I woke up and my face was damp. I opened my eyes and felt the warmness trapped inside my closed room. I looked around for the air conditioner and noticed the two green lights were off. The power was out. 

I wondered how long the power was out? When would it come back on? Does this happen often?

After three hours without power I got my answer. Frequently. After talking with my roommate, I learned that the power goes out at least twice a day in the Monsoon months. Myanmar has a tropical climate with three different seasons. The first is the hot season which runs from March through April. The second is rainy season which runs May through October. The third is the cool season which is November through February. 

When packing for Myanmar I was told to bring open toed shoes. This was curious to me but was further explained that during the rainy season there is heavy torrential downpours. The drains become flooded with water and the roads get blocked. Accidents happen frequently as buses and cars collide with each other. Trees get uprooted and telephone lines get cut off because of the high wind conditions. Health decreases as many people get influenza from not changing their clothes when wet quickly. The mood is somber, and many people often go to work and straight home as they don’t want to be caught in the middle of a downpour. I was advised to ALWAYS carry an umbrella on me at all times, despite how sunny it looks because in an instant I could be completely drenched. 

What was interesting to me is the impact on mood. Being born and raised in Michigan, I find myself getting very tired and drained during the darker and colder months along with many people around me. I developed this perspective that associated seasonal affective disorder (SAD) with winter months. Come to find out it can happen during any time of the year, and that’s what Burmese people go through during rainy season. 

After becoming curious to learn more about seasonal affective disorder, I did some searching. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons. Symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include: feeling depressed most of the day nearly every day, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, having low energy, having problems with sleeping, experiencing changes in your appetite or weight, feeling sluggish or agitated, having difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless or worthless or guilty, and having frequent thoughts of death or suicide. Symptoms specific to fall and winter seasonal affective disorder include oversleeping, appetite changes especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates, weight gain, tiredness or low energy. Symptoms specific to Spring and Summer seasonal affective disorder include trouble sleeping or insomnia, poor appetite, weight loss, and agitation or anxiety. The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder still remains unknown. Seasonal affective disorder is diagnosed more often in women than men and occurs more frequently in younger adults than older ones. There are increased risks to developing seasonal affective disorder including family history, having major depression or bipolar disorder, and living far from the equator. Thank you, Michigan. 

As I got up from bed, I noticed a bird perched right outside my window. Now I’m very afraid of most animals and bugs. I’m almost positive that this is the closest I’ve ever been to a bird in my life. For once I didn’t feel the compulsory reaction to run. I noticed how calm it was. It looked back at me and proceeded to stare off into the distance. I sat there admiring the bird, hoping I could get that peaceful someday. 

After the power came back on, I was able to take a shower since Friday morning. Today I took my first of many cold showers. 

Surprisingly I’ve seen very little bugs here. The most I’ve seen is a few ants and the occasional mosquito. Although I’ve been warned that cockroaches are common, lizards and geckos frequent many houses and buildings, and there will be massive rat carcasses all over the streets. 

I made my way out of the apartment and into Yangon for the first time. I struggled figuring out which key was for each lock. And even after I got the right key to fit into the hole, it is very difficult to try and stick parts of your hand through these gates to finagle a lock on the other side. 

The moment I opened our front door, the heat hit me in a strong wave. It was about 2pm and I immediately wanted to go right back inside. I thought the weather at 11pm at night was bad, but that was nothing compared to the daytime. I forced myself to push through and continue on down the 6 floors of steps. 

I had three main goals for today. 1) exchange money from US currency to Myanmar Kyat (MMK) [pronounced the shortened version which sounds like chat with a long a]. 2) purchase a SIM card and top ups so I can have a working phone and internet for my laptop. 3) go grocery shopping. 

I was told there would be banks near the main grocery store (City Mart) and that there would be phone stores along the way where I could buy a SIM card. City Mart sells top up cards but not the actual SIM card so I would have to do it in two parts. Top up cards essentially are the data and minutes that can be added to phones to allow the SIM card to function. 

There are three prepaid cellular SIM companies in Myanmar. The Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT) is government owned and military controlled, which deters many people given the government censorship laws. MPT had a monopoly all over the nation until 2013. Then competition from two foreign companies came in and reduced the costs: Qatar-based Ooredoo and Norway-based Telenor. Buying a SIM in Myanmar cost $3,000 in 2001 and $250 in late 2013 under MPT control. Since July 2015, SIM cards cost between $2-3. 

