Category: travel

Screw Coming Home

On By Rebekka LienIn travelLeave a comment

I’m not going to lie, but this time I really don’t know why I’m back in los angeles. My trip felt way too short. I was already out of my suitcase and getting used to not having the same bed any few days. I was used to walking several miles a day and rewearing pants. I liked meeting new people and the excitement of not planning my days and living with the flow.

Its not that I don’t miss my friends, there are moments I do…but when you meet other backpackers, you all live in the same mentality. No one is living for security, everyone is a nomad.

I miss that already and have no idea why I’m back.

Next time I’m seriously moving, I’m tired of going back and forth. I want to give it all up for who I really am.

I realize after talking to my roommate, trying to explain my trip… is like trying to explain a beautiful piece of art with words, you just can’t. I can’t explain my trip at all with sufficiency…you just have to backpack on your own to understand what I felt. And of course, the amount of partying I do as well, well you know me, I’m beyond other people. When I backpack, I pack my days with friends and fun more so than others.

You can imagine how my trip was, no, you can’t. Even as I sit in my room right now, life is so quiet, so normal. There’s nothing that is new in a constant room, a house. When you travel, you sleep in an unknown bed, next to 10 people in bunk beds, you never know if the music will be too loud or if people will walk in and start shouting. You don’t know where the bus is taking you, you carry maps and its’ wrinkled at the end.

It’s just indescribable, it can’t be compared to “vacations” or people who stay at 5 star hotels. It can’t be planned, it’s a backpackers’ journey. The mentality is completely different from normal life. I’ll try to write more about it another day. Right now I’m so jet lagged I can’t think.

Life The Romance

On By Rebekka LienIn art, Fashion, travel1 Comment

I’m pretty upset because I spent a whole 30 minutes or more typing up a blog post and of course, I was impatient and kept clicking publish, but the internet slowed and somehow I closed it without saving it. This is a writer’s worse nightmare.

I had such good words to share, but now I’m not in the mood for it.

I’ll be straight up then- I met a friend in Melbourne who inspired beauty in my heart. His smile and carefree laughs, jumping on the street for no reason made me realize that “Man! I’m not alone!”. Our mutual love for music, dance, street art, and nice areas to lounge sparked a friendship that would potentially last for life. He stirred up beauty in my heart and I will always remember him for it. He also taught me to grasp each moment and cherish the now. This is so contrary to American culture, and I could only have learned that from a French person- to live life with passion and zest.

In America, I feel, sometimes it’s so easy to be talking to another person, and checking your phone at the same time. It’s so easy to bypass another person without a second thought. It’s easy to go from one appointment to another without actually “THINKING”. OMG BIG SURPRISE. It’s so true because I was once like that. I hate that. I really do. How can you live life without being aware of self, others, and your atmosphere? How can you live life without being “here” and in the “now”? How can you constantly worry about the future when “now” is all you have?

I’ve learned that on my trip, I’ve experienced it. You can only experience “just being” by being in the moment, by experiencing being, being aware of the sounds, the smells, the persons, the environment, by being where you are in the now.

Mon Melbourne Cherie

Found in a bathroom in Melbourne toilet. 🙂

 

Living With Boys

On By Rebekka LienIn travelLeave a comment

All my life, I have been used to living with women. Well, that would be my mom and I. Plus one brother. The last few years, I lived with a housemate and back at home, I live with a woman roommate.

Here in Melbourne, for the last two days, I’ve been in a house full of men. It’s quite simple. Men are quite simple I meant. I like how it’s quiet and also there’s not much television watching so I like that. I hate the noise of the TV because I grew up with it. Basically, I’m staying with my friend, who has 2 brothers and a dad. Mom is working somewhere. Yesterday, I couldn’t sleep because the wind kept banging on the door and I kept thinking there was someone knocking on the door.

While walking on Brunswick Street, Melbourne, Australia, I spotted a Kewpie from the outside. I barged in and started snapping photos. This is a BLUE KEWPIE!!!

