My friend Monica said most people pass years with nothing to show for it except pay stubs and broken resolutions.
I didn’t want to do it that way. Too many years of my life blend into one another.
So last year I traded in my briefcase for a backpack and set out to travel the world. One year and 19 countries later, I ended up with hundreds of adventures and new memories.
I’ve been posting some of my favorites. Part one is here. Here’s part two. Click here for part three.
And now, I present to you the fourth and final installment of One Hundred Awesome Things I Did During My Year Abroad.
25. Crammed myself into an ancient jar.
24. Crossed the Mekong from Laos to Thailand on a tipsy canoe.
23. Gave alms and fistfuls of rice to monks on the street in Luang Prabang.
22. Attended a Ugandan circumcision festival.
21. Took a spontaneous night bike ride through Malacca, Malaysia. Rang my bell frequently and inappropriately.
20. Worked with formerly abused elephants at a sanctuary in Thailand.
19. Taught an English class in Rwanda.
18. Took a boat to Jordan.
17. Saw the sun set over Angkor Wat.
16. Visited the oldest bar in the world.
15. Discovered that kimchee dumplings are the best. food. ever.
14. Slept in a bamboo hut on the beach.
13. Tiptoed through pharaohs’ tombs.
12. Watched a cricket match.
11. Ate a dessert that includes shaved ice, coconut, grass jelly and beans. And it was good!
10. Biked through Thailand to see a stunning Buddha statue that brought me to tears.
9. Enjoyed an Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
8. Saw a baby giraffe snuggle with a mommy giraffe.
7. Had my eyebrows threaded in Little India, Kuala Lumpur.
6. Ditched the guidebook and asked people for directions and advice instead.
5. Walked through the Amazon rainforest on suspension bridges.
4. Woke up with a goat in my dorm room. (Not on purpose.)
3. Handed out balloons to kids all over the world.
2. Became the person I always wanted to be.
1. Came home again.
Now it’s your turn.
What do you want to do with the next year of your life?