About
Kirsten Alana
Wanderlust-driven, multi-talented travel diarist in search of home and/or the meaning of it. Currently living out of a suitcase.
| Website | : | http://www.kirstenalana.com/ |
| : | kirsten@kirstenalana.com |
Articles posted by Kirsten Alana
Joy in the Stillness at Borobudur
29 November 2012
It seemed that around every corner in Indonesia was something new to discover. We had long bus rides and frequent plane rides between islands that allowed me to ponder the newness of every experience. Every time I really did, I felt I might need to pinch myself. There are all kinds of love in this world and in the absence of the kind of romantic love that fuels so many lives, my great affair is learning and collecting new experiences. Borobudur was a moment in which I was able to be still and not just learn but actually apply, in the moment, th
Giving Asia a Chance in Borneo on Kalimantan
29 November 2012
I accepted the invitation to Indonesia specifically because it's a part of the globe I am fearful of. I enjoy what people like to call "westernized" countries. I enjoy learning about history and being challenged only to try foods that I can recognize, I get too excited about beautiful architecture and I can relate to the people of Europe in a way that doesn't push me too far out of my comfort zone. In my search for home, Asia never factors into the equation because I consider first the things that fear me, never stopping to see or listen for th
Sunrise at Mount Bromo
29 November 2012
My alarm went off at 2:30. In what I consider to still be the middle of the night. We met, bleary eyed and only half alert, at 3 AM to climb with our already-aching bones into Jeeps that were made before I was born. It wasn't a great beginning. I love a good sunrise, but I kept questioning in my head just how worth the work the one we were about to witness could be. Around hairpin turns illuminated by harsh headlights and over ruts in the road that felt more like valleys we traversed, only to be let out half way up the mountain and told to hik
Meeting Komodo Dragons and Snorkeling at Pink Beach
11 January 2013
Maen lost a limb to an attack by a Komodo Dragon. He could have lost his life. Instead, he survived and courageously has returned to his post as a ranger in the Komodo Islands looking after an environment and an animal that perhaps does not have his best interests at heart. [Michael recounts his story far better than I could.]It’s a harsh place. On a hot day in a spot without shade the sun can make you stroke out before you even realize you’re tired. Komodo Dragons aren’t caged or penned, instead roaming wild, the entire islan
