For the past two weeks, I was in New Jersey and New York City. I left my Dad’s apartment in Maryland with several intentions for my trip north; however life has a funny way of chuckling at our intentions and presenting a new set of realities sometimes!

While my goals were centered around photography work, reuniting with family, spending time with friends and helping to get some agricultural projects of the ground, I found myself having to adjust to the reality that sometimes the things we NEED to learn; aren’t always the most obvious to us.

1) The bond of family runs deeper than I give it credit for sometimes. That deep bond can also cause more unexpected pain, when you and your family don’t see eye to eye.

2) Living outside of your home country for 6 years means you may behave like an alien to folks when you return. My cousin thought it was so bizarre that I didn’t know how to work his TV and how I kept asking if calling out for “Alexa” or “Siri” would get it to work the way I wanted it to.

3) Living out of a backpack for an indiscriminate amount of time has its charm, but I’m craving roots and a home-base if I plan on staying in USA past the pandemic.

4) I overpack. It’s a problem. Someone please help me learn how to embrace minimalism.

5) Staying with other Vegans makes me way more comfortable. I won’t ever be able to live long-term with non-Vegans again.

6) Cooking is a great way for me to stay grounded when everything else around me is chaotic.

7) I love going on long drives & think they can be the best environments for intimate chats.

8) Always have a plan B, C, D & E…for when your Plan A goes to the wayside. And keep hand sanitizer with you at all times.

9) Folks in Brooklyn will call you out (in the most hilarious & endearing way) for not being “from here.”

10) When cyclists get hit by cars out here, folks tend to blame the cyclist and no one rushes to help. This was hard for me to witness when a poor guy got his bike wrecked in the middle of an intersection. The people of Thailand showed me much better (compassionate) ways to handle accidents.

11) Have in-depth chats with your hosts before you travel far from home to stay with them! Ask questions, talk about your mutual expectations etc. Being on the same page will save you from lots of grief in the future.

12) There is definitely a grace period for re-learning how to be social with other people after 4 months of quarantine. You may be awkward as fuck; that’s okay. This hasn’t been the easiest time for anyone.

13) Vegan Beyond meat and Impossible Burgers are such a mood.

14) Interactions with others, is the one true test for how you’ve grown and changed as a person. How you react to certain situations will tell you everything you need to know about how much work you have on your journey, or how far you’ve already come.

15) I love movement.

16) Plants are essential and growing them, should be taught to us at a young age, AND be accessible to everyone in their homes or communities.

17) Not all knights wear suits of armor.

18) Medicaid doesn’t work out of the state it’s registered for. Pre-plan medical essentials beforehand so your dad doesn’t have to overnight you medication for your survival.

19) Sometimes I forget to tell my family that I’ve traveled to another state, city, region. (I never had to check in with folks like this while living abroad) I like spontaneity, but I’m reminding myself that sometimes it’s helpful to keep the fam in the loop about where I’m planting my feet.

20) When you enjoy a place more than anticipated, it may really surprise you how heartbreaking it is to leave said place. The great thing about travel is, there’s more possibilities for a reunion in the future.