Bomb Art in the alleyways of Melbourne

I’m planning my next few days (oh GOD I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK TO LA!!!) and thought of going to Tasmania. According to my friend, it’s one of the most “unmolested” places in Australia. But I looked up the flights and it cost 400 bucks. Screw that!! I’m coming back to Australia and working!!! I tried to book a ticket to see this Chinese theatre show called Rhinoceros Love, supposedly a hit in Beijing. But the lady wouldn’t take my expired Student ID. It’s raining cats and dogs outside, boogers.

Cairns

On By Rebekka LienIn travelLeave a comment

I’m currently in Cairns, Australia. Arrived by flight yesterday from Sydney. Of course the first night in every city, I end up meeting new friends and going out with them. I ended up on stage again dancing some shuffles and stuff. My English friend said, “you said you love to dance, but you didn’t tell me you’re awesome!!” Well, I’m not going to brag right?

I’ve only been in Australia for 6 days, and I love it more than I’ve ever imagined. I love it so much I can actually see myself doing the work holiday deal here. Everyone is so laid back here, I don’t feel as anxious being here. Back in LA, I felt like paranoid about not working or feeling busy.

However, I think if I lived here, I’d also be prone to become alcoholic. People seriously drink everyday. Perhaps only in Cairns, people start drinking at 10am. I’m glad I have high tolerance and high energy. I don’t really need alchy to sustain dancing for hours on end.

A few people had to stop my friends and ask if I was okay “because well, I look like I’m on drugs”. Of course I don’t do drugs eh?

I’m going to seriously look into working in Australia…

I Finally Found Free Wifi

On By Rebekka LienIn travelLeave a comment

Well, not exactly, because I still had to buy a drink to use their internet. I’m staying at this hostel in Sydney…quite dirty compared to the ones I’ve been to.

This is my journal entry from yesterday….enjoy!

September 11, 2011

Landed in Australia around 6:30 AM. Total culture shock because I was so f%cking impatient to get to the shuttle and the concierge was taking so long. Plus my monthly had come on the plane, so my trip started with lots of hormones.

Not going to lie, but this hostel kitchen smells like fart. I hate how when people see me, they see an Asian face, not a live person. I’m so tired though, been walking around since early morning until 6am. I’ve been non-stop alive for 12 hours after a 15 hours flight. I’m dead as a cockroach. Dead. Dead. Dead meat. 

I was walking by the bathroom and I was startled because I saw this FINE David back, like muscled and toned staring at my face. I passed by and said “well, hello”. Of course non of the stalls had bathrooms so I went back and bumped into David, or so I call him.

I walked around the city, went to 2 backpacker flight stores, and felt totally ripped off. Of course I didn’t book anything because whose going to pay 600 bucks (AUS) for 4 tours. Rip off!! I also went to Vodaphone and got a sim card for 30 AUS. The guy was from Malaysia and had been in Australia for 7 years. I wonder how selling phones can be interesting, but then I find many things unworthy of my time.

I’m sitting in this dim room of computers, the only place I can find any kind of well, peace. It’s here with this 18 year old English boy from Nottingham, he’s quite something. I thought he was Australian because he had his pants sagged. I find this hostel quite dirty, more dirty than any I’ve seen. Thinking back, the san diego one was seriously clean. 

Anyways, I met 2 aussie males at the university. Met up with the lady from Project Futures, and then met a german girl. For some reason, everyone seems to look at me weird, like I fell from planet Mars. Seriously, just because I have red hair and black slanty eyes…don’t mean you can’t make friends with me.

By the way, I noticed a lot of people are scared to meet other folks, it’s like they are scared other cultures will absorb them and that they’ll lose a part of themselves. My new German friend told me that Germans like to stick together even if they travel together. This god damn cough will not leave me, GOD HELP ME!!

Australians are quite polite, as blunt as they are. They are kind of aloof, shy? They are definitely a lot more polite than people from Los Angeles. Anyways, haven’t really met someone I completely clicked with besides that university mate. 

