From Pennsylvania to Transylvania

Palace of Parliament in Bucharest

So many times while traveling when I’ve said that I’m from Pennsylvania, I’ve been asked if vampires live there. Yes, people all too often confuse Pennsylvania and Transylvania, which has always amused me. For this reason, going there should have been a no brainer.

Actually, similar to some of my previous destinations, Romania wasn’t originally on my “itinerary;” however, it was on the way to people and places I wished to visit so I decided to include it in my travels. The more I thought about it, the stronger my desire to go to Transylvania grew. The rolling hills and magnificent castles drew me in so I mapped out a tentative plan.

Bran Castle in Bran

I left my friend’s house in Chirpan and made the trek up to Bucharest, which, thanks to a lucky turn of events, wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I arrived in the capital rather late at night, but thankfully, my host was pretty flexible so it wasn’t a problem. I spent most of my time exploring the city with a new friend I had met in Bulgaria. I enjoyed walking around Bucharest, especially the old part of town. One of the most prominent structures there was the Palace of Parliament, which is the second largest building in the world, after the Pentagon. Apparently when Michael Jackson visited Bucharest in 1992, he stood on the balcony…… and declared his love for Budapest, which obviously resulted in many people becoming upset.

View of Brasov

After spending a few days there, I officially entered Transylvania when I made my way to Brasov, a quaint city right next to the mountain. I took a cable car up to the top of Mount Tampa, where it was possible to walk to the location of the Hollywood-style sign. During my time in Brasov, my host and I visited Bran Castle, which is commonly referred to as the “Dracula Castle” but has little to do with the Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, and Vlad the Impaler, the actual person on whom the character is based. It was a bit disappointing to learn the association was more for marketing purposes than anything else.

"The eyes of the city"

From there, I continued to Sibiu, which I would probably say I thought was the most charming of all the cities I visited in Romania. One of the unique aspects about Sibiu was that some of the older homes from the 15^th-19^th centuries had tall attics with tiny windows, which were dubbed “the eyes of the city.” Unfortunately, I was there a couple months too early to experience the Transfagarasan Highway, a scenic drive that starts near Sibiu and is often listed as one of the most beautiful in the world. I would like to return later this summer because I feel like this is something I don’t want to miss, but I’ll have to see if I can make it work. While I was staying in Sibiu, I did a daytrip to Medias and Sighisoara, both of which were nice cities to visit.

Inside Salina Turda

Following Sibiu, I found my way to Cluj-Napoca, the second largest city in Romania. While I was there, there was a festival of some sort going on, which was interesting. There was a lot of music and people set up stalls around the city to sell traditional Romanian items, like clothing, jewelry and kitchenware. In addition to visiting Cluj, I did a daytrip to a nearby salt mine in Turda that has been around since the Middle Ages.

As far as natural beauty goes, Romania is definitely near the top of the list. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to visit such a stunning country, and I’m looking forward to returning later this year to drive along the Transfagarasan Highway.

The Beauty of Bulgaria

Making Bulgarian "pancakes"/crepes

Bulgaria…… a land where a nod of the head signifies “no” and a shake of the head exhibits “yes." I heard the legend that when the Ottomans invaded Bulgaria, the citizens reversed the actions to confuse them. Ever since then, they continued to use the opposite gestures. This was something I learned a long time ago, but I had since forgotten about it. It wasn’t until I tried to verify that I was on the correct bus and was momentarily confused as to why the woman was shaking her head but saying “da” [yes] that I remembered this fact.

Gorgeous views.... check!

It was never my intention to stay in this country for seven weeks, but it was certainly time well spent. Bulgaria may be one of the most economically depressed countries in the European Union, but in terms of the landscape, it's also one of the most majestic. Much of the terrain was mountainous, which meant I was rarely short of magnificent views. It also meant that even if two cities looked deceivingly close to each other on a map, I was often told that the journey would be long and arduous because “you’ll need to find a way around the mountain” or “there are only country roads there that aren’t very well kept.” Unfortunately, these warnings were always accurate and well placed. Actually, although there were several major roads that connected the larger cities, Bulgaria officially only has one highway that runs from Sofia to Burgas. Most of the others were single lane and required me to pass through the tiniest villages before I could reach my destination.

