Harley loves the beach as much as I do!

Ooh baby baby it's a wild world

Tonight I packed my big red backpack for the very last time on my trip. As I do this, I'm flooded unexpectedly with intense mixed emotions. Nostalgia, accomplishment, satisfaction, excitement......
Tomorrow I will fly back to my hometown in Minnesota to spend time with my family and friends for the next 18 days.
Over the last 250 days, I've been exposed to a phenomenal spread of cultures. I've observed and fully participated in these cultures with an open mind and an open heart. The amount of kindness in this world is immeasurable. I'm blown away by the amount of strangers that have offered to help me and invited me into their homes during my travels. I found myself reciprocating this favor to fellow travelers once I returned to the US. I've learned that most people are truly good people. However, I'm all too aware that there are malicious people existing on earth, but most of them are good natured deep down inside.
When I look back at the pictures of all the places I've been, I really can't believe it. 18 countries. All these jam-packed extraordinary experiences has me feeling like I've been away for years. Then again, I feel like it was just yesterday when I watched my mom fade away after she drove me to the airport.
This trip meant more to me than I'm sure any of you can understand. I truly wish each and every one of you could have taken this journey with me to understand the magnitude of it all. I feel so unbelievably blessed for having the opportunity to follow my dreams of traveling. It was better than my wildest imagination could have ever dreamt it to be.
A trip around the world will change anyone. I will never be that same Rachel. I learned SO MUCH about myself. This trip has definitely transformed me and forced me to be a better person. It's instilled beliefs in my mind that will shape my future. It's difficult to fully recognize the extent of growth that has occurred, because it's happened so gradually. With time, I will be able to see them more clearly as I'm faced with different situations.
I urge you all to travel. You have no idea what you're missing out on.
As the countries fall off my list of places to go, the notion of "it's a small world after all" becomes more concrete.
The world is a beautiful place. The world is a harsh place. The world is a divine place.
In case you were wondering.......
My favorite countries of this trip were Mongolia, Cambodia, Jordan, Lebanon and the Philippines. In that order. They were all special in their own way. I just had a string of unbelievably magical vacations, back to back. I know that a lot of people would have loved to have done even one portion of my trip. I feel very grateful, but I also realize that you get out of life what you put in. After all the long hours I worked to save up for this trip, the sacrifices I made and the amount of effort spent researching all the amazing countries I planned to visit, it feels good to reap the benefits of my hard work.

I want to thank-you all for following my blog and for the support you've shown me on this epic adventure. I felt like I had my own little cheering section rooting me on. This was my connection to home when I was so, so far away from anyone and everything I knew. I greatly appreciate all the kind words from everyone.
I tried my hardest to keep up this blog and feel like sometimes my posts were of lesser quality due to lack of time. Thanks for hanging on. I'm far from being a professional writer.
These stories are only the tip of the iceberg. My journey has produced hundreds of travel tales but I carefully chose these few to share with you. Some of the best stories will remain alive in my mind only. Memories that will stick with me forever and play over in my head like a familiar movie. Some I will never share, and some I will only share with those that are close to me.
Although this may be the end of my blog for now, I still plan to update it periodically with stories from my past travels and some from my present life in Hawaii.
I lead a precarious life and choose not to follow conformity as is expected of me. This is the life I function well in. So don't expect me to be grounded anywhere for a significant amount of time. Soon you will all be living vicariously through me once again as I trek through the unknown. I'm a dreamer, and I'm already dreaming up my next big adventure: South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Antarctica!
But now it's time to surround myself with familiar faces after more than 8 months of new faces. Time to hang my clothes in a closet, sleep in my own bed, eat my mom's unbeatable home cooked food, snuggle with my dog, hang out with my awesome sister and play with my sweet niece and nephew.
Momma, I'm comin' home......

I leave you with a pic of me from each country, in order....

China

Tibet

Nepal

Dubai

Jordan

Israel

Lebanon

Turkey

Morocco

Italy

Thailand

Laos

Cambodia

Vietnam

Mongolia

Korea

Japan

the Philippines

Hawaii

The islands are calling...

