Crossing the Blood Brain Barrier

Hello lovely readers!  I know it has been a long time, but I have been busy getting my education on track.  I have started a new blog, Crossing the Blood Brain Barrier, so you can read about my pursuits in medicine.  I hope you continue to follow my journey!

Knowledge is Power

So, as a few of you might know, I am enrolling in school here in Austin.  I am excited because I really put it off for a long time.  I made excuses for myself why I shouldn't have studied science or taken Organic Chemistry at Berkeley, but I spend all my time working in healthcare and reading about infectious diseases.  I look up to my dad, yet I never wanted to study medicine.  I am going back to school to complete pre-requirements for a Physician Assistant program.  PAs are basically trained doctors that are limited in what they can do on their own and within a practice.  I am not saying I am going to be an MD someday soon, but I am excited to have the opportunity to practice and help individuals with their medical ailments.

Best part is soon, I will be qualified to be a Texas resident!  Can you believe it's been a year since I moved to Austin?  It's been a long road, but I would be happy to do it all again.

My Star-crossed Day

I generally feel on top of the world.  I mean, I circumnavigated the world in 90 days, conquered the Mongolian dessert, braved the Siberian permafrost, and survived a bed bug infestation in Ukraine.  For some bizarre and inexplicable reason, this past Saturday I felt something no one should ever feel - defeat. 

It is true that worse things have happend to more amazing people, and I will attest that my group of friends had a great time and nothing went infinitely wrong.  There is no real explanation why, on Sauturday night, I anxiously counted down the minutes until midnight.  I am not a superstitious person, but I am positive that my stars and planets were not aligned on May 14th.

The day started off just fine.  It was the day after everyone's last final and we were going to celebrate by inner-tubing down this river located far south of Austin in New Braunfels.  My previous experience tubing with my friends in California led me to the logical conclusion that it would be an epic journey.  One year, we planned a tame 5 mile float in Healdsburg, but on the way to our entrance point we took a wrong turn.  We jumped into the river about 15 miles away from our end destination.  We realized how cold it was getting when the beer ran out, so we started calling out to our land-bound neighbors.  "Where's Healdsburg?" we would cry out.  In response, we received mocking laughs and sympathetic head shakes.  We realized our attempt to float to our friend's house was fruitless, so we all waded out of the water and blazed a trail through a local vineyard.  The owner saw our pathetic group of crying women and men wearing their boxers as shoes.  As Blanche would have put it, "I have always relied on the kindness of strangers."  He was our guardian angel; we would have spent hours in the cold hiking to our cars without him.  It was quite the Independence Day river trip.

This year's trip was much more regimented. We drove down to New Braunfels, rented our tubes, and jumped into a groomed river filled with hundreds of oddly shaped bodies, tattoos and personalities.  Although my bad luck started earlier in the day, it hit its peak soon after we hit the water.  Nat and I lost our group after funneling through a tube shoot that catapulted me and Nat into a wall.  In trying to catch up, we didn't realize there was a dangerous man-made 3ft waterfall.  At the fall, one of our friends got trampled by strangers, Nat bumped his head very hard, and I got assaulted.  Don't really need to get into the details, but a middle-aged man decided to take advantage of my half-drowned and mildly panicked state to make a move.  It took me a while to float over to Nat and scout for some cops, but by the time we led them to the scene and I gave an account, he had slowly creep away.  I watched this pervert escape, to live another day free to molest unsuspecting women.  

This violating episode combined with a few other scattered encounters left me afraid to even drive home at the end of the day.  A part of me seriously feared that I would get into a catastrophic car accident.  I felt generally defeated and couldn't wait for the day to just end.  Luckily for me it could have been worse.  At least I have an amazingly supportive and loving boyfriend and hysterical friends to laugh about this incident with. 

"How cold does it get in San Francisco?"

When I started my trip through Siberia in late September, it was roughly 40 degrees Fahrenheit out, frosting a little bit, but far from freezing. I was wearing gloves, a scarf, nylons under my pants, a mink fur hat, and at least two shirts under my leather jacket.  My first naïve days on the Trans-Siberian Railway, I would ask locals if it would be getting colder soon; they would just look at me with the sternest blue eyes I had ever looked into and say, “Yes…you have no idea.”

 Along my travels, it was always so funny to see people’s reactions to the statement, “It does not snow in the city where I live.”  A conversation once arose that went something like this:


Siberian local: “How cold does it get in San Francisco?”


Erika: “Maybe about 10-15 degrees.” (roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit)


Siberian local (incredulously): “Minus?”


Erika: “Dear Lord, no!!  Positive…!”


Of coures, by the end of my trip, I would occassionaly leave the hostel without my nylons, and always without my hat.  I guess a dead giveaway that I am not a Ukrainain local is to be wearing a Russian fur hat - go figure.

 

When I lived in San Francisco, I would throw on shorts, grab my parrot “Pearl” and run to Dolores Park if the fog had burned off and the sun was out.  Of course, 65 degrees used to be hot weather for me.  It is funny how our bodies get used to weather changes and climates over time. 

Tomorrow, we are going tubing down a river with laundry bags full of beer and I was concerned about the weather conditions.  It poured like the sky was going to fall yesterday, and although it has since cleared up, I decided to check the weather to be safe.  My initial thought was, “84 degrees?!?! Really??  It’s going to be too cold to get into water and go tubing.” I am a spoiled little Texan now.  I was ready to soak up the 100 degree rays tomorrow, but will have to settle for 84. Probably better this way, as I really am not in the market for Melanoma.

