Tag: backpacking
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I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday season! If you are reading this, I thank you so much for your support. I mostly write for fun – to document my life experiences, for myself and for the friends or family who are interested in knowing about any of it. But it always makes me happy…
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I left Jordan by way of what was advertised as a ferry. In reality, it was a cargo ship that crossed the Red Sea each night, porting in Egypt. Before boarding, I had the most surreal customs experience of my life. After running my bags through the x-ray, they asked me to take out all…
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I don’t know why I ended up in Jordan. It was never on my radar; never a bucket list place to visit for me. I didn’t know much about the country even upon arrival. Israel is close by. Syria borders the north; go east and you’ll hit Iraq. But the country opened itself up to…
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Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey, known for its extraordinary natural wonders and skies filled with hot air balloons. It holds valleys that dip and rise through amazing rock formations. Hiking through these valleys is breathtaking; walking up close to the fairy chimneys and ancient cave dwellings is indescribable. I would wake up early…
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I often think about the vast differences in human perception. All 8 billion of us live on the same planet; we see the same sun, moon, and stars. We all breathe oxygen and we all bleed red. But our experiences are seen through different personalities, insights, and tastes. I love hearing stories from others –…
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I have my rituals. This is sort of a necessity when everything I own is either within arms reach or thousands of miles away stored in my childhood bedroom. My laundry days are meticulously planned out, because I have about 5 outfits total and don’t often have the luxury of a dryer. Sometimes not even…
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Istanbul, to me, is a city that could conduct a lecture on un-photographable moments. Maybe if I were a more experienced photographer, the snapshot images that I have in my head of Istanbul would exist as tangible photographs. But since pictures can only convey a certain percentage of emotion, I don’t think even the best…
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When I was in Thailand, I spent about a week in Bangkok before the friend that I was initially traveling with wanted to head north to Chiang Mai. By pure chance, I found a small hippie-style hostel in Bangkok that had the most welcoming environment and people. Immediately, I was so comfortable and at home…
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I had been in Budapest for a week at this point (the “s” is pronounced “sh” in Hungary, by the way, so pronounce it “Budapesht” if you want to sound local). My first week on my completely solo long-term trip abroad. Me, my backpack, and my one-way ticket. I somehow wasn’t nervous at all, and…