In my pursuit of happiness, I find myself returning to Hawaii to live. I can't be a backpacker forever, so I was on a quest to find a place to settle for awhile. And by awhile, I mean less than a year. That's how I roll. Nothing is long-term in my life, you should all know that by now. I've had 8 months to ponder which island I wanted to live on. I was dead set on Maui by the 6th month of my trip. I planned to travel to Oahu, Kauai, The Big Island and Maui. In that order. Here's my opinion of each island:
Oahu- great job opportunities await me, but it's too crowded and touristy for my taste. Choose only as a back up plan.
Kauai- very quiet and laid back. But I felt like I would get bored there quickly.
Maui- I've always loved Maui, it was a no-brainer that this was the place I wanted to be.
THEN, I get to the Big Island. Never been here before, mind you. I pick up my rental Jeep at the Kona airport. As I make the 2 hour journey from the dry, arid west side to Hilo, the scenery starts to change from dry, ruble rock to a lush green rain forest. I'm in awe as I pass fields as green as Ireland and countryside speckled with horses, cows and sheep. Sometimes I swore I was in New Zealand. I drive along the north shore, called the Hamakua coast, and I'm blown away.

Hamakua coast

As I pass through the small, quaint towns perched along the sheer cliffs of this amazing coast, something clicks. Like a light bulb turning on above my head, cartoon style, I realize that this is the place I want to live. There was just SOMETHING about this place. I loved the vibe. I'm all about vibes. People have vibes, places have vibes, even things have vibes. This place had a very good vibe. I had to make it my home.

The very next morning, I started on my quest to make this island my home. With the help of craigslist, I found a house for rent in a tiny town called Pa'auhau, which is about a mile from Honoka'a. What I like best about the house is the fact that I have a tranquil view of the ocean from my lanai and bedroom window. There is a hospital in Honoka'a that just happened to be looking for travel nurses. (ooh, pick me! pick me!) The town is so cute and cozy. Just my style. Everything just seemed to fall into place and I knew it was meant to be. Maui will always be there, it will just have to wait.

I have a good feeling about this place. I highly doubt I'll experience my infamous island fever here. This island is so diverse, how could anyone get bored here?
It seems very country to me. There isn't that crowded feeling and I don't feel like the island is crawling with tourists. This is a true paradise. I feel like I've struck gold.
I spent the week getting to know the island. I was fascinated as I found sea turtles beached up on the shores of black sand beaches, basking in the warm sun.

Enjoying the warm sun

One night I saw the eerie red glow from an active volcano, simmering, looking ready to blow. I felt like a movie extra in "Joe vs the volcano".

I drove to the southern most point in the US and hiked 6 miles to a green sand beach.

Green sand beach

Another day, I hiked through molten lava rocks in Volcanoes National Park and warmed myself by the natural steam vents, natures own sauna.
One night, I drove up to the top of a volcano named Mauna Kea, which is the highest point in Hawaii, to star gaze. We seemed to magically drive up and above the clouds, into an alien-like world. I shivered as I peered at the stars gleaming brightly in the night sky. It's said that you can see 90% of the stars from Mauna Kea.
I hiked deep into the Waipio valley and also witnessed the tallest waterfall in Hawaii, the Akaka falls, crashing violently into a pool below.

Akaka falls

I had no idea the Big Island was so amazing. Yep, this is the place for me. At least for now. I've found my own slice of heaven, and I intend to rejuvenate myself here until I'm ready for my next big trip. I'm going to nourish myself with fresh organic fruits and vegetables that are so abundant on the island, and clear my head with the use of yoga.
Here's a few amazing facts about the Big Island of Hawaii:
~It's the youngest of the Hawaiian islands at the tender age of 800,000 years old.
~It's continuing to grow in size as the active volcano, Kilauea, spews volcano lava.
~Of the 13 climatic regions on earth, the Big Island has all but 2.
~It has the world's most active volcano, Kilauea.
~It has the wold's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, when measured from it's base below sea level to peak.
There's just so much to do and see here! I'm so excited to explore this phenomenal island!!!

Hooked on Hawaiian hiking

Now that I'm in Hawaii, I have endless hiking options awaiting me, and I'm taking full advantage of this! I've been hiking almost every single day. While on Oahu, some of the hikes I did were Diamond Head, Koko head and Moana falls. 
Diamond head is pretty easy. It provides awesome views of Waikiki at the top. A girl from Scotland and an American guy joined me for this hike. It had been 4 years since I'd hiked Diamond head. I'll tell you this, nothing about it has changed. 

Koko head was more of a challenge. It consists of 1,048 steps up the side of the crater. Driving to Koko head, you see from afar the massive "staircase" leading to the top. At this point you might question your sanity. These steps are constructed from old railroad ties. As you huff and puff your way to the top, the incline increases, testing your endurance. It's a good way to get your cardio in for the day, and to get buns of steel. Koko head pales in comparison to the ultimate "stairway to heaven" hike that I braved 4 years ago. It was like Koko Head on steroids. It's nearly 4,000 steps up the side of a mountain. It's actually illegal to do but if you're sneaky, you can climb the giant mountain and have the bragging rights that go along with it. It's not the safest hike, which is why it isn't legal. My legs were excruciatingly sore for days after, but it was so worth it!