Today’s entry-

Craziest day of my life. Yesterday I started the night by writing and reading. I was drinking a beer and just having a grand time on my own. Then Joe and Matt comes in and we start talking about my pending book to come and how it’s about my life, etc. We start having these crazy conversations about life, love, and random cultural differences such as English slang and LA slang. We decide to hit a pub and I swear, I totally put my cup down onto nothing, yes….YES nothing! I wasn’t looking!! So my beer was totally wasted. It was such a sad sight!

So the pub had a 3rd floor dance floor. They were literally playing the radio but somehow the radio had good music on. There were folks in suits, some young people, but more so the older crowd. The were very innocent in the ways that they danced, compared to Los Angeles. They were kind of cutesy if you know what I mean.

We then go to another bar and this one had a live band singing songs from Lady Gaga and even David Guetta. They had long blonde hair that they threw their sweat at people with. Good thing I wasn’t in the front. Yes this all happened in one day, the day I landed… 

Yah, I Know I’m Kind of Crazy

On By Rebekka LienIn God, travelLeave a comment

So I finally sat down and did some calculations.

I have to raise or somehow God will rain down at least $1,672.57 by September 11. So I can pay my bills and September and October rent before I go to Australia. I already pulled out my money for Australia.

I’m struggling between having faith, waiting on God and doing everything I can to sell everything I have to earn some money.

I have a lot of clothes I can sell, but it’s hard to list all of them in that time span. I can sell my laptop, but my laptop is my life work.

So this leaves me thinking, well, it’s got to be God or else I don’t see how anything is possible. I wrote this down in my journal “He will not fail you or forsake you”. It’s scary to be in a place of need, perhaps, even shameful- as obnoxious as that word is, but it leaves me in utmost need of God and His grace to rain even more heavily. When the miracle comes, as last minute as it is, I’ll show the world that God is really that real. For now, I’m going to pray fervently, having patience and believing all that I have believed about my God.

 

Jesus The SuperDad

On By Rebekka LienIn faith, God, self- reflection, travelLeave a comment

Recently God has been blowing my mind away.

My friend had a vision for me that I was a baby and that Jesus was carrying me and even cooking for me.

That really made me cry because, well, Jesus cooks for me!

I have 12 days before I board the plane to Oz Land. Another friend prophesied that he saw different arrows and God will bring in finance through different sources. But that, it would be very last minute. I can see that happening- I mean I have 12 days left.

I guess the world can laugh at me- but I’m already seeing God fight for me.

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:13,14)

I’ve been really learning to be still and cry to God for help. There were several nights I felt disillusioned and thought there were demons watching me, but I knew they were just trying to scare me. God has really been fighting for me in the small things.

Like, little things that I randomly thought I’d need- such as comfortable leggings, travel jackets, etc. My friend called me and told me her friend was moving and that she has clothes in my size. I ended up even getting sketchbooks and sharpies I needed to draw on the trip. GOD IS SO DETAILED in His providing- when we simply trust Him with childlike faith. All the ways I thought God would provide, God has a better and more surprising way. I even had a twitter friend donate to my trip- even though we’ve never met. His emails have been encouraging and shown me that somehow my writing is making a difference in the world.

God is not far away, He is fighting for you!

Tell Him all your needs and He’s fighting for you to get you the best. Thank you for all those that have listened to God and faithfully given out of generosity. I know God honors your heart and is using the money to bless others 1,000 fold.

 

 

Give to My Oz Journey of Love Trip-

Shop To Donate- http://myworld.ebay.com/gugibabu

To donate: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3S4Y8WMEAVLWC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing For My Trip

On By Rebekka LienIn art, Fashion, food, sky, travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The past month has been weeks of walking in faith. As an voluntarily unemployed woman, I plunged and bought a ticket to Australia. The past month I’ve been meeting up with lots of people, old and new friends, reconnecting and being inspired by their lives and their livelihood. I am proud to say that I’ll never go back to my old life, that I’ll never settle for the status quo. I’ll not be socialized by a society that likes to do what people tell them to. Today I went to my friends’ friend’s house and we did prophetic art, listening to God and drawing what we see in our mind’s eye. It was really encouraging because this guy drew me as the sun and these plants growing because of me. I was radiating music notes and the plants were dancing and growing. I was really encouraged by the image and thought that my path of music and dance will heal people!

