I am writing this on a plane up to Portland….I am on my way up to visit my family for the weekend. I haven’t seen them in a while and am really excited.
But sitting here on the plane I started thinking about traveling. I am bummed that I really haven’t traveled that much in my lifetime. I am 30 years old, but have never even been overseas. I have a passport and everything and am just waiting for the opportunity to arise. I thought I was going to go to London for The INQ 5 year anniversary thing, but that obviously didn’t happen. I was super excited to go…I was planning on heading over to Scotland too, because I am Scottish and really want to go and see some of the castles my ancestors lived in. My parents went there for their honeymoon and have tons of pictures of all these beautiful old castles and rolling green hills. They even stayed in an old castle…the pictures of their room are unbelievable.
I also LOVE the weather in Scotland…it is perfect for me…very similar to Oregon in fact. That has been one of the hardest things about living in L.A. The weather is awful, well for me anyway. I know a lot of people are sun worshippers, but I am NOT. I actually don’t mind the sun so much…it’s the HEAT that gets me. I am just not built for heat…I swell up, I sweat, and I get really lethargic and grumpy…much to the chagrin of anyone who has to be around me.
That is actually one of the reasons it took me so long to move to L.A….I just flat out did NOT want to leave Oregon…it is such an amazing place to live…Portland is the best part of course. It is a perfect city. It is an hour and half away from Mt. Hood (which has one of the longest ski seasons in the country)…and only a couple hours from the beach. We have FOUR seasons there…ok a lot of it is rain, but I personally love the rain. It’s not for everyone though…some people really get depressed in the rain…not me…it makes me happier…I am weird that way. You guys will all find out how weird I really am…not that you haven’t already realized it of course… 
Portland also has the Willamette River running right downtown…awesome…there are so many parks, and it is very dog friendly…which is very important to me. Its public transportation system is also one of the best in the country…in fact before I moved to L.A. I sold my car and moved to downtown Portland to save money. From downtown you can get almost anywhere in the Portland Metropolitan Area….it’s awesome. I also rode my bike and walked a lot. The city is very bike-friendly. Gee can you tell I miss it there? I miss the music, the bars, the people (so nice), my friends and family of course, the weather, the “green” lifestyle, etc….I could go on and on….but I have really digressed at this point.
My whole point of this blog was to talk about how much I want to travel. I have only been to about a quarter of the United States…I think like 15 states??? Sad… 
I also have only been to Mexico once (I live so close now)…and I have not been to Canada since I was a child…I don’t even remember it, I have just seen pictures. Portland is only about 6 hours from Canada….it’s ridiculous. So yeah, I really want to travel…and soon. My father always wanted to go to Europe and he had a trip planned in March of 2000…but he passed away in January of that year…just a couple months before….that was really hard for him when he was so sick and knew he wasn’t going to be able to go…one of those things everyone should get to do before they die….I don’t want that to happen to me, you know?
I also want to travel before I have kids, if I decide to have them…have some fun young travel before I have to go on family vacations to Disneyworld or whatever. Although I would rather take my kids to Europe anyway and be a little more cultured.
It’s also ironic (I hope I am using this right…I am always paranoid that I am not getting “irony” correct) that I have “traveled” all over the world as Everywhere Girl, but not in my real life!!!
So that is one of my goals…travel travel travel…
- I want to go to Scotland and feel my heritage in those rolling hills and in the stones of an old castle
- I want to go to India (I have always felt very connected to East Indian culture…I love the food, the clothing, the music, and the philosophies of Hinduism…although I do not identify myself with any religion specifically.) I would love to go to an Ashram and learn to teach yoga or something…almost did that several years ago but the timing wasn’t right…maybe someday.
- I want to go to Australia and New Zealand…just because!
- I want to go to Amsterdam…and you know….enjoy it!
- I want to go to Italy and go to a vineyard and drink wine and just listen to the beauty of the Italian language…maybe learn some too
- I want to go to France to brush up on the four years of French I took in high school….and to walk around with a baguette and go to some little café’ and be sophisticated and gorgeous….and of course I have to see the Eiffel Tower, duh!
- I want to go to Canada and visit Vancouver because everyone always says I would love it, and the film industry is getting bigger and bigger there (I have this dream of moving there and being able to make it there.)…Plus as I said before it is only a 6 hour drive from Portland!
- I want to go to Africa, go on a safari and then go and volunteer for an AIDS organization educating the women and children on how to be safe and stop spreading this illness.
- I want to go on a Caribbean cruise…and run into Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow…hehehe
I am sure I am forgetting some places…there are also quite a few cities in the U.S. I still need to check out.
Ok enough blabbing for now, I have a delicious airplane snack to eat and I don’t wan to spill my coke on my laptop!
Have a good weekend and take care…
26 comments ↓
Interesting, I have a close friend who lives in Kansas City and just yesterday he went back to see his family in SD. Maybe its some sort of US migration back home time of year.