No Idle Hands Here!

My last month has been packed with adventures, visitors and non-stop hooping!  My AOII sister, former room-mate, Castro-club hopper and, of course, best friend, Tara came to visit.  She is a UT Law admitted student who made it to the finals for a scholarship.  She was flown out here to check out the campus and inteview.  I made it a personal goal to show her how amazing Austin is, cowboy boots and all!  We danced all night on 6th Street, went to my favorite restaurants and bars.  All in all, it was a successful weekend, though I believe she is leaning towards a different university that has a better program for public interest.  I told her if she went here, maybe we could be room mates again, but she told me she doesn't think she could live with Pearl!  Nat, I guess you are stuck with me and the little Pearl! 

After my visitor left, I devoted my time to the Austin Parrot Society.  We had a fundraiser for Bird Haven, a non-profit bird rescue, so we had a lot of work to do in preparation.  I am so happy to be a part of a group where telling people that I take my parrot on walks isn't an automatic "this girl is crazy" red flag.  I have an amazing group of passionate bird owners who are helping me find out about local vets, training techniques and feeding advice.  I even get recipes for birdie cakes!  We carpooled the the San Antonio Bird Mart to table and promote our fundraiser, but really it was the perfect excuse to buy Pearl and new discounted cage and toys!  I was told that I have the "gift of gab" by own of our members, since I was able to chat up any casual on-looker.

My parents decided to make a random trip to Austin to visit the same weekend of our fundraiser and I am so glad that they did!  I am sure that the event would not have been so successful without their enthusiasm and constant silent auction bidding.  We all learned a lot from Barbara Heidenrich from Good Bird, Inc.  She is a work famous bird behavioralist who has had amazing success with positive reinforcement and parrot training.  I am excited to get Pearl back next month and test out her new techniques!  We also did a Segway tour of Austin which was a fun mix of history lessons and rugged adventure.  Of course, thanks to my mom's Atkins diet, we dined at some of the best restuarants in Austin, Fogo de Chao and the Driskill Hotel.  Don't you love when family is in town? 

I am eager to receive my brand new LED hula hoop, compliments of Lighted Lifestyle.  I got to play with one in my class and cannot wait to that this baby to Burning Man!  It will look so cool out at night on the playa!  I am loving hooping.  It is an amazing cardio work out and I love just spinning and dancing with my hoop.  I would love to go to Hoop Camp this year in Santa Cruz, but I think due to Burning Man and lack of PTO, I will probably put it off for a year.

I have even been toying with the idea of becoming a Russian tutor.  I currently have one awesome beginner, but she is going abroad in the fall.  I think it would be a lot of fun to teach others and make a little spare change on the side. 

And that's what you missed...on GLEE!  just kidding, but I do love that show!   

Erika Erikovna: Trans-Siberian Collection 2010

Imagine this: Beautiful young brunette inspired to explore new territories strikes out on an epic adventure of a life time. Her rugged yet refined style turns heads as she traverses the globe via the longest railway in the world. Her adventurous attitude is captured through her wardrobe: a delicate straw hat, khaki colored shorts, strappy sandals, and big sunglasses - Oddly, it looks like that collection was already done by Banana Republic, but no, this is Erika Erikovna: Trans-Siberian Collection 2010.

Please do not sue me Banana Republic. I am already your walking billboard, ok!

So, I know my sisters will understand this, but all of my life, I have lived off of hand-me-downs and thrift store clothes. Going skiing with a group of 5 is expensive! So, naturally, we all fought over the one "cool" pair of black ski pants. The ones that don't look like the 80's ski gear you see in Hot Tub Time Machine. Now that I am an established young adult who makes her own money, I have kissed thrifting good-bye and have become that Ski Bunny I could never have been with the teal colored over-all ski pants that smelled like the Salvation Army.

Recently, I have started fantasizing about the select few pieces of clothing that will be found worthy of making the journey with me. The best shots from this 2 week photo shoot of the Trans-Siberian Collection 2010 will have the honor of adorning my new house in Austin, Texas along side St. Petersburg 2006, Cancun 2007 and Yellowstone 2008.

One major flaw to my stylish collection, Siberia really is the cold place everyone has expected it to be. I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but this unknown territory I will be gallivanting about is really not all that "unknown" thanks to the Internet. After spending 10 minutes on Wikipedia, I decided to see for myself- Irkutsk, for example, averages as low as 37°F in September. So, there goes my fantasy about strappy sandals and a straw hat. Back to the drawing boards. Not all is lost because I was planning to expand my collection to include exotic fur purchased along the route. I guess that elegant Siberian fur hat will be making an appearance down the run way sooner than expected!

In Loving Memory of Rosa Garcia-Viteri

My Family before UCLA vs Cal football game, 2004

Robert and Rosa Viteri are some of my parent’s oldest and dearest friends.  After years of unwavering friendship, they would become my older sister's God parents.  About 24 years ago,  we were all sitting around the pool behind the Viteri home when they decided to find a nickname for the newest born, little Erica Mari.  They came up with the phrase “Qui, Qui, Qui! Erica Mari!”  Today, you may not know me by "Qui," my original nickname.  For obvious reasons, the attempt at shortening my already short name failed.  Four years later, my parents successfully tried again with my little sister, Elizabeth.  She still uses my old nickname with pride and it suits her better than it ever could have suited me.  I tell this story because last weekend, I attended the funeral of my aunt, Rosa Garcia-Viteri.  It is my deepest sentiment that when someone good passes away, we should honor that person by telling her stories and celebrating her life.

