it’s going to take some getting used to from having a colleague/friend to her being your manager…Who do I tell all my office gossip to now!?
We are currently flying over South Dakota….it’s amazing to look down and see the world from this altitude. I am actually very used to flying, so I thought. I think as I get older I develop a fear of heights. On every flight we have been on I have clenched on to the arm rests of my chairs as if I was tied down to an electrical chair, thought twice about not looking out the window or getting up and getting off the plane, and prayed like there was no tomorrow. Whenever I felt turbulence, I would look around and wonder why no one else was having a panic attack on the inside like I was. Come to find out that there’s been turbulence where people were couldn’t even stay in there seats, and everything was fine. It’s the old age thing, I know it. You become more cautious, more worrisome, and so on. I have so many things I want to do, but feel that the older I get I will scratch them off my list, or It wont be important to me anymore. Which is why I took this trip on and didn’t look back. I was suppose to go my junior year and cancelled, and was not about to let the opportunity pass again.