Given that there are numerous SIM card providers, I wasn’t sure which top ups would by at City Mart I figured that I should purchase my SIM card prior to the grocery store. I kept looking around for banks but did not see any. As I continued down the path towards the store, I noticed numerous phone shops. I decided to go inside one. 

My second experience interacting with people that speak no English. This time I couldn’t call anyone. So, I tried in numerous ways to communicate. Basic words. Gestures. Pointing at the service provider on my phone. Multiple staff even came over to try and help. Eventually I had a breakthrough and they said, “Telenor new?” and I shook my head yes. She went to the back and brought a SIM card out. I pulled out my credit card and she shook her head no. I hadn’t thought about that. I said I would be back, and she smiled. 

I continued on my route to the City Mart. Walking in Yangon is very different. I thought my time in Ann Arbor with the congestion of cars and tens of thousands of students would help me be well equipped. No. First of all there are no sidewalks. Since shops and people are selling food and trinkets on the side of the road, combined with parked cars, there is an extremely narrow place that people have to squeeze between the resting cars and ongoing traffic vehicles. Not to mention rickshaws also fitting in this space. It’s a constant battle of being self-aware, checking for cars, watching what other people are doing, being honked at constantly, and contorting my body. 

As the sweat continued to roll down my face after only 8 minutes, I found myself turning onto Pyay Road and nearing the City Mart. Thankfully I noticed out of the corner of my eye an ATM. I crossed through a construction site and made it to the bank. I withdrew 300,000 MMK. It was such a wide stack of cash I was amazed that it even fit into my wallet (barely). For the moment I felt like a baller, but it’s the equivalent of approximately $200 USD. 

The money is quite interesting. I always love foreign currency. Compared to the United States, it’s usually much more colorful and has exciting graphics. For example, Kyat have a lot of denominations (50 pyas, 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 5,000, 10,000) and instead of featuring famous presidents, important landmarks, animals, and statues are displayed. What I found really neat is that on one side, the money is in Burmese and on the other side the money is in English. 

After exchanging money, I walked about a minute to City Mart. The great thing is that it’s 24 hours. Reminds me of Meijer. Love it. Also, similarly to Meijer it doesn’t just sell groceries but beauty products, furniture, bedding, etc. I grabbed a basket and started wheeling around. The first major difference I noticed was there were tons of fruit I’ve never heard of or seen. I began to notice that their eggs are treated differently and aren’t refrigerated. The majority of the store had lots of Asian products, with few Western items. I did take note of Goldfish, Pringles, Ferrero Rocher, and Oreos. I purchased towels, bedding, blankets, rice, chicken, and pasta. The staples. The second thing I noticed was the music. In the beginning I didn’t take notice as it was traditional Burmese music, but then I heard Ciara Like a Boy blaring. Throughout my shopping trip they seemed to rotate between traditional music and American R&B/Rap. 

While I was walking around all of a sudden everything got quiet and went black. The power went out. I wasn’t sure what to do as I was about to check out. Do the cash registers work? What happens to all this food in the store? How long will it take? Do I put the stuff back? Thankfully after about five minutes the power came back on and I was able to check out. It seems that power outages will be a common occurrence here, no matter where I am. 

On the way out of City Mart my eye wandered to this shop in the basement. Milkshakes. Chocolate. Vanilla. Strawberry. Avocado. For less than $1. Stay tuned. 

With way too many grocery bags to carry in hand, trying to squeeze between the cars was extremely difficult. I made my way back to the phone store and was able to pick up a SIM card. After returning home, my roommate graciously helped me as I couldn’t even figure out where my SIM card was located in my phone. The problem was that once I loaded my top up cards onto my account, the messages started flowing in Burmese. We started buying and purchasing data without knowing what. 

My friend then asked me if I wanted to go to the Makers Market with her. The Makers Market is basically a giant farmers market with handmade arts, crafts, food vendors, and music at sunset on the water of Kandawgyi Lake. The Karaweik Gardens on Kandawgyi Lake is marked by Karaweik Hall, which is a massive golden floating duck boat, nothing like I’ve ever seen before or could even describe. Just wow.