Stairway to Heaven~ 2008

Koko Head hike

At the top of Koko Head

Top of Koko Head

Manoa falls was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. A bit muddy and the falls were more of a trickle, which was disappointing. You want to yell "aww, come on, I hiked all the way for this?!" I guess the waterfall is more abundant in the winter. 

Manoa Falls

When I got to Kauai, I was in hiking heaven. The hikes were more secluded and less crowded. It's easy for me to gage how much I've changed after moving off of Oahu 4 years ago. I really dislike the crowded island these days. My style is the more laid back, chilled islands. Waikiki is a rat race, not a paradise. 
Anyway, there are lots of awe-inspiring hikes waiting for you in Kuaui. I strived to do most of the hikes solo. I needed to do a lot of thinking, and hiking creates the ultimate thinking conditions. 
Hiking in Hawaii is awesome. There are no dangerous animals to worry about. I found it difficult to thoroughly enjoy hiking in Alaska due to my inability to get over my irrational bear phobia. 
You don't even have to worry about snakes in Hawaii. Because there are none! It's perfect. 
But don't let your guard down completely. There has been lots of tourists coming back home in a body bag after deadly hiking accidents. Falling off the side of a cliff, drowning in currents....
Just be careful. 
These are the hikes I did in Kuaui. I'm rating them from best to worst:
#1. Kalalau trail. Unarguably the best hike on Kauai. This hilly trail snakes along the pristine Na Pali coast. There's an option to hike the entire grueling 22 miles, which includes a night of camping, but most out-of-shape tourists choose to hike a measley 2 miles in to the secluded beach. If you're feeling adventurous, you can hike 4 miles to Hanakapi'ai falls. Which is what I did. There is a monster of a waterfall there to greet you. The sight of this majestic waterfall plummeting over black lava rock speckled with green fuzz makes all the hard work worthwhile. Take a while to soak in the sights of this pure eden. Eat some trail mix and refuel. Better yet, take a refreshing dip and feel the force of the water by swimming under the falls. Then prepare to hike back the way you came. If you choose only one hike to do in Kauai, choose the Kalalau trail. 

Beautiful Na Pali coast

Bamboo carvings along the way

Refreshing waterfall at the end

#2. Nualolo trail. 7.6 miles. This trail can be deceiving. It's mostly downhill all the way there. Actually, I ran most of the way down, watching out for dangerous tree roots. Don't want a broken ankle on this trail! At the end of the trail, you have amazing views of the coast and regal mountains. I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared at the stunning landscape, wide-eyed. There are a few dangerous spots that could send you tumbling a very long way to an unpleasant death if you happened to slip or the ground gave out. Again, be very careful. 
I met a very nice California couple at the top whom were traveling with their 9 year old son. I chatted with them for a while at the lookout as we ate our lunch. 

Life at the top of this mountain is fine and dandy, you're enjoying an unbelievable view of the coast, then you remember you have to hoof it up the mountain. Uffda. It's uphill almost the entire way. If you're not dripping with sweat after 3.8 miles of steady incline, you're not human. 
I had so much fun on this hike. I saw only 5 people hiking on the way in, and no one on the way back. I had the forest to myself. I was like a little fairy bouncing through the forest. Just me and nature. Not many things make me happier. 
#3. Sleeping giant. There's a mountain in Kauai that looks like a giant sleeping on his back. I think it was about 4 miles roundtrip. Uphill there, downhill back, with rewarding 360 degree views at the top. 
#4. Hoopii falls. This is a very easy hike that brings you to 2 separate waterfalls after about 25 minutes. 
#5. Moalepe trail. This is a flat 4 mile trail with good views of the mountains. It's popular with mountain bikers and equestrians. I only saw 1 other person on this trail. So peaceful. 
Hawaii is my tropical utopia playground and I'm beaming with joy that I can hike wherever I want, whenever I want. And I don't even have to carry bear spray with me!

A birds-eye view of Kauai

Do you ever wonder what it would feel like to be a bird? To be completely free and for the wind to catch your wings and carry you wherever you wanted to go.