Robert Viteri and my father had competing bicycle routes when they were kids growing up in Los Angeles and often fought over the $0.35 a month clients.  They later attended the same high school and eventually reinforced their relationship while attending Pomona College.  Robert Viteri went on one blind date with Rosa Garcia and they hit it off instantly.  After four hours of conversing at a local pub, it was a given that there would be a second date.  The friend that had set them up called Rosa at work a few days later to ask when she and Robert were going out again, but apparently Robert never called her to make plans.  When speaking about that phone call, Rosa always said, “[My friend] couldn’t get off the phone fast enough!”  Robert got an upset ring minutes later asking why he never asked Rosa out again.  Robert explained that his plan was to call her on Thursday to invite her out on Friday.  It's a good thing his friend had encouraged him to call her as soon as possible, because everyone who knows Robert knows he is late to everything!  The second date only solidified what everyone believed to be love at first sight.  After that they became inseparable. 

A few months into their relationship, the unthinkable happened: Rosa found a lump in her left breast.  She was dumfounded because she was in the best shape of her life, and cancer had not run in her family at all.  She remembered the moment she realized how bad the cancer really was when her doctor’s eyes got three sizes bigger during her exam.  This fledgling relationship seemed like it would end before it even had a chance to mature.  Most cancer diagnosis like Rosa's result in less than two years of life, but this did not stop the soul mates from loving each other.  A mutual friend stated at the funeral that after she had gotten her test results, Robert had talked to him in confidence about Rosa’s diagnosis and possible grim future.  Robert never once asked if he should stay with her or even if marry her, but rather asked, “Will I be good enough for her?”  Two years later they got married and began battling the disease together.

 

Rosa Viteri fought off the cancer five separate times over the next 27 years.  I will always remember her for her fighting spirit, love of UCLA, and her ability to see the light in any dark situation.  She had the happiness and enthusiasm for life that many completely healthy individuals lack.  She won the prestigious Susan G. Komen Survivor of the Month Award and gave hope to hundreds of young women who faced similar bleak medical diagnosis by speaking at a myriad of fundraisers over the years.  After giving an inspiring speech at one particular fundraiser, one woman ran through the crowd to speak to her.  Rosa had given this young woman hope, because like Rosa, she had been diagnosed with cancer at such a young age.  Rosa was a beacon of hope and managed to touch every individual she ever came in contact with.    

Robert and Rosa were only one short month away from celebrating their 25^th wedding anniversary, and cherished every minute of their time together.  If Rosa was put on this Earth to give hope to friends and strangers alike, Robert was put on this Earth to be her rock and support her every step of the way.  I am still in awe and proud of the loving and supportive relationship they had, for surely without each other, Rosa would not have lived long enough to touch the lives of so many people.  At the funeral service, it was apparent the effect she had on all those in her life.  There were so many people that most of the chapel was standing room only.  This is because for Rosa, regardless of how well you knew her, you were her sister or her best friend.  There was no in between.  She loved everyone to her fullest capacity, and it showed.  I only hope that someday, people will say about me half of the amazing things that were said at my Tia Rosa’s funeral.  My new goal in life is to keep my aunt's memory alive by embodying her selfless and compassionate ideals. 

I know you are looking down on us and smiling, Tia.  We all love you and will never forget the impact you had on all of us. 

See you later, alligator.  In a while, crocodile.     

In Loving Memory of Rosa Garcia-Viteri

Article about my Tia Rosa: Ford Selects Three Latina Breast Cancer Survivors for National Education Awareness Campaign

Flash a smile, get some beads

Last weekend, I took a road trip to the infamous Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana.  I had many preconceptions about how crazy it was going to be, so I adequately prepared myself.  I imagined Disneyland during its 50^th celebration meets Las Vegas on New Year's Eve.  I packed boots, dark make up, and plenty of Asprin.  I was even more excited because  my sorority little sister, Mary, was flying in to Austin to join us on our weekend to Mardi Gras.

Mary, me & Megan on 6th St.

I met Mary at the airport on Thursday evening and was extremely excited to show her Austin during our one night before heading off to Louisiana.  We chatted, got dressed up and picked up Nat and a friend, Megan, before heading downtown.  For those of you who are not familiar with 6^th Street, Austin, it is a site to see.  The police, rather than deal with cars hitting drunk pedestrians, close down a large portion of the street by setting up blockades.   This makes it legal and extremely convenient to do my favorite pass-time: jay-walking.  We bought $5 pitchers of alcohol from one of my favorite bars called Shakespeare’s.  We even saw our bartender at Cheers light shots on fire to make the famous Austin beverage “Flaming Doctor Peppers.”  It was quite the way to start the weekend.  We had to be up at 4AM to start our road trip so a good night’s rest would have been appropriate, but you know me better than that, right?  We finally crawled into bed at about 2AM, making the following morning brutal as I realized I was still in a mildly altered state of mind.  I went from sleeping in the parking lot on top of a suitcase to dancing up a storm in a matter of 60 seconds. 

