Year of the Snake February 2013

Chinese New Year parade just happened in San Francisco and after all the promising I did to myself that I would make it there this year, here I sit in Idaho. Its the year of the snake, which as it turns out is my sign. Is that the right term for it? Sign? (THE SIGN OF THE SNAKE

The Snake is the intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animal Signs. They are attractive people who take cries with ease and do not become flustered easily. They are graceful people, exciting and dark at the same time.)

At any rate I'm declaring this the year of Karen. And I have set things in motion for the coming months and it will mean having NO CLUE whats to come for this year, at least not beyond June...technically not even beyond April!

I've signed up for a German language immersion class and will in the mean time look for work in Europe. Which is pretty reminiscent of the blog I wrote in May of 2009. Ha! Though had I known what the future would have looked like I'd have done that all differently. I just received an email from my friend Ben who I met in Palma that summer I went to work on the yachts. He took 'that job' and has since been working and traveling and making money. I goofed that up for sure, but as I say every year about this time (product of a slow winter season) had I not goofed up that job hunt originally I'd never have followed the path that has led me here.
I feel much better about who I am, what type of job I'm good at, I still enjoy my winter and summer jobs, and am now comfortable being broke all year long. I may die penniless but I'll have had a great life just the same!

As part of going back to Europe to learn a language I'll job hunt for that ever illusive tour guide job overseas. If all else fails I'll come home and be a tour guide in the USA. It turns out I really love showing people around this crazy country. There is so much to see! So many amazing people to meet and lots of large hilarious statues to stop and visit from coast to coast. haha. I did a miserable job blogging as I crossed the country first on the northern route then back to the west coast on the southern route. The best I can do now is look at my collection of souvenirs and remember. It is basically a total review of my big American summer last season.

Lets see, after collecting chickens I quickly drove out of the west and into the bobble head realm. I chose not to buy a bobble president at Mt Rushmore. I did break down and buy plenty of Spam items at the Spam museum in Austin Minnesota. I ended up with a wine glass from the finger lakes region of New York State. (Rooster Hill.) Oh and a lobster dash ornament in honor of the humongous lobster dinner we had in Mystic Seaport Connecticut, ooh fresh, cheap seafood!! Amazing! Though I will say it was pretty traumatic for the group when I put the live lobsters into the boiling water and one of them flipped the lid off the stock pot. Oh the looks on their faces! Dinner fought back....if only for a moment.

On the way back it was things like Nashville (BBQ), Memphis (can you say bobble Elvis!!), New Orleans nightlife. The guys found a place for a food challenge (Burger & Blues in Jackson Mississippi) 3 pound burger, 1 pound fries, rootbeer float. All of that eaten in one hour. Needless to say two Europeans who hadn't met a real American burger didn't finish. Once I hit New Mexico I was on familiar territory again and rolled through the rest of the trip.

The rest of my trips seemed like a blur. Week long trips that should normally take two and then a nice and easy hotel tour to finish it all up.

Of course I had to do a road trip home!! That took me through Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly (de shay) then up through Utah and finally home. Phew! There is no telling what the recap of this coming year will look like. Should be a lot of fun figuring it out though!