I’m still deciding whether to travel without plans or to at least book some hostels and flights. Traveling is the best because you’re letting go of extraneous goods and meeting the essentials in life – eating, meeting friends, and simply loving each moment, whatever surprises come your way. I can’t wait to get on an airplane. The very thought excites me!

How I’m Able to Work and Travel Quite A Bit

On By Rebekka LienIn art, beautiful, business, faith, food, person i want to be, poetry, self- reflection, travelLeave a comment

Hey Rebekka,

This is really an impulse message, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter.

From my noticing of my facebook news feeds haha, it seems like you’re able to work and travel quite a bit. I’m kind of in one of those post-college moments where I think that before I get married in my early 30’s or late 20’s, I want to be able to travel the world and experience what there is to offer. At the same time, I know right now is an incredibly important time to start being smart with finances(adding money to your roth IRA, all that stuff).

My question is, how are you able to travel a lot, manage your work, and I guess keep an eye on your finances? I would love to hear your thoughts since you’ve been through this.

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This seriously made my day. To know that I have inspired someone, or to help others question the norm and to live outside the socialized, pre-made box that is boring, mundane.

I will be answering this question, but I thought perhaps I’ll write up a few pointers.

3 KEY STEPS TO BECOMING A TRUE NOMAD

1. Trust in the Lord, not in your finance– money will never give you true happiness. You can have a million dollars, a billion dollars, a few cents, a dollar, and still be unhappy. Money is relative. Social status is also relative.

  • When you know that God loves you and is a provider, that He provides even for the sparrows and the ants- how much more He provides all that you need!!! Because He loves and cares for YOU! YES the UNIQUE YOU!

2. Work IS NOT your life, It Does Not Define You- Work should NOT define who you are. What you do does not define who you are. Yes, you may be an artist or accountant, but that’s not who you are. You are _________ (plug in your name). What you do overflows out of WHO you are- your beliefs, your convictions, your personality, your core, your spirit, your BEING.

  • You need to SHIFT out of that mentality. The world wants to socialize you to sit at a desk for 10 billion hours until the day you die and fall into your coffin. YOU DO NOT LIVE for vacations- that is a SAD way to live. Because you only get one week or two weeks, or three per year. If that’s so, the rest of the year is a waste of time.

3. Learn to TAKE RISK, for it is the ONLY path of a nomad– LEARN TO TAKE RISKS. Even if it’s a small one. If you usually drink lattes, get cappuccinos. If you only wear socks that match, wear ones that don’t. If you are scared of one thing, whatever it is, DO IT! YES, do that which scares you. There’s a reason you are scared of it, it means you are destined to conquer it!

  • Perhaps the normal thing to do is to count how much you are earning each day and be afraid to take days off for the things that you truly enjoy. Well, don’t live in FEAR, LIVE IN RISK! Live for that which your heart pounds LOUDLY for.

I took many days off work to attend seminars, conferences, travel and to refresh my soul. The several hundred dollars that were deducted from my paycheck could not have given me the joy that my travels did.

Let me ask you– Does a few hundred dollar more make a difference? Do you really need to get expensive clothes and bags? Do you really need to eat out all the time? Or would you rather backpack in a foreign state or country and enjoy the BLISS of meeting new people and animals.

Bottom LINE! I’d rather live in risk and change, then live in conformity and mediocrity, and eventually- hatred of my life. I’d rather have the NOW of not knowing where my income will come from, then the certainty of hum drum and boredom.

‎”the choice isn’t between success and failure; its between choosing risk and striving for greatness, or risk nothing and being certain of mediocrity” – forgot who I got this from….