My bed away from bed

The drive was entertaining.  We stopped for a meal of deep fried alligator tail, with a side of deep fried frog legs and deep fried craw fish- a true Cajun feast.  It rained on the way there, forcing the men folk to get out and wrap our baggage in trash bags while the ladies snapped photos.  After 12 hours of rain and traffic, we finally arrived at our off-Bourbon Street hotel.  A thorough inspection of the mattresses at our 2.5 star hotel concluded that our room was not infested with bed bugs, so we settled in and hit the town.


 We got so much look from flashing!  Flashing our beautiful smiles that is!  Check out my high neck dress if you don't believe me.

My lovely group of friends

Balcony where treats fall from!

We came out decked with bead, boas, yo-yos and many other random treats.  That was only the first night!  The following day we wandered around the city and had lunch at a traditional Cajun restaurant where I got my first order of jambalaya.  My only complaint about the weekend was the creepers waiting to snap pictures of your drunken bartering mistakes, and the rain.  The unfortunate weather conditions forced us to stay indoors most of Saturday.  Although we do look cute in ponchos!

Nat and me on a terrace during our lunch

Mary, me and Anna

At our refuge from the rain, we had jello shots out of a tube that looks like a syringe.  Does that sound familiar?  Remember my post about the injection shots in Kiev, Ukraine (Shot of Death)?  

Jello Shots!

I am convinced that since I did not see a parade during Mardi Gras, I should just take a trip to the capital of all Fat Tuesday celebrations: Carnival at Rio de Janeiro.  I can feel the wander lust rising…

Life just ran with that idea

The past two months have been full of more flights, adventures, old friends, parrots, entreprenurial ideas, BBQ, hula hoops, failures and successes.  I apologize for my delayed posts, but life just has a way of running when you aren't looking.  Now that I have wireless internet  forward to those precious two hours when you have wireless internet.  I lived my life abroad very meticulously.  I valued my Facebook more than I do now.  I actually checked my email once or twice a a day, rather than every 15 minutes thanks to "fetch new data."  So, here is my low down.  

Last time we met, I was on a last minute flight to San Diego to visit Nat's family for the holidays.  We had a splendid time, enjoying the weather and not throwing up all day.  I say the later because last time I met Nat's family for a family reunion, I successfully managed to inject about 75% of his family with the Norovirus aka stomach flu.  I am not sure if I will ever out grow my nickname "Typhoid Mary."  

After that, we were on a flight to Las Vegas for our 4th Annual Santa Rosa Crew Vegas Trip.  I think every year gets better and better!  I guess the first year we went was 10 days after my second nose surgery which in retrospect was probably not the best idea.  I was on hydocodone, couldn't drink, and got a bloody nose after being wacked in the face by a drunk friend.  Oops!  Since then, we have made so many fabulous memories I can't even begin to relay them all.  I got to ride a mechanical bull hands-free, watch an electric violin and DJ chick duo and stay out almost as late as I did in Ukraine!  The best part was playing cards in the back of our rented RV all the way back to Santa Rosa.  Some of us didn't get enough sleep, so they crashed together in the one little bed in the back. 

Next stop, San Francisco!  Let me tell you how nice it was to be back in my city!  I got to see my old roomate, best friends, old co-workers and my old favorite spots.  It was kind of difficult to get over the fact that last time I was in SF, I lived there, had a room, and my parrot.  I really miss my friends, but we got to go out in the Castro for an amazing night of dancing.  Then we got to hit up a couple of places for bottomless mimosas and brunch.  I might even be on the wall at Hot Cookie 

I now have an amazing group of close friends here in Austin and I am getting to know the sites much better.  The night life and outdoors life is amazing here. 

Random facts about my new life:

• After a couple of weeks of turning down offers, being rejected from employers and weighing out my possible options, I am now working full-time at an OB/Gyn office in North Austin.  I may now know more than I wanted to know about the miraculous journey of pregnancy, but hey, never hurts to start doing research early...way early.
• I have decided to take up new hobbies to keep busy while Nat studies.  Last week, I made my first set of hula hoops.  Good exersize, a must-have skill for Burning Man, and will look amazing if I can eventually set them on fire!
• Speaking of Burning Man, I bought my ticket and cannot wait to join my sisters, and Mark, along with our new additions to the playa, Tristan and Kara!
• I made arrangements to fly Pearl to Austin on May 22nd!  I am excited to start wandering the streets of downtown with her and continue to support the motto "Keep Austin Weird."
• I was elected Events Coordinator of the Austin Parrot Society and look forward to start organizing their fudraisers, events, etc
• I have decided to collect feathers from the parrot rescue I volunteer at, make jewelry out of the molted feathers and sell them to raise money for the organization.

This Friday I embark on an 8 hour journey with 5 best friends to New Orleans for Mardi Gras!  I imagine I will be yelling at people to throw me beads as I used to yell at the patrons of the Blue Bayou to throw me pieces of bread before I came face to face with the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Let's hope that my experience dodging hords of people at Disneyland has adequately prepared me for the madness that will ensue this weekend.


I think that just about covers it all.  Do I like to keep busy or what?? 

