I didn’t start traveling regularly until after I graduated from college and began supporting myself. The furthest trip distance-wise I took with family was down to San Diego. I wasn’t one of those kids who split her time between China and the U.S., nor was I the child who took round-the-world trips regularly and thought that to be a norm. Because my domestic and world travel began much later, it makes me even more grateful for the experiences I am gaining now – as an adult who hasn’t always had these opportunities her whole life. Every time I take a trip now, I get excited for the lead-up and constantly research, am ecstatic while I am away, and when I return home, I get antsy for the next trip and the next. I never want it to end and just want more.

I used to chase status on United because I thought having “status” just sounded elite. However now, I do not think “status” on United matters because despite my Silver status, they have never failed to disappoint me. Priority boarding? Worthless – half of the entire plane seems to board in Group 1. The hope of an upgrade? You wish. Today, one of the worst possible things could have been said to me by a United worker at check-in in Seattle. She disputed why I didn’t pay for my check-in luggage, and as I explained to her that one checked bag was free not only because of my status but my credit card, she stares dumbly at me and says, “How do you know you have status?” This statement is reason enough to quit flying on this incompetent airline.

Today, we visited Pike Place Market. The last time I had visited this famous market was in 2004. At that point, I had only visited two states outside of California and had never even left the country. Since then, I have visited 23 additional states, 12 countries, and lived in two other states. I have finished college, studied a foreign language abroad, and learned that Chinese food is more than just Cantonese cuisine. Between then and now, my perception of Pike’s market has changed. Then, it was enthralling, intense with its energy, chaos, and people in an inviting way. Now, it’s still intense, but overly touristy, crowded, and… expensive. I’ve come back with more knowledge of the world outside of the West Coast, and thus greater perspective on what the world has to offer. It’s amazing how your view of the same exact place can change over time as you get older and (hopefully) more mature.

Just about 40 minutes outside of Portland is the stunning Columbia River Gorge, land of infinite nature and endless waterfalls. As we did our hikes through the erratic rain and sunshine mix, I thought about how many amazing natural sights there are in the United States alone and how most of us will never in our lifetime have the chance to see even half of them. Some, like Yosemite and the Rocky Mountains, have national recognition, but others like the Theodore Roosevelt or the Columbia River Gorge will pretty much be unknown to the average person unless they seek them out. It makes me even more aware of how incredible life is and how valuable these moments experiencing newness are.

Rain is miserable, and there is nothing fun about it. I am no longer that 4-year-old girl who got so excited when there were huge puddles that I could stomp into when my mother wasn’t looking. Now, the only time I find rain enjoyable is when it is accompanied by thunder and lightning, and I am indoors and warm under my covers. So you can imagine my disgust when we reached Portland and it was raining on and off — sometimes hard, sometimes just drizzle. Yesterday, we even went hiking in the rain by the Pacific coast. Beautiful sights and smells? Certainly. Wet socks and clothes? Please, not again.