I know how frustrating it can be, not travelling. The only place I’ve been myself is Ireland. Just two weeks ago I sent off for my passport and am hoping to go places. It’ll then be a case of raising funds to travel, which will be difficult without regular work
Scotland is a lovely place, one of the two most beautiful places on earth. The other being Wales (I’m Welsh, what else am I meant to say? ^_^).
I am tempted to spam a link to my photography site which focuses on Wales, http://www.kokorolibrary.net/photography/ But you can edit this paragraph out if you don’t want it here.
Ooh, scots like me
It all comes back to advertising, I think. We live in a culture where the economy demands people to “want.” It’s a powerful motivation that keeps things moving along. Sex is obviously an important part of it and I think I can see where today we are living in a sex economy (pay checks don’t consist of a sex partner of our choice, at least not yet, but today sex is probably the most important unconscious motivator that holds our world together).
Yeah, I’m an introverted fool who believes that the best journeys come from within. I also believe people can learn to extract much more pleasure by living in simplicity than by seeking the exotic.
Everything is cool, and who knows, if they stated paying us with a partner of our choice I might even be motivated to get a real job! But I would like to add that I do sense a cultural revolution coming. If I remember human history correctly there were 2 great revolutions: the agricultural and the industrial; Can anybody else sense the beginning of a digital/computer revolution?
Choose love and be careful of illusions . . . and be sure to tell everybody that Bobbo says hi!
I think it would be ironic that you are “everywhere girl” and that you did not want to travel – over here we claim expertise in the use of the word – there’s got to be a sense of negative non sequitur for irony. As you did not call youself everywhere girl, it can’t be stuck on you that you haven’t been.
Looks like you have been to University in Ireland already…;-)
http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/
I’m a little bit Scot – mother’s maiden name was Glenn.
But I’m mostly Swedish-Canadian, eh? By heritage. I was born in the USA. Still here. But I made my international singing debut in Burnaby when I was 4.
Be sure to visit Canada, EG. You already speak Canadian!
I love Canada. The people are so wonderful and the scenery is breathtaking. A fine place, all. Aero Bars.
Travel is a good thing. I have done a lot of it. EG, you are correct that you should travel now. It will bring you a lifetime of memories. Don’t wait!
Coug
haha, well done
you must get a silly amount of hits on this site, the Inq just linked you again :p
Sorry about the freaks out there
I’m a Spanish guy living in Bath, UK. I have just travel to a few countries. USA (Boston, SF, Chicago, Las Vegas, Great Canyon, and Portland), UK, Portugal, Andorra, France.
And I agree with you Portland is a one of the most wonderfull I have ever been, but unlike you I need sun, and you do not have lot of it.
I will as well recomend you to go to the southeast coast of Asia countries.
By the way, I sent one’s a copy of a spanish ad to the Inquirer with your picture on it, so you “have travel” to Spain too.
Cheers
Cheers.
Just dropped in from the INQ website not read it in a while, wow im suprised they finally tracked you down!!
you should travel to scotland I have a few relatives who are from there and I only live about 100 miles from the Scottish border in England. its funny a lot of americans dont seem to have gone outside of the US before. the weather is not great in this part of the world usually, but over the last couple of weeks we have a had couple of belting(that means good) weeks, really hot! lots of history which you yanks seem to love,
I’m the same way with the weather… have a big fan aimed at my chair 24/7 right now so I don’t outright die. blech.
My favorite kind of weather is rainy weather, minus the rain — usually right before or after it, but in San Francisco, it’s like that all year long (god I loved it there). Alternately, giant thunderstorms are awesome too, as long as you don’t have to be out in them…
amsterdam….yaaaa, amsterdam….
Hi again Eve,
Amsterdam huh? Well, when you do, stop by to say hi. It is a nice part of everywhere here.
Groetjes!
When in Amsterdam, drive 2 hours to the south and visit Belgium while you’re at it.
Certainly when you digg chocolate and the usual sweets.. And beer – but thats an acquired taste for most of the special stuff thats on sale here.
I went to Portland last spring and it is a fantastic city! I absolutely loved the public transportation system there, and actually Madison, WI (that’s where I live now) is considering having a rail system. Our mayor is always comparing our city to Portland and says that if their rail system worked, why couldn’t ours?
I’d love to travel, as well. I’ve been to Canada and the furthest I’ve gone is Alaska (4 times) but that’s it. Sometimes I feel so tied down and stuck, that I’ll be doing what I’m doing now for the rest of my life and will never get to fulfill my dreams. Fortunately I have older friends to remind me that I’m still young (24) and there’s plenty of time to live my life.
i live in stirling, scotland.
great place to live half way between edinburgh and glasgow. three great places to visit, plus if you visit scotland, you can kill two birlds with one stone because amsterdam is a short hope on a plane, bookahead with “easyjet” and it shouldn’t cost more than £70ish return per person to go to amsterdam. hostels are prettycheap aswell.
would recomend hoping over to irelnd for a day or two aswell
hope you do come over and visit us, great country
If you go to europe, I’d suggest Rome, Venice, Paris and Barcelona. All of those places are amazing in their own way and have things you are not going to see anywhere else. In winter the weather in Scotland is very grey and miserable. If you get bored of Europe or too much hassle from adoring fans, I’d suggest a quick trip through Istanbul, Damascus, Petra to Cairo & Luxor, to make some chums in the Middle east and check up on what people think of US foreign policy.