Mexican Christmas

This year for Christmas instead of fighting the elements and being stranded at the airport for 12 hours, Nat and I had an easy three-hour drive from Austin to Dallas.  Well, actually, we drove from Austin to Houston then to Dallas – skipping only El Paso and San Antonio when it comes to major cities in Texas.  Nat got invited to a holiday mixer at a law firm in Houston so we decided that in order to cut some driving time out.  We drove directly from Houston to Dallas instead of back to Austin.  Usually Nat and I like to trade off the burden of driving but just last week, Nat was almost denied entrance into a bar due to his expired driver’s license.  He was as shocked as I was to find out that for the last five months, he has been driving and carrying on illegally.  So that major drive from Austin to Houston to Dallas- all me.  It might not sound like much, but unless you have been or lived in Texas you probably don’t realize how big of a state Texas really is!  While Nat attended the holiday party, I wandered around downtown and hit up two of my favorite places, Macy’s and Starbucks.  I really like the downtown because their main shuttle runs over water and everything looks beautiful being reflected off the water.

Houston Night View

Christmas was so much fun this year.  Nat was a little overwhelmed with the chatter in Spanish that went back and forth but he held up well and after a few days really got into it.  I learned how to make Mexican “gorditas” with my new tortilla making machine and salsa using my new food processor.  We must have eaten at least ½ a jalapeno with ever meal.  

Tia Del and me making "gorditas!"

We swam in the 78 degree weather and even tanned a little.  Later in the week it actually got cold, but it didn’t even matter since my aunt heated the pool to an amazing 99 degrees!  No joke, the pool was warmer than the hot tub most of the week.  My mom doesn’t get into anything under 90 degrees, so my aunt made sure to provide.  We took family pictures in the pool and everyone started drinking at 9AM!  Oh my family.  One of my cousins seemed to always have a Corona in his hand.  It was definitely a rowdy time.

Family time in the pool!

I got so many amazing gifts this year, but for sure the best part was having all of my family under one roof, curled up on inflatable mattresses, couches, carpets and foam mattresses.  I am happy that Nat was able to meet all my cousins, aunts and uncles that I grew up with in Mexico, too.  The best part, it turns out that Nat’s family is gathering in San Diego a few days after Christmas, so we decided to hope onto another plane and see them for a few days, then fly straight to Las Vegas for New Years.  Nat matches my spontaneous travel-minded lifestyle so I am grateful to have him as a travel buddy.  I need to sign off, since our plane is descending now!  Hello, California!

Flood Gates have been opened

After having spent the last month and a half studying up to twelve hours a day, you better believe that Tuesday night was a night to celebrate for the first year law students at University of Texas.  Directly after the final ended, some immediately started drinking, others napped, and others just sat dumbfounded in shock.  By 8PM all of my new friends were ready to begin the festivities of the night.  The evening was started by a three-man race to a restaurant/bar called Trudy’s.  The contestants had to tie themselves together, run to each destination, chug a large beer, and then keep running.  Nat and I made the wise decision of simply being spectators, but quickly realized that in order to continue to gawk at our friends, we had to actually run after them.  The plan quickly deteriorated, so we decided to just walk directly to Trudy’s with one other friend.

After Trudy’s, we headed to a peer’s house prior to hitting the town.  During the evening, somehow Star Wars came up and I was shocked and appalled to hear that one of Nat’s friends had never seen the original trilogy.  Out of sheer shock and offense, my gut reaction was to slap him.  Harsh I realize, but he also said he didn’t know Harrison Ford was in the movies which I think merited a slap.  I apologized, and shortly thereafter we headed downtown.

A larger group of law students had rented a party bus to head downtown, but we had something better.  It only cost my one dollar, and is totally green – public transportation.  We took some silly pictures while we waited, and I guess we were having so much fun that a homeless man decided to join us so we took a picture together.  Quite the rowdy crowd! 

Note our new homeless friend on the bottom right

At the bar, we meet up with the rest of the first year law students.  Some were dressed like elves, Santa’s ladies, or just themselves but covered in green glitter.  After a while, some of us went on a quest to find a dance floor and break it down.  Unfortunately, we realized it was still Tuesday, so dancing was scarce.  We snuck onto the third floor of a bar, only to get escorted down.  After one of our friends fell down the stairs on the way down, we went from escorted down to out.  Since everyone is done with school and I don’t have a job, I really feel like we are living the dream and constantly on vacation.  I wish this feeling would never end.

I am also feeling the holiday spirit here in Austin!  Check out the huge tree!  I felt like such a little kid spinning in circles under the tree.  I got really dizzy but held my ground.  One of our friends tried to spin but completely fell on the ground.

Nat and Erica under the Christmas tree made of lights

Spinning under the tree!

Group picture!

Reverse Culture Shock

I went to bed at the correct time on Monday night after I got back in town, slept 10 hours, and woke up the next morning feeling better than expected.   My only complaint was this strange subtle headache.  I literally felt like I had a hangover or something, but I had not touched a drop in a while.  Is this normal?  I mean, do people get headaches instead of just being tired?  What a strange symptom of being jet lagged. 

I got it together, and sent Nat off to his first final.  I was nervous for him, but confident because he was more than ready for his test.  I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some errands.  I used my Groupon for Anytime Fitness and signed up for my three-month membership for $30.  Besides catching up on four different seasons of television and going to the gym, I really did not do much during the couple of weeks Nat was taking his finals.  I know I sound lazy, but traveling around the world in three months is not easy feat!  I really enjoyed taking my time acclimating back to my life in the US.  I would like to share my observations on reverse culture shock – what an individual experiences upon return to his/her country after an extended period of time. 