Relaxed day at the Rila Monastery

As had been predicted, I enjoyed other cities more than I did Sofia, which, with the exception of Vitosha Mountain, seemed to only offer block buildings left over from the Communist period. I preferred places that I felt possessed more character and charm. Immediately after leaving the capital, I travelled south to Rila to see the most impressive monastery in Bulgaria. It was in a lovely wooded area in the mountains, which was a welcomed change from the grayness of Sofia.

Views of Melnik

Another place that left a positive impression on me was Melnik. It may have been one of the smallest cities in the country, but with its sand dunes and old-style houses, I also thought it was among the most picturesque, too. I almost didn’t have time to do it because of the infrequent buses between Blagoevgrad and Melnik, but the climb up to the old churches and fortress afforded me my favorite views of the city. If it would have been possible, I would have stayed there for hours on end.

National Revival homes

In the cities of Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa, many of the old homes from the National Revival period were well preserved. I loved walking around both cities and taking pictures of all the colorful buildings. Again, I was lucky with my timing as there was an international folk dancing festival in Koprivshtitsa. I was nothing short of amazed by the skills of some of the performers.

Making pottery in Etar

I also appreciated some of the smaller cities and villages around the country. Near Gabrovo, there was a small traditional village called Etar, which featured how Bulgarians in this region lived in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. When I was there, a woman showed my host and me how she went about making yarn out of goat hair, which was interesting to see. Kotel was a quaint city in the mountains that just so happened to be celebrating their Orange Day when I was there. I believe it’s a festival in the Netherlands that a Dutch man brought to Kotel several years ago, but it’s a day that’s filled with music, dancing….. and of course, people dressed in the color orange.

Scenic Veliko Tarnovo

The old capital, Veliko Tarnovo, was one of the most enchanting cities to visit in Bulgaria. The main attraction of the city was the fortress, which was set on a hill near the downtown area. I celebrated my first Orthodox Easter, which included a midnight candlelit procession from the church near the fortress down to a different church in the city. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand a word of the service, but it was a truly breathtaking view to see.

The road to Nesebar's Old Town

The Black Sea coast was nice to visit, but I was a bit too early to enjoy all that it had to offer. I liked walking around the sea garden in Varna, but the weather wasn’t all that favorable when I was in Burgas so I didn’t see too much of the city itself. However, I did take day trips to Nesebar and Sozopol, both of which were beautiful places.

Similar to much of the Balkans, Bulgaria is an underrated country in terms of tourism. With its exquisite landscape, it truly is a stunning place to visit.

An Extraordinary European Expedition

Brussels train station

As hard as it is to believe, it's been six months since I left America for Europe. And what an adventure it's been!

It seems that long gone are the days when I would update this blog on any sort of regular basis. Half the time, I forget it even exists, but I’m thankful for the friends who ask me about it every once in a while and motivate me to return to it. I appreciate your interest in following this once-in-a-lifetime dream of mine.

Castle in Vianden

The European leg of my backpacking trip started like most

of my other travel experiences:: in a rush. Since I was leaving mid-week, I thought it was going to be a bit of a challenge finding a ride to the bus station. However, in the end, a couple of good friends offered to take me all the way to the airport, which worked out well because I'm almost positive I would have missed the bus. Trying to learn from past mistakes, I had started packing days in advance, but the morning of the day I was set to leave, I made the error of believing I had time to spare. I even fed my summer addiction and watched a few episodes of "Law and Order: SVU." What I estimated would take me less than an hour to do took almost three.

Streets of Arlon

As excited as I was to return to Europe, part of me must have been in denial that I was leaving America because I planned next to nothing. Not cities to visit, attractions to see, nor transportation options once I was in Europe. I had a rough idea of the places I wished to go, but looking back, it's almost overwhelming to think about how much of this trip has taken a life of its own. Prior to leaving America, I thought I would visit Luxembourg, Germany and the Czech Republic since I had friends there, but then I intended to travel Eastern Europe, making a route of some sort from the Baltic nations down to Turkey. It wasn't until I looked at this itinerary from a more practical point of view and realized how low the temperatures dropped in some of these places in as early as October.

East Side Gallery

Similar to my last couple entries, I’m relying on my memory for much of this so I’ll stick to the highlights from each country again.

Due to my lack of organizing, I mistakenly made the decision to travel to Luxembourg City from Brussels instead of taking my connection to Frankfurt. Unlike Frankfurt, Brussels had no buses to Luxembourg City so my only option was to take the train, which was considerably pricier and took longer than I had been told. Although Luxembourg wasn't originally on my list of countries to visit, I had a German friend who was working there so I decided to go; however, there was a bit of miscommunication and he ended up finishing his work assignment before I got to Europe. Fortunately, it worked out well anyway because I found a host who took me to her hometown of Vianden, which was where the castle was. We were even allowed on the castle grounds after hours because her childhood friend's dad worked there.