On the way to the Makers Market we took the trash out from our apartment. Unlike opening the door and taking it to the end of the driveway for collection, we grabbed the bags, made our way down the 6 floors, crossed numerous streets and busy highways to a central dumping place on the side of the road for the entire Neighborhood. 

While at Karaweik Gardens, Makers Market was a familiar and unfamiliar experience all in one. It looked like a typical farmers market with white tents, homemade artisanal crafts, music, and people eating. But completely different food, different music, and different types of crafts. 

What is fascinating is the fact that these types of events are incredibly new in Myanmar. For those that haven’t heard, Myanmar is in midst of the world’s longest ongoing civil war. One of the major aspects of censorship and regulation is directed towards the arts. Movies, music, and art are where people frequently protest and rebel so the government until very recently has strictly monitored and outlawed these types of events. I saw so many locals both young and old drinking and singing loudly on the boat docks. It was beautiful to see how free they felt after being oppressed for so long. So, I found myself taking a seat, looking out across the beautiful Kandawgyi Lake towards Shwedagon Pagoda, and listening to the laughter and joy around me. 

The South Korea airport is what you would expect. Minimalist and very modern, I loved it. They even had lots of gardens and nature references throughout. 

Before coming on the trip, my mom and I had discussed buying me a new water bottle. I decided against it because it would be helpful for flying at airports to refill, but would render useless when I got to the countries of Myanmar and India since Americans are advised not to drink the water straight since it is treated differently. That’s one thing people who haven’t traveled before don’t quite comprehend, not being able to drink the water. What exactly does that mean? Every time you see a water fountain, even if you are thirsty you should say no (unless it specifically states that it has been treated). When you shower you are supposed to avoid looking up at the water source as to not get water in your mouth. When you brush your teeth, you have to open up a new water bottle just to dip the head of your toothbrush in it before putting toothpaste on. When you are rinsing your facial scrub off you have to repeatedly cup water from the water bottle onto your hand and then splash it on your face. When you go to make any food, you have to fill up pans with bottled water which takes forever. When you clean your ears with Q-tips, again you have to dip them cleanly into bottled water. Every time I do an activity, I have to think twice and ask myself does this require water and how can I get it?

After making my way through the airport and hearing numerous live singers and performers in between departure gates, I finally found where I needed to be. I’m not sure how considering it was in Korean but I proudly made it work. 

Before boarding onto the plane, I stopped for a second and was able to catch a sunrise on the horizon against the mountains in the distance. I took a deep breath and, in that moment, this four month experience felt very real but also I was calm and ready to take it on.

On the plane it was the first time since I had embarked that English wasn’t the prominent language. The flight attendants mainly spoke Burmese (language in Myanmar), the passengers primarily didn’t understand any English, and even the safety flight video was in Burmese with English subtitles. In the United States I’ve always had the privilege of feeling the dominant position (being a citizen, being white, speaking the language). In my travels before, I’ve been a minority race (Grenada) but still spoken the language. And even in Nicaragua and Peru, I was a minority race but could speak a fair amount of the language and didn’t feel lost. For the first time, I felt what it was like to be at multiple disadvantages: I don’t speak Burmese, my skin color does not match those around me, and I’m not from the region. It’s quite a different feeling, worrying about people staring. Wondering what they are saying when they whisper in a different language right in front of you. Not knowing how to ask for anything or how to get around. It really creates a mental toughness and an ability to adapt to situations.  

On the plane I got my first taste of Burmese food. It was basically like super spicy saucy chicken with white rice and sautéed vegetables. Honestly, I thought to myself, “Hey I can do this” (more on this to come in future posts). Plus the strawberry cheesecake ice cream was out of this world!