My symptoms of Reverse Culture Shock include:

1. Amazement at my ability to order free iced water in any restaurant I walk into
2. Disappointment because I do not have tea or coffee 4-5 times a day
3. Being expected to listen and understand every word of every sentence uttered by every person I interact with
4. Realization that driving like a Ukrainian and not wearing a seat belt is no longer cool
5. Loneliness derived from the fact that all of my best friends do not live under one roof in a hostel anymore
6.  Feelings of rejection when my American friends refuse my offering of tea or coffee when they come over
7. Recognition that my short bangs are not high fashion anymore 

My Trans-Atlantic Journey

Cradling my souvenirs that were about to be wrapped into my jacket as cushioning

After two short hours of sleep, I woke up ready to jump to my feet.  I have always been an amazing morning person, but today was especially important.  I had some errands to run before heading to the airport at noon.  After the bed bug incident, I had to throw away my backpack so I was in dire need of purchasing a new suitcase.  I had already packed all of my belonging, duct taped my souvenirs, and shoved everything into a double bagged trash bags. I idly considered just getting the Ukrainian airport workers to plastic wrap my trash bag, check it in as is and cal it a day, but I was afraid of everything falling out so I decided against it.  I woke up sleepy James and got him to come shopping with me, because having his company in the morning was one of the conditions of staying out late the night before.  I managed to find a mesh-like colorful bag that reminded me of my Mexican relative and a suitcase which perfectly fit my trash bag bundle.  I was way too tired for painful good-byes so I said, "Until next time," and called my cab.

I made it to the airport, bought some bread and one Russian Cosmo magazine.  After all that, I had a whole 4 grivnas left (50 cents).  I was so happy not to run out of the country with pockets full of cash.  I believe James accidentaly took out a ridiculous amount of money while in Estonia and was unable to get any other country to change his money back.  I was so excited to sleep on the plane!

I got onto my plane with minimal problems and was ready for my nap.  After getting on my flight from Warsaw to Chicago, I decided that I should try my hardest not to sleep too much or else my overnight lay over in Chicago would be incredibly difficult.  I arrived in Chicago and made it straight through customs without a problem.  The airport security didn't want to let me back into the airport because my flight wasn't until the following day, but eventually they let me in.

My overnight layover was harsh.  I was the only one in the terminal besides the airport employees who were on their way home.  I went to the bathroom to wash up and was happy to remember that I had a long shirt in my carry on.  I took my jeans off and managed to remain decent because I also had thick nylons.  I wrapped myself in all the warm clothes which included my fur hat.  I woke up quite a few times to the melodic voice of the lady telling me not to leave bags unattended only to realize I was freezing.  I readjusted my jackets and managed to make it through the night.  Why have there been so many times along this trip for me to feel homeless??  Let's reminisce.

Exhibit A: A story I have yet to tell on my blog out of respect for the dignity of someone who used to be my best friend.  Well, guess what?  She no longer has dignity or my respect.  Come to think of it, she might not even have a soul.  Too much?  Well, while I was in Hamburg my "best friend" kicked me out of her apartment for no seemingly good reason.  So below is a picture of me looking homeless with all my belongs gathered together.  Luckily, James had come to visit me in Hamburg so he was there to help me move out and drink wine with me in my lowest of times.  My recently new best friend, Katryna who went to Santa Rosa High with Nat, took me into her apartment, so later that day I had a home yet again.  Thank God for real friends.

Hamburg, Germany

Exhibit B: Or remember that time I got bed bugs and had to throw away, boil or DDT all of my belongings - including my coat and shoes?  I had no choice than to resort to wearing Men's clothing until my clothes was dry, and I bought a new warm coat, and a pair of snow proof boots.

Odessa, Ukraine

Chicago airport was not quite as bad, but I definitely had bad flashbacks.  I just kept counting the hours until I got to run into Nat's arms.  The following morning, I was excited to make the phone call where I could state, "Hey babe, remember when it was 'I will see you in 3 months?' Well, I will see you in 3 hours."

I was so excited to get off the plane, I wanted to just run away without my carry on that was forced to be checked-in.  I was at the very end of a long line of passengers that were in a similar situation because we were in a plane so small that we had to walk through the Chicago snow to the stairs leading to our vessel.  I jumped around, waiting anxiously to bolt out of the terminal towards my love.  I saw my Ukrainian Mexican carry on from the back of the line and ran forward to claim it.  I used my winning smile to nonchalantly and jokingly state, "I can see my ugly bag from a mile away!"  I got a few laughs.  "Phew, safe."  The last thing I wanted is some big Texan upset at me for cutting in line, but I was desperate to get out of the airport.

Ukrainian Mexican Bag

I literally ran, then walked like a little kid being watched by the side of the swimming pool, then ran, careful not to break into a sweat - after all, I already slept in a airport, it was the least I could do to retain some semblance of attractive after my 28 hour voyage home.  I looked around and there I saw him, Nat dressed in his best suit holding a dozen roses.  Crying because you are so happy is a miraculous thing.  I have told Nat before he shouldn't be embarrassed if I start crying in public during times like this.  He still thinks it makes him look like a bad boyfriend that made his pathetic little girlfriend cry in public.  So, I cried a little, just enough to make the point that I am happy to be home clear.  Then dried them up and waited for my bags.  One of the wheels on my new Ukrainian suitcase broke, after I got out of the taxi at Odessa's airport.  Minor damages when looking at the big picture.  In the end, I am home, in one piece.

