Vacation-ing the "Alicia" Way

I'm in need of a vacation.

But being me, I won't settle for a couple days on a Hawaiian beach or a couple days on a cruise ship. No no. I prefer an ecotourist approach.

Ecotourism (according to Dictionary.com): tourism to places having unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.

I'm not a "pure" ecotourist by any means. I still find trips to historical cities and ancient ruins very interesting. But I am truly satisfied and rested after an adventure to some wilderness in an isolated part of the world. I like being an active participant in my vacation. I like turning in at the end of the day and feeling exhausted yet happy.

I was first immersed in this kind of vacation the summer of 2002. My family joined a group of people on a river rafting trip on the Rogue River in Oregon. I loved the heat, I loved the cool water, I loved getting dirty, I loved paddling through the rapids. I thought the river guides were so rugged and attractive; I went through a phase of wanting to be one.

Throughout college, I had a couple opportunities to get out of town. In the summer of 2003, I went to Alaska and rafted the Alsek River; breathtaking and exhilarating.

In December of 2004, my mom and I headed to Patagonia in Chile. We hiked around the Torres del Paine National Park.

In the spring of 2006, I spent a semester in Australia. I got the opportunity to raft the Tully River in Queensland, and for semester break, a classmate and I drove around the island of Tasmania.

In the summer of 2006, I backpacked for 16 days along the John Muir Trail. This was my first long distance hiking adventure, and it really challenged me physically and mentally but I loved it.

In the summer of 2007, I traveled to research/teaching facility in Costa Rica. I spent most of the time learning, reading, and writing. But just before I came home, I rafted the Pacuare River; a short trip, but action packed.

In the late spring/early summer of 2008, I participated in a 4 month internship in Seward, Alaska. I didn't have to travel far to enjoy the famous Alaskan scenery or the wildlife; it was right outside my front door.

And...now...we are caught up to the present. I've been working steadily since Seward. Living with my parents has made it easy to save some money for my next "vacation".

The time has finally come.

January 2011 - Rafting "The Greatest Whitewater on Earth" - the Futaleufu River in Chile.

Read all about the river and region here.

Wish me luck! I'm so excited! I can't wait for January to come!

Training Room Antics

Here's another blast from the past. I wish I could remember all the details behind this photo, but I can only remember bits and pieces. It was my sophomore year at Cal during spring training. I think it as our last workout before summer break. Instead of the usual conditioning workout on the track, our strength and conditioning coach had us doing a scavenger hunt that required us to take pictures to complete each item of the "hunt". I can't remember the purpose of this photo, but we were obviously going for something goofy in the training room.

I'd like to thank my supporting cast:

Vivian Cheung - on the table, receiving CPR from yours truly;

Jillian Davis - zapping her face with electro stim;

Gabby Abernathy - falling victim to...

Camille Leffall - pouring some toxic substance in to Gabby's mouth.

I remember that we did NOT win the scavenger hunt. Bummer. But we did take a lot of dorky pictures.

Hooray for memories!