The majority of the plane I spent reading my new favorite book, “The Moment of Lift” by Melinda Gates. People close to me know that working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a dream I hold. A little background, when I traveled to Seattle, Washington for the first time in April of 2018 I went on a tourist splurge doing lots of activities including the aquarium, outdoor sculpture parks, Japanese gardens, Snoqualmie Falls, wine tastings, Pike Place Market, the zoo, sailing lessons, a Mariners Game, a boat cruise, and Chihuly garden and glass sculptures. But the most special one to me was the Space Needle, for obvious and not so obvious reasons. The obvious reason being that I love spectacular views and the Space Needle was that and more. It was the first time I saw the gigantic city but also contrasting it with the peaceful water around the tall buildings. Less obvious, it’s a block and a half away from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was started in 2000 and is the largest private foundation in the world. Their missions and visions include the following: “We seek to unlock the possibility inside every individual. We see equal value in all lives. And so we are dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals around the world. We believe that by giving people the tools to lead healthy, productive lives, we can help them lift themselves out of poverty. We know women and girls have a unique power to reshape societies. When you invest in woman’s health and empowerment, it has a ripple effect, helping families, communities, and countries achieve long-lasting benefits. All lives have equal value. We are impatient optimists working to reduce inequity.”

Going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was a life changing experience for me. I’ve never felt so at home. My beliefs about human value, education, health, and women felt so in sync. It was like having someone else be able to craftily articulate exactly what I feel inside my core. It’s difficult explaining to people what I believe and what I want to do, and for the first time in my life, I felt like people comprehended it and also felt it was important. Ever since then I knew this this type of work is what I want to pursue.

For a birthday gift I received the book “The Moment of Lift” by Melinda Gates. By far one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever gotten. I’m about halfway through the book so I will probably reference it again as I complete it. It has been a very eye opening read for me, challenging and affirming me in ways I didn’t anticipate. I don’t want to make this a book review, but I do want to share some of my favorite parts below since it is important to me and what I am passionate about. 

“Because sometimes all that’s needed to lift women up is to stop pulling them down.”

“In my travels, I’ve learned about hundreds of millions of women who want to decide for themselves whether and when to have children, but they can’t. They have no access to contraceptives. And there are many other rights and privileges that women and girls are denied: The right to decide whether and when and whom to marry. The right to go to school. Earn an income. Work outside the home. Walk outside the home. Spend their own money. Shape their budget. Start a business. Get a loan. Own property. Divorce a husband. See a doctor. Run for office. Ride a bike. Drive a car. Go to college. Study computers. Find investors. All these rights are denied to women in some parts of the world. Sometimes these rights are denied under law, but even when they’re allowed by law, they’re still often denied by cultural bias against women.”

“The engines are igniting; the earth is shaking; we are rising. More than at any time in the past, we have the knowledge and energy and moral insight to crack the patterns of history. We need the help of every advocate now. Women and men. No one should be left out. Everyone should be brought in. Our call is to lift women up – and when we come together in this cause, we are the lift.”

“To me, it’s very simple. Being a feminist means believing that every woman should be able to use her voice and pursue her potential, and that women and men should all work together to take down the barriers and end the biases that still hold women back.”

One of the most surprising and challenging views I perceived from the book was on contraception. Coming from the United States, I think most people view it as a reproductive health choice for women that is debated whether to limit access or not. This book opened my eyes to seeing just how crucial and valuable contraception is on such a deeper level. 

“When women in developing countries space their births by at least three years, each baby is almost twice as likely to survive their first year – and 35 percent more likely to see their fifth birthday…The reasons are simple…when women space their pregnancies, they were more likely to receive an education, earn an income, raise healthy children, and have the time and money to give each child the food, care, and education needed to thrive. When children reach their potential, they don’t end up poor. This is how families and countries get out of poverty. In fact, no country in the last fifty years has emerged from poverty without expanding access to contraceptives…contraceptives are the greatest life-saving, poverty-ending, women-empowering innovation ever created.”

“As women gain rights, families flourish, and so do societies. That connection is built on a simple truth: Whenever you include a group that’s been excluded, you benefit everyone. And when you’re working globally to include women and girls, who are half of every population, you’re working to benefit all members of every community. Gender equity lifts everyone.”

“We can look at each of these issues as a wall or a door. I think I already know which way we see it. In the hearts and minds of empowered women today, “every wall is a door.” Let’s break down the walls and walk through the doors together.”

“Love is the most powerful and underused force for change in the world. You don’t hear about it in policy discussions or political debates. But Mother Teresa, Albert Schweitzer, Mohandas Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Desmond Tutu, and Martin Luther King Jr. all did hardheaded, tough-minded work for social justice, and they all put the emphasis on love.”