My roses live in a pitcher in my apartment, and I love them for it

My Trans-Siberian Journey may have ended, but my adventures are long from over.  So I encourage you to keep reading, because rest assured, I will keep writing.

No sleep for you

On my last night in Odessa, we attended a local bar’s farewell shindig.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had heard good review from another set of hostel guests I had befriended earlier in the month.  I was curious as to why the bar was closing down so suddenly especially since it was supposedly the hip place to be.  It seemed like a fitting good-bye to attend, since it was also my last night in Ukraine. 

As soon as I walked in, I was shocked because I felt as if I had stumbled upon a wormhole.  This bar was a combination of my high school Ska music years and possibly San Francisco in the 1960s.  The dancing was confusing and disturbing – upon first entering the bar I had the illusion that I was witnessing Berkeley during the Free Speech Movement.  There was a circle of patrons holding hands and running into and out of the circle while some strange whimsical nonsense played in the background.  I decided I had to keep my eyes on the dance floor, just in case anything else ridiculous happened.

Random Hippie Circle

While James, Leonardo and Dasha waited in a sickeningly long line for what was later deemed inferior beer, I made my rounds and talked to people who I had met over the past month.  There was one set of crazy eyes I definitely did not expect to ever make eye contact with ever again – fork girl was there.  She said, “Hi!!!” to me in her deafening high pitched scream and all I could think of was to pretend like I had no idea who she was.  The rest of the night, I utilized my survival training skills and avoided eye contact.

Penis Shirt states, "Happy Ending"

Some people at the bar bought farewell shirts that boasted a large penis on it, and I just laughed, wondering if the evening could get any weirder.  Then, I went back to the dance floor and saw this happening.

Sheer ridiculousness!  The band was definitely trying too hard, because I am pretty sure they were not that drunk.

My Ukrainian Family 

We later decided to get sushi then head to another karayoke bar.  I was excited to finally get to sing a song in Russian!  James and I sung a song from Irony of Fates or Enjoy your Bath, the most famous New Year's movie in Russian.  

After a few hours, I was exhausted, but urged by my fellow comrades that they only way to survive my last night in Ukraine was to drink and stay up all night until my flight the next day.  No thanks to the drinking, and maybe to the staying up all night.    

I really did not want to stay up all night, and at some point around 6:30AM I once again had to resort to threats of walking home alone.  Sorry, guys.  I didn't mean to break the Ukrainian tradition of drinking all night and wandering drunk into the airport.  Last thing I want is to accidentally end up back in Moscow.

Banned in the USA

The rest of the week was kind of a blur, as I finished souvenir shopping and fantasized about returning home early.  James had bought tickets to come visit me in Odessa starting on December 1^st so I was reluctant to consider leaving early, that and it would be expensive for me to change my flight.  No matter what I did, my food allergy persisted, and the only thing I could think of to make it better would be to go home and seek real medical attention.  Just when I felt the most hopeless, everything was thrown upside-down. 

There was a very interesting young Dutch guy who had just checked into our hostel a night ago who I started to talk to.  He had written a book filled with photos he had taken from all the European nations.  The book included quotes, and pictures of locals who he interviewed.  For my last 20 Euro bill I still had from California, I bought his book and had him sign it.  My favorite part of hostel life is hearing everyone else’s stories.  I am always curious about what kind of interesting work people are doing in the countries that they visit. 

We were chatting when I noticed his arm.  Right away, I felt a flood of hope and excitement, because I finally, after one month, found someone else who was suffering from my supposed “food allergy.”  “Impossible that this random European guy contracted the very same food allergy that I did in only 2 days,” I thought to myself.  I asked him about it, and he said that he is pretty sure they are bed bugs, as he has seen them before.  “No big deal,” he assured me as he scratched at his neck, arms and legs.  We talked to the hostel owners, one of which just brushed off my concerns and told me that I had already been diagnosed with a food allergy.  It was a depressing case of denial on their part, because as they put it themselves, “Bed bugs are the death card of a hostel.”  I called Nat about it and told him the new revelation I had regarding my health situation and he adamantly urged me to figure it out.  I had one week left in the county, and if I had bugs, I needed to figure it out before I tracked them back to my home in Austin. 

That’s when the search expedition began.  I started with my flash light purchased by my dad in China.  I went through the corners of the bed, the bed frame, and the wall next to my bed.  At first, I did not see anything, but I felt like I was searching for lost treasure – I was determined to reverse the doctor’s diagnosis and regain my normal diet.  Then, I saw it – a very small bug running on the floor.  I jumped and reached down to squish it and there I saw the clear red-orange streak I was looking for: blood.  I now had my own proof; after all, how many bugs without wings live indoors feeding on humans?  After showing the evidence to the hostel owners, they went through the room to look themselves.   Five minutes later, a bigger one crawled out my mattress causing me to scream.  Then it hit me, I had been getting eaten alive for one month….what a disturbing discovery.