Exploring Eguisheim in Alsace

Since I had flown into Brussels but had left without seeing anything, I felt that if it was possible, I should try to go back and explore even just a little part of Belgium. Luckily, it was easy to catch a short train ride from Luxembourg City to Arlon. Although Mother Nature wasn’t on my side that day as it was rather rainy, I still enjoyed walking around the narrow streets and visiting the beautiful cathedral that was there.

In awe of Lucerne

After leaving Luxembourg, I made my way to Germany, which I had already planned would be the country in which most of my time would be spent. Over the course of about a month, I visited many of the major cities and quite a few of the smaller ones. Berlin was probably my favorite for a variety of reasons but mostly because the history there is so rich. I especially liked walking along the East Side Gallery, which featured an exhibition on the opposite side of walls that exist in our world today, like the ones that divide Israel from Palestine, America from Mexico and Spain from Morocco. However, I also really enjoyed Heidelberg and Dresden, the latter of which was uncharacteristically warm enough to walk around in just a t-shirt.

Pit stop at Vaduz Castle

While I was in Germany, I struck gold when I met a Couchsurfer who had some holiday time to spare so we took a trip together that included bits and pieces of France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and Germany. We explored a small part of the majestic Alsace, a region of France I knew nothing about before coming to Europe, and even drove up into the Alps in Switzerland, where we experienced our first snowfall of this winter. For an unknown reason, I was pretty keen to visit Liechtenstein so we added Vaduz to our agenda. The most appealing part of the city was the castle, which wasn’t open to tourists since the prince of Liechtenstein lives there with his family, but the mountains in the distance made the landscape extraordinary to see.

The lovely Neuschwanstein Castle

After this “holiday within a holiday,” I spent some time in Munich and then took a day trip with my host to Füssen so that we could visit the fairytale-like Neuschwanstein Castle. Despite the fact that it was absurdly touristy, I can’t say that I regret making the effort to go there. Set in the gorgeous Bavarian Alps, the only way to describe the castle and the surrounding area would be to say that they were stunning.

Impressed with Innsbruck

Following Munich, I continued onto Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna in Austria. The first few days I was in Innsbruck, the sky was overcast and the mountains were blocked by thick fog. I was lucky to have flexible hosts who allowed me to stay a couple extra days longer than we had originally agreed so I could enjoy the natural beauty the city had to offer. I saw my first live opera in the grand Vienna State Opera and loved it even if the device for the subtitles wasn’t working properly during the first half. I moved to another seat at intermission so I was better able to follow the story then.

At the opera house in Prague

If there’s one thing I love more than meeting new people while traveling, it’s catching up with old friends along the way. This is exactly what happened when I journeyed to the Czech Republic. There are many reasons I’m glad I transferred universities, but one of them is that I not only met someone with a passion for traveling that matches mine, but I was fortunate enough to live with her for a year. It was excellent reconnecting with my college roommate and exploring the magic that is Prague and the rest of the Czech Republic. In addition to seeing a ballet form of “Sleeping Beauty” and a comical opera called “The Devil and Kate,” we cooked a delectable vegetarian mini-feast for Thanksgiving. It was definitely a good time all around.

The Blue Church in Bratislava

Next on my travel agenda was Slovakia, but if I’m going to be honest, it was mostly because it seemed like a nice place to stop on my way to Hungary. The capital, Bratislava, was a small city, and coupled with the cold and fog, it was difficult to enjoy it. Although I met some kind people there, I feel that if I would return there in a warmer season, I would see it in a more favorable light.

There aren’t enough positive things to say about Hungary, especially the capital. Despite the hazy weather, I found Budapest to be an incredibly striking city that was full of people always willing to lend a helping hand. I also saw “The Nutcracker” and a musical version of “Gone With the Wind,” both of which were spectacular. Anyone who has known me for a while is aware of how much I love, love, love musicals. I have yet to see one that I haven’t absolutely adored, but

The Chain Bridge in Budapest

what’s not to like about people, even in the toughest times, randomly breaking into song and dance? At the suggestion of some fellow travelers I had met while in Oman, I ventured down to Pecs after Budapest and spent a few days there. Again, I was greeted by some hospitable Couchsurfers who welcomed me into their