“A girl who is given love and support can start to break the self-image that keeps her down. As she gains self-confidence, she sees she can learn. As she learns, she sees her own gifts. As she develops her gifts, she sees her own power; she can defend her own rights. That is what happens when you offer girls love, not hate. You lift their gaze. They gain their voice.”

“From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

“I’ve never held the view that women are better than men, or that the best way to improve the world is for women to gain more power than men. I think male dominance is harmful to society because any dominance is harmful: It means society is governed by a false hierarchy where power and opportunity are awarded according to gender, age, wealth, and privilege – not according to skill, effort, talent or accomplishments. When a culture of dominance is broken, it activates power in all of us. So the goal for me is not the rise of women and the fall of man. It is the rise of both women and men from a struggle for dominance to a state of partnership.”

This book gets me fired up. So eager and excited. 

As the airplane started to descend, my biggest fears started to set in. What language were the signs in? What line do I get in for my business visa? Will they accept my visa (it was originally denied when I applied)? Will the agents speak English? Will customs ask me a lot of questions? Will I get both of my checked bags safely? Will there be WIFI at the airport? Will I be able to contact one of the girls I’m living with (Divya)? Will I be able to locate the taxi that she ordered for me? So many questions.

And poof. After less than 30 minutes, all of these questions were answered and resolved swiftly.  My anxiety leading up to this day, although rightfully scary, was beyond unwarranted.  

One of the first notable differences, of course was the heat. Granted, I had anticipated this was the case, but I was not ready for it. The day I left for the airport the temperature in Michigan was about 42 degrees. When I stepped off of the plane, the temperature in Myanmar at almost 11pm was 97 degrees. After 6 minutes of lugging my suitcases around in the heat, I had already broken into a full on sweat. 

After my 20-minute ride from RGN to Sanchaung, I got out of the taxi and back into the heat. Almost all taxis, shops, and restaurants blast the air conditioning due to the extreme heat. The driver grabs my bags and hands them to me and then starts to communicate in Burmese. I kept looking at him and his gestures trying to figure out what he was saying. I tried to call my roommate and ask where she was. Luckily a few minutes later she came down and paid the driver. This was my first of many experiences trying to communicate with someone where neither of us speak any of the same language. 

We walk down the street a little way from where the taxi dropped me off and we arrive at the entrance to the apartment. The first thing I notice was the numerous stray dogs just sleeping on the ground. That is very common here, dogs everywhere. This reminds me of my time in Nicaragua and Peru where stray dogs were also very common. But in contrast to Nicaragua, the dogs here are prominent even downtown in the cities whereas in Nicaragua and Peru they were more frequent in rural areas.

The next great surprise is that we live on the 6^thfloor of the building, the top floor. With no elevator. Here we are, two girls in the heat trying to drag my suitcases up the stairs. Thankfully she helped or else I would’ve passed out. 

The interesting part I noticed about buildings and housing in Yangon is the use of locks. I have four keys to get into the apartment. And they are all for padlocks. Most places have open gates and utilize storage locks. 

Immediately as I stepped into the apartment, I noticed it was cooler. What a relief. Come to find out that even in the apartment, particularly in each of the rooms we have our own air conditioning unit that we run all day and all night. It’s one of the main things that makes living in this situation much easier. 

After dropping the stuff off at my new room, Divya and I chatted in the living room for a while. She is a former graduate of my program (Global Health Management and Policy) at the University of Michigan. They always say with an alumni network of over 600,000, wherever you go, go blue. I never would have imagined living in Myanmar with a University of Michigan alumna. How cool.

Honestly that’s one of the major aspects that has made this transition earlier is the Expat support. An expat is the shortened version of expatriate, or someone temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than their native country. Because it can be incredibly difficult to move away to a place that is foreign with nothing or no one to rely on, the expat community here is very strong. They buy and sell furniture and clothing, they rent their housing, and attend events and make friends with each other. I’m not sure if the expat community is as strong in other countries, but it gives me hope that I could possibly pick up and move to another country someday. 