The closest I came to this was as a passenger of a helicopter over the Garden Isle of Kauai. 
Helicopters crash a lot. I know, I know. But what are the chances that MY helicopter was going to crash? I can't live my life in fear. But shamefully, I was very fearful of my helicopter ride. This helicopter ride was like a present to myself, a pat-on-the-back for surviving the last 8 months traipsing through third world countries. I was celebrating my hard work and success.

Joining me on the flight were 5 other vacationers, a couple from Texas and a family of 3 from Michigan. 
I arrived at the Safari Helicopters office on the day I booked my tour, only to discover the flight was delayed. After the 3 hour delay, it was canceled. Bad weather. This was fine with me, I didn't want our lives to be in jeopardy as we whizzed through the air in a tiny piece of metal.
I returned the next day and our flight was given the thumbs up. Hooray!
We were given little yellow life vest pouches for the unlikely event of a water landing, and then escorted to the helicopter that was awaiting us. 
As we approached, the blades were spinning like a blender on high speed. I crouched lower than required to avoid an unwanted scalping. The horrific YouTube video where a man was decapitated from a helicopter blade was playing through my head on repeat, taunting me. I looked like a timid dog and I crawled to the doors of the helicopter.
I donned a headset and was given a short safety briefing. 

Scared

Still scared

Our pilot was born and raised on Kauai, which made it even more special. During the flight, he pointed out the small village he grew up in.
He gently lifted the helicopter off the ground and we were off! It felt like I was flying, but as the houses became smaller and smaller, I got more and more nervous. But the amazing views ahead created an element of excitement. My palms were sweaty and my hands were shaky. I was more nervous than a 16 year-old on her first date. The woman next to me had been an ER nurse for 23 years. She held my hand for awhile when she saw my fear. Her calming method worked and my fears eased. I wondered how many patients she had calmed with this peaceful, motherly touch.

Although I tried to conceal my fear, it must have shown on my face because the pilot kept asking me if I was ok, then he would laugh and tell me I was going to be fine. He never asked anyone else if they were ok...... ??
We soared through the air, over green pastures with lazy cows, then over fuzzy green mountains and through the Waimea Canyon, dubbed "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific". The pilot decided to check if our adrenal glands were working as he sped over the cliff of the canyon, which opened up to a river below. For a moment we were weightless and we all screamed in unison. My belly did a somersault. He said "Just checking if you're awake". Ugh.

Tranquil Hawaiian music was pumped in through our headsets as the pilot gave commentary on the sights. We glided past stunning enormous waterfalls that could only be seen by helicopter. Endless amounts of water plummeted hundreds of feet to small lakes below. It's mind blowing what spectacular sights nature has created.   

Soon we hit a rain storm. As we flew through the fluffy gray rain clouds, water slid off the windshield easily but created a bumpy ride. I instinctively braced myself, as if to catch my balance. It's a terrible feeling not being in control. I could see the rest of the passengers looked a little uneasy themselves. I looked at the nurse next to me and frowned. Her eyes were wide with fright also. The flight wasn't quite as smooth as we were told it would be, so this made me fear the worst. To make matters worse, sometimes it sounded like the blades were sputtering. I tried to shut out the morbid thoughts of our helicopter crashing violently into the lush green vegetation below. It's only natural to have these thoughts, though. After the flight, the other passengers expressed how equally scared they were during the turbulence. The little aircraft felt so flimsy whizzing through the air, like the slightest wind from the Hawaiian Gods could have blown us right into the magical mountains. 

After I managed to get these horrible thoughts out of my head, I sat back and enjoyed the 1 hour tour over Kauai. It was a fantastic view from my window seat. I was silent as I was mesmerized by the mystical scenery passing by and constantly had goosebumps. I felt so alive. Living life to the fullest. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It almost made me cry. I'm a dork, I know. 

Na Pali coast

This is such a perfectly put together piece of the earth. Everything jives and creates a breath-taking beauty unparalleled to anywhere else in the world. God had a good day when he created the Hawaiian Islands.
We glided next to the impressive Na Pali coast and I took this short video. I also have the entire hour long flight on DVD that was filmed by the helicopter company, but I'm pretty sure it would take forever to upload to YouTube.


As I soaked in all the sights below, I decided I would be ok with being reincarnated as a bird. I would live in Hawaii. What a wonderful life :)
As we neared the end of our epic flight, the famous Hawaiian song "Somewhere over the rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole came on in our headphones. What a perfect ending to a perfect flight. 
The chopper gracefully touched the ground and I felt a sense of relief come over me. I was happy to survive my first helicopter ride!