To make a very long story short, I felt it in my health’s best nature to relocate.  You know you have a problem when you are afraid of giving street kids a communicable disease or parasite.  Lucky enough for me, I had made some amazing friends over Thanksgiving dinner who out of the kindness of their hearts put risk to their own home aside, and allowed Dash and me to move into their place.  I boiled clothes for an entire day, dry cleaned the only jackets I owned, and threw away all of my shoes.  The rest of my souvenirs took permanent residence on the balcony where if the USA banned chemical DDT spraying did not kill the potential eggs and bugs that were living in my belongings, the below freezing temperature would.  I picked James up from the train station wearing a male friend’s shirt, PJs, jacket and oversized shoes.

Our new outfits

Ready to brave the cold wearing Nik's clothes

Boiling clothes

I realize that I look ridiculous and this horrendously disgusting tale sounds unbearable, but it was all worth it in the end because it enabled me to move in with my new family.  This past week was by far the most enjoyable week in Odessa I have had so far; I have my best friends James, Dasha, Leonardo and Nik to thank.  

Hablas Espanol?

After weeks of somewhat depression and homesickness, I was finally starting to pull myself together.  I met someone at the Thanksgiving dinner who would soon become a really good friend.  My new friend, Leonardo, is from Ecuador and is currently studying at Odessa’s Conservatory.  His Russian is amazing considering he has only studied the language for six months, but his Spanish is by far better than his English (of course).  We hit it off right away after he straight out called me on my ambiguous nationality by simply asking me, “Hablas Espanol?”  I was shocked, because most people do not really know I have Latino blood in me, but Leonard saw right through me.  He was ecstatic to meet someone who he could speak to in Spanish, because nothing beats your native tongue.  After chatting it up for a while, we decided that we would for sure be hanging out over the weekend.

On Saturday, we meet for lunch and feeling rebellious, I ordered a pizza albeit my doctor’s orders were to avoid food that was red.  I just couldn’t take it anymore.  Leonardo was so patient even though I know my Spanish was extremely rusty given the fact that Russian was slowly creeping up trying to claim its spot as Erica’s preferred second language.  We eventually went shopping for book and DVDs in Russian – I am proud of my new full collection of 24 and Star Wars.  I will never be lacking for Russian practice with my new purchases. 

Eventually, we said good bye and I headed back to my hostel as shortly thereafter, I started to notice more spots appearing on my arms.  “Oh no!” I thought, “I knew I shouldn’t have had the pizza.”  Again, I went to bed feeling upset at myself, and promised for my very short last week, I would only have potatoes, cabbage and bread. 

International Thanksgiving

I will soon get to the very unfortunate reason for my delay of writing, but first, let me tell you how I spent my American holiday in Odessa.  I was actually just a tad depressed that I had potatoes and raw cabbage instead of my usual delicious feast on Thanksgiving.  This is the first year that I have ever been away from either Nat’s or my family.  I am accustomed to juicy, perfectly prepared turkey, steaming sweet potatoes, Costco pumpkin pies, and hours of eating.  This year was just a tad bit different to say the least.

On Thursday I was warmly reminded of my country’s holiday by my hostel mate, Dasha.  She is one of the sweetest and genuine girls I have ever met.  I was surprised that she remembered that Thursday was a holiday whereas I was somewhat stoic to the fact.  I went through the day, although thankful for everything I have in my life, minus my food allergy, slightly depressed.  I was constantly reminded of my absence while surfing Facebook; all of my friends were excited about their big plans to celebrate the occasion with friends, family and food.  I guess for one of the first times the entire trip, I found myself somewhat homesick.  Just then, I remembered I had received a very thoughtful invitation from an ex-pat named Nik who was working for a different hostel in town.  My mood was lifted as I made the phone call to ask him about the event’s details and what I should bring.  He simply told me to bring something I could share with the rest of the group.

I arrived at the dinner one hour late because I had to go home and prepare something, but as I suspected, I was still one of the first to arrive.  Being late to events and parties is one thing Americans and Ukrainians have in common.  I joked about how I am happy that this party was not being hosted by a German because everyone was so late.  Even for me it was too late, as I had not eaten and by 8PM I was famished.  Finally the rest of the crew arrived with an amazing set of dishes that really represented the international composition of our friends.  Along with the turkey, we had a Greek sauce, Mexican dessert, and a lot of vodka.  My only complaint about the meal was the limited amount of turkey each guest was allowed to consume; it just seemed to incredibly small compared to what I am used to.  I suppose that eating until you cannot move is not really the point of Thanksgiving, so I let it slide.  

Greek Sauce

There was more alcohol than food at our dinner

Salad and booze

 I was telling the rest of the guests how I was sad that I could not eat or drink most of the items on the table; I showed them my spots and another guest gave me the new nickname “Blotchy.”  The hostel owner asked me some questions about my spots, then simply after a short analysis told me he was sorry to inform me, contrary to my doctor’s diagnosis, I actually had a really bad case of bed bugs.  Although concerned, I shrugged it off because someone in my hostel would have mentioned the tale-tell signs by now, or another guest would have been complaining.  It just did not make sense to me that I was the only one who had been suffering over the course of the month.  I definitely kept this new information in my mind, and decided I would keep my eyes peeled for signs of bugs.  I pushed the thought out of my mind so I could enjoy our company.

International Thanksgiving Guest

After the delicious dinner, we went to the living room and began a game of Ukrainian Monopoly.  It was even more vicious and unrelenting than usual.  There were under the table deals, extortion, and even a Casino where you can gamble away your money.  It was an interesting spin on the American classic.  

Monopolist!