I couldn’t sleep still so instead I did what any rational person would do, stay up until 5am unpacking. People that have ever lived with me or have seen my room know that it’s very difficult for me to keep it clean. However, new Angie is trying to be better. I hung up all of my clothes neatly and after a few hours became exhausted. I softly laid my head down on the pillow and as I closed my eyes, I heard dozens of dogs barking in the night. 

Difficult. That’s the word that comes to mind when I had to say goodbye to my mom. She has been there every step of the way since day one. Literally. Her constant support from both near and afar have gotten me to where I am today. I am so blessed for the values and drive she has instilled in me. Education. Caring. Generosity. Selflessness. Most of the reason I have these qualities and live to promote them in my life was learned and modeled after the strongest person I know, my mom. I don’t often recognize just how big of a role that environment and upbringing plays in someone’s life. But I do know that everything she is and everything she’s taught me has made it possible for me to dream and aspire so big. I deeply feel that it is my purpose in life to be an advocate and a voice for injustices and disparities that afflict women around the world. I dedicate my passion and future successes to my mom, because without her none of this would be possible.

Every day. My mom and I talk every single day. She’s been my best friend for as long as I can imagine and the person I run to when I am happy, sad, nervous, anxious, need advice, or just simply need someone. I’ve never been this far away from her especially in a place where communication will not be consistent (no wifi, huge time difference, etc). 

My mom is literally one of the kindest and caring people ever. She took most of work off the day before to help me pack. Despite me procrastinating packing given my econ exam that morning, I didn’t start until 11pm when I needed to leave for the airport at 10:30am. She sat in my extremely messy room for hours watching me go through heaps of clothing until her little eyes grew tired around 2am and she fell asleep. When I woke her up to go to bed she started apologizing for falling asleep and not staying awake to support me. It’s the little things. She went out for weeks beforehand to get me light, flowy, and modest clothes since I never felt like I ever have time with the pressures of school. She’s helped me in ways far beyond I can ever thank her for. Difficult was an understatement.

I drove to the airport while she was on the passenger side. She has some stress regarding driving in busy, unfamiliar areas. I didn’t want to put anymore pressure on her since she’d helped me so much. The whole time I felt my mind racing, wanting to tell her how much she means to me and how much I’ll miss her. I kept getting choked up and nothing would come out. How do you tell the most influential person of your life what they’ve done for you? We got to the airport eventually and she gives me this card. “Behind every success is effort…Behind every effort is passion…Behind every passion is someone with the courage to try.”  The card goes on to read “So happy that all the things you have worked so hard for and all the good things you deserve are coming true for you”. I have no words right now to describe my feeling of being truly loved and supported.

Mom I want you to know that I appreciate you all the time and you’ve given me every possible way to thrive. Because of your strength, I know that I can make it through this journey and come out on the other side a fearless, capable woman. I know it is incredibly scary to have your daughter on the other side of the world by herself, but have faith in knowing you did everything right and have been preparing me for this throughout my life. 

Needless to say I got to the airport later than anticipated. The line for Delta was the longest I’d ever seen. I began to get a bit panicky inside. I waited my turn to get to the counter. First of all I had a backpack and not one but the two biggest suitcases my family owns. Korean air allows two free checked bags. For a shopaholic like me, there’s no more justification or convincing needed. I get to the front of the line and attempt to drop my bags off. The lady proceeded to tell me that I needed special help since I had a one way into a foreign country with no plan for return. She said I was in the wrong line. That I needed to go to a complete different line and wait for more assistance. My heart started to beat faster as I looked at the time. I quickly roll all my bags to the other line. After minutes of waiting, an employee alerts me that they are shutting down the special assistance line and I’d have to wait back in the same original line I’d gone through. In my head all I could think was I’m going to miss my flight. How am I even going to book a new one? I have ride arrangements preset since I won’t be able to contact people per usual. She saw my face distraught and asked what I needed. She walked me over directly to the front of the line and got me to where I needed to be. After scanning by business visa, I was through the mess and set for international TSA. 

As I approach the international line for TSA, I notice an employee standing in front of the entrance. I walk up to him cautiously and he proceeds to tell me I can’t enter line. They are closing down this section of the airport and I would need to make my way to a complete different checkpoint, just across the airport, down some stairs, passing through a hotel, and down the corridor. I immediately started worrying and simultaneously picked up my pace. I had no clue that there was even a TSA in the middle of a hotel in DTW. After confusion and stress, I found myself with 18 minutes at my gate before my flight. What a start.

