#sabbaticaldiary

On the last day, my flight was delayed for 12 hours- which was super annoying.

One photo of me and Juan Pablos.

Going home! I don’t think I’ve ever travelled so long on my own (except for my exchange student semester I guess)

It was a wonderful sabbatical and I am so grateful I was able to experience what I did.  I am just sorry I was lazy enough to post this over such a long period of time ha ha

On day 35, I went down to Pasadena and bought myself a new iphone.

Then went shopping one more time at Anthropologie- I love anthropologie so much!!!!!!!

And had the best poke bowl i’ve ever had in life.

It is now 2023- and I still haven’t had a better one. 

That night, Laura and I drove out to downtown with few of her friends for some good food, ice cream, and a wonderful view. 

Not that anyone cares ... but my blogging of my 2018 sabbatical adventure is taking too long - because I am just lazy and upload once in a while and it has been taking years and I really do need to finish this.  So I decided to keep posts short!

On day 26, we spent more time in Denali.

I did not know these girls were posing behind me at that time ;)

We went hiking on Triple Lakes Trail.

Visited 49 State Brewing place in Denali where they had the prop bus for the movie “Into the Wild”

Before I were to go to Alaska for my two weeks of camping, I “hopped” over to Duluth Minnesota to visit my friend Lindsey.  I think it might have been my first time to visit Minnesota or maybe not because everytime I think it is my first time visiting somewhere in US my mom tells me that I’ve already been there. 

It was a very very very long day I recall.

I woke up super super early like 4 something-ish to catch my my plane from LAX to I Minneapolis but despite my tiring effort my plane got delayed so I woke up super early for nothing and then missed my connecting flight to Duluth. 

I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out but it turned out that they just let me on the next flight available with no charge.  

However I did have wait hours and hours for... like.. 30 minute flight.  St, Paul airport was super nice so it was ok I guess.  

I had to wait in front of the gate as a stand by person and got to get on at the very last minute.  It was a super local - super small plane with a very mid-west looking- pretty flight attendant.  

So I finally I arrived and met my old friend Lindsey and got to see her home town.

I also had honor of meeting her sweet sweet dog Winnie.

We scheduled two full days in Cusco before starting our trekking to Machu Picchu for purpose of acclimatizing.  Looking back, I am glad we did that.  There are many people who skip this process and go through hell and some people can’t even handle the altitude in Cusco.  We’ve actually saw a girl on the ground all pale and sick in the city.    

I’ve been very lazy and it has been over a year since I was in Cusco and I’ve almost forgot how the weather felt (probably because it is just too hot where I am right now) but looking back at the pictures I am wearing padded vest underneath my water proof jacket.  Yes! I remember the first thought that went through my mind as we walked for dinner on the first night.  It was so cold!!! And I did not have enough warm clothes!!!! I just underestimated everything because it was June.  Yes... it is super cold in June in Peru.  

We had a wonderful day in Cusco where we did all the touristy stuff. We visited Plaza de Armas (which was very walkable from our hotel).  We visited the Cusco Cathederal.  We tool pictures with a baby llama and ladies dressed in Peruvian clothes.  We went to McDonalds :) (ha ha).  We went shopping to get supplies for our trekking (snacks, water proof panchos, battery chargers with sun panel...and so on)

We also had wonderful Peruvian dinner.  Then there were fireworks (not sure what the occasion was).  The plaza was full of people and it was super festive and fun!!!  Thinking about that night makes me feel so nostalgic right now.  

One downside of our stay in Cusco was how COLD our room was.  It was just so so so cold and only thing that remotely gave out heat was a small radiator which wasn’t enough.  Also our shower wasn’t really warm either.  So it was just really cold.  We stayed at Tierra Viva Cusco Saphi.  I mean it was reasonably priced and was pretty close to all the touristy places but our room was just so damn cold.  We stayed at the same hotel when we came back after our trekking and that time we got a fancier room which was so much warmer.  So I guess it depends on which room you get.  

So it was finally the day that me and my friend fly out to South America! But before out late night flight I had another whole day in LA.  First I met up with a friend of mine who works downtown and had brunch with her at a chic place called Republique.  It always feels weird (in a good way) to meet up with someone you know from who you met for the first time far far far away.  In this case, we are friends from university choir but back then it was kind of hard to imagine us brunching together in LA.  

After brunch, I drove down to Melrose.  I did not want to drive to Melrose because of the traffic and lack of parking but there were stores that I really wanted to visit in person.  

Mansur Gavriel and Glossier.  

These are stores that you see on instagram or in a magazine that are so trendy and chic but at the same time so far away from where you live you probably tell yourself you’d never actually get to shop there.  I made it there! and they were beautiful.  (traffic and parking were horrible)

The store was so beautiful and pink. I would have eaten there too if I wasn’t so full.  I had my mind already made up to buy their double zip crossbody bag and I did!!! I kind of imagined myself walking out of there with their beautiful pink box and a bag but they had to get me a new bag via online so that was big disappointing but o well I got what I went there for.  

Then I walked around a bit on Melrose under LA sun which I liked.  Every store seemed so chic and pretty.

Then I visited the hottest store on street- Glossier.  It was so pretty in pink and super crowded.  I waited for my turn to walk into their pink canyon to take selfies.  Here is one :)

Then I walked into A.P.C.

They were having sale and I couldn’t help myself and went crazy once again.  The sales clerk gave me a sparkling water and asked me where I am going after this and I sort of bragged ... that I was going to Peru that night.  ha ha

So after all that crazy shopping I drove back to Altadena to my friend’s house to leave all my worldly glamours(?) behind for a while to pack for my adventures in Peru and Alaska.