From somebody that was carted all over by my parents (Africa, Europe, South America, the States) go travel now while you’re young and can enjoy it. There are already far too many people in wheel chairs with oxygen bottles being pushed on and off cruise ships and airplanes. They had that same dream as you, but waited just a bit too long. The fate of us all is to grow old and die, your only alternative is to die young.
Travel well Everywhere Girl where ever you may travel.
Don’t wait for the opportunity to travel, make it happen! There is a whole huge world out there that will give you years of perspective from even just one trip. Go to a hellishly poor country and see how people living in shacks can be happy without the latest iPods and Honda’s, but please remember one big thing (or two) when traveling.
When you go, YOU are the foreigner. You are a guest in their country. Get to know their culture and how things work before you leave (even the simple things of anywhere from how much to tip to would showing the soles of your feet offend anyone? – Yeah, in some countries that is offensive). Respect how things work in other countries – you may not agree with it, but to try learning and understanding why it is, not criticize. Don’t go looking for a McDonalds or Wnedy’s, eat where the locals eat, dance to their music and try to sample their life.
Hey, I’m a Portlander for the past 10 years and you have to really have a need to leave, I’m sure you did. I love this town and will never leave willingly.
Got to travel. Get out there, you don’t want to be like Paula Dean on the FoodTV filming a rediculous episode “Paula’s European Vacation” where she IS the ugly 60+ year old american that hasn’t been around. That show was painful.
Hope you had a good visit.
PT
To quote a movie or two:
“Don’t dream it, be it.”
and…
“Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.”
I tried to live by this philosophy some time ago. You could end up accomplishing a lot this way, including travels.
But then I got married. And got a kid. You can still have that philosophy of life, but the direction changes. It’s not about you, it’s about someone else.
DO STUFF NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!!!
Everywhere girl you are beautiful and a very wonderful person it seems. I think if you pursue your main endevour, acting, modeling, being EG and such, you will one day be able to go anywhere you want. You need to show that smile to the world that hasn’t seen it on their laptop lately. But one thing – no matter how many times I try it, Indian food still is the worst thing ever. One time, (not at band camp) my ex brought it home cause I guess she thought it was cool to try. I had tried before and I knew it was bad, and I couldn’t eat more than a bite of anything. And I know she was forcing it down from the look on her face. After all, she paid like $30 bucks for it. She tried to act like it was good, but she came clean when I made her laugh by going to the kitchen cabinet and showing it to her next to the picture on a can of alpo – freakishly similar. Same brownish-yellow tint. It really sucked. Then, the final proof came when we called the disposal over (my dog who acts as though he has never been fed once in the 6 years I have had him)and he simply looked it over then looked at us, like “you are not really gonna eat that, are you?”…then walked away with his tail and ears down. Now that was funny…
Since the INQ didn’t make many Everywhere Girl shirts, are you in the mindset to maybe create one for us all? Maybe make an INQ reference on there? The reason is because it’s just, well, the Everywhere Girl and Dell started using your pics again so I feel like I want a shirt now to have people ask me “what’s your shirt mean.” Are you in the mood to maybe do something like this?
Ohh, I think I would like an Everywhere T-Shirt as well.
If you ever make it down here to New Zealand, be sure to wave out the window with a thought to your fans
The South Island will have plenty of snow and cool climates for you.
It would seem that you already have some involvement with Scotland’s finest University in my lovely city of Edinburgh:
http://www.is.ed.ac.uk/
Perhaps the people who made it are Inq readers? In any case, all round surrealness…
I think we should start a “Send Everywhere Girl to Burundi” fund. It’s known as “The Switzerland in Africa”, according to the Burundi tourism web page. You can see hippopotomus! You’ll need to bring mosquito repellent.
Re: T-Shirts
Actually, I think it’s a great idea. If she’s not getting residuals from the Everywhere Girl photo shoots, she should at least be able to capitalise on the momentum. But if someone were to do it I’d hope there would be some guidelines;
1) All profits go to Jen (for her to use as a travel fund?)
2) The final design would be approved by Jen. And ideally we’d use a more recent photo. Pref one in the public domain.
3) Ideally on the shirt would indicate some way to contact her agency, a la, free advertising to help her get bookings and accelerate her career.
4) Ideally the shirts would be made in the US or Canada. Anything made in the UK woul dbe too expensive and postage would be too much.
I’d be more than happy to get this going if Jen wants to contact me. Why would I want to do it? If you take a Christian point of view, it’s casting bread upon the waters. If you take a Buddhist point of view (which is mine), it is helping another soul in this lifetime.
So, any ideas? Feedback? Jen, whaddya think? It’s about time you got something back, something nice done for you for your career! I’m more than happy to get this going!
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