Category: Previous Posts
The Most Portuguese Town in Portugal
by Georgia K
I didn’t have a lot of expectations when I drove up the winding road leading to Monsanto. I passed two of the town’s famed giant boulders at a narrow turn and I could see the beginnings of the beige stone walls that I associate with quaint, European towns. My GPS had stopped working an hour ago and the blue triangle that was supposed to … Read More The Most Portuguese Town in Portugal
An Anniversary
by Georgia K
Last night at 4:30 a.m. I sat in the back of an Uber listening to my date talk about the differences between football and futsal. He held my hand, tracing swirls between my fingers and palm. It was our fifth or sixth date. We’d just spent the evening in downtown Porto grabbing drinks and dancing at a local club. Exactly two years before that, … Read More An Anniversary
A Tale of Two Boxes: Don’t Ship to Portugal
by Georgia K
Before I moved to Porto I looked up the logistics of shipping my goods from Thailand to Portugal. Reviews and blog posts screamed: DON’T DO IT. My packages were held up in customs for months, one man said. I had to pay extra tax, despite already paying tax when I bought the item, another blog stated. It was abundantly clear: carry everything on the … Read More A Tale of Two Boxes: Don’t Ship to Portugal
Leaving Bangkok: Thank You, Next
by Georgia K
Last week I moved from Bangkok, Thailand to Porto, Portugal. This marks the 19th move of my life, a number which includes moving state-to-state, country-to-country, and just from one neighbourhood to the next (I only did that once; every other time I’ve at least moved out of state). Each move is relatively the same: right before I leave a place I suddenly look at … Read More Leaving Bangkok: Thank You, Next
+ Asia, Previous Posts, Thailand, Travel
Why I Hate ‘The Beach’
by Georgia K
Many people told me to watch The Beach before moving to Thailand. The scenery was to die for, they said, and the story was a classic expat-moves-to-Thailand tale. Maybe I would relate? I saved the film in my Netflix cue, but never got around to watching it before my move. During my year and a half living in Thailand I continued to skip it … Read More Why I Hate ‘The Beach’
Welcoming 2019 with Tenacity
by Georgia K
For the past few years I’ve listened to friends choose ‘anchor words,’ which they use to ground themselves for the New Year. They choose words like “courage” to remind them each month to be brave, or “persistent” to encourage them to strive for what they want. Since being surrounded by wordsmiths in graduate school I’ve thought about choosing my own anchor word, but never … Read More Welcoming 2019 with Tenacity
How To End Up In A Sexy Convertible VW Bug In Hawai’i: A Short Story
by Georgia K
When you’re jet lagged and running off maybe two hours of sleep, you forget to check the open/close hours of the place where you booked a rental car in Honolulu (which you only booked because it was so much cheaper than picking up at the airport). You take a city bus to the rental place. The bus driver continuously gets off the bus to … Read More How To End Up In A Sexy Convertible VW Bug In Hawai’i: A Short Story
Broken Hearts and the Power of Women on the River Kwai
by Georgia K
The blue destination dot on Google Maps seemed far away as my two friends and I crawled out of the minibus at the Kanchanaburi bus station. It was nearing 8 p.m. We’d left Bangkok around 4:30 p.m. The driver shut the door and drove off, leaving us standing dumbly in the street. My two friends, one a fellow expat also living in Bangkok and … Read More Broken Hearts and the Power of Women on the River Kwai
+ Asia, Previous Posts, Travel, Vietnam
Trekking Through Sapa
by Georgia K
When a desk agent from my Hanoi hostel asked if I wanted to book a hiking trip through Sapa I thought, Sure. Why not? I’d hiked plenty of times. I had a limited amount of time in Vietnam and Sapa was supposed to be a “must see” place. A hike seemed like fun. The journey started with a 5-hour overnight sleeper bus to Sapa. … Read More Trekking Through Sapa
Expectations in India
by Georgia K
While flying down an Indian highway at 100 km/h, I didn’t have the normal thoughts someone would have during their first trip to India: This is awesome! I’m in India! On a motorcycle! Why is there a cow in the road? Instead, at nearly 11 p.m. at night, after driving 470 km, all I could think was: Oh my god. I’m 30. I landed in Jaipur around … Read More Expectations in India
Sick in Bangkok: Old Habits Die Hard…Until They Kill You
by Georgia K
My first professional publication was an essay about how I am unable to ask for help even when I need it. In the essay, I took a 12-hour long ferry from the city of Lerwick on the Shetland Islands to Aberdeen, Scotland. A typhoon had just passed over the North Sea, creating waves so large that it felt like our boat was at a … Read More Sick in Bangkok: Old Habits Die Hard…Until They Kill You
+ Asia, Previous Posts, Thailand, Travel
A Quick Catch-Up: New Job, New Places, New Trips
by Georgia K
I can’t believe it’s been over two months since my last post. That’s mostly because I got a new job, which consumes my working week. Any free time I have has been spent with friends or writing for various publications. When my new job’s Board of Directors offered me a position, the President said, “You cannot write about our school.” (The most I can … Read More A Quick Catch-Up: New Job, New Places, New Trips