The 13 hour flight to South Korea was much more enjoyable than I thought. Watching 4 and a half movies while snacking on homemade Chex mix between falling in and out of sleep seemed to pass by quickly. I started with the movie Adrift. I always wanted to see it since it has Shailene Woodley, which I met at a Bernie Sanders Presidential Ralley Campaign at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. Also who doesn’t love Amy from Secret Life of the American Teenager? I’m also a sucker for a movie based on true stories, only problem is the story didn’t end the way I wanted or was hoping for. That’s life. I then moved onto Gone Girl. Many people have told me this is my kind of movie. Let me tell you I was not disappointed. Again, it’s the little things. I’m constantly pushing myself to be involved and excel in graduate school that I haven’t been to the movies in over a year and a half. I enjoyed scrolling through the long list of available movies and choosing titles I wanted to watch for a long time but never had the time. Now I’m making the time. Dinner time. Airplane food is never super exciting, but international flights are always much better. Beef Bibimbap with Assorted Vegetables with Steamed Rice, Gochujiang Sauce, and Seasame Oil served with Kimchi and Fresh Fruit. Anyone that knows me would say absolutely not. That Angie would have chosen the Seared Rosemary Chicken Breast Filet with Truffle Mashed Pottoes, Green Beans and Carrots. Old Angie would. New Angie is full of surprises. Plus such a foodie would never pass up the opportunity to try authentic Korean dishes made by the World Famous Bi Bim Bap Restaurant under Michelin award winning Chef Kwon Woo Joong. I can honestly say I gave it a chance. I tried numerous bites to settle for just eating the steamed rice and fruit. But that’s ok. I knew I probably wouldn’t like it given the unfamiliar flavors and heavy reliance upon vegetables, but it wasn’t really about falling in love with Korean food. It was about setting the atmosphere of what I want to get out of this experience. It was choosing between something completely familiar and easy, or putting myself out there and making choices that I normally wouldn’t. Despite my lack of enthusiasm about Bibimbap, I was rewarded with Ricotta Bruschettta Flatbread Pizza and Magnum Ice Cream. There was definitely no disappointment there. Life has a funny way of working out like that, somehow at some point managing to reward you with what you need. 

Now comes my favorite part of my ENTIRE traveling to Myanmar. Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG). On the basis of sex has become one of my favorite movies of all time. She is an absolute incredible person and someone I admire to be more like. I appreciate her reserved characteristics, because when she does speak, it’s with such opinion and fierceness. She fights for with tenacity what she believes in far beyond her time and doesn’t apologize or back down for what’s right. “I ask no favor for my sex; all I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks”. Words that send chills down my body. The overwhelming obstacles and discrimination she faced yet never gave up hope is something remarkable. People often ask if you could live in any time period, what would that be? RBG who is alive still today, so much has happened throughout history and her lifetime. Until the 1970s women continued to face such obscene and outlandish barriers and restrictions through laws and policies. The 1970s. Not 1700s. Not 1800s. Not 1900s. But 1970. My mom was born in 1957. To think that less than one generation separates my opportunities and dreams from when women have been caged and shackled their entire lives is astonishing. I can say that I’m not sure if I could have been brave enough like these influential women to go so against the beliefs and values of their time to change history. The feelings and goals that I have sure may be progressive, but are by no means revolutionary like these women so I hold such high honor and respect for their character and who they are. My Aunt Sue, who is a wonderful role model herself for my recent birthday got me RBG earrings. When I got them I immediately loved it as I deeply enjoy any female empowerment type materials. But they took on a whole new meaning after watching this movie. I am now aware that the earrings are modeled after her dissent collar, where she voices her disagreements and most powerful opinions despite not being in the majority. I will wear these earrings with such pride as I strive to voice my opinions most importantly during times of adversity. 

I continued to watch a real life documentary about RBG afterwards and became even more enthralled. Women can be so powerful if encouraged and given the right tools. I can only imagine how improved our world would be if we empowered the voices of women everywhere. I proceeded to start Hidden Figures afterwards (I hope to finish someday) only to slowly drift off into sleep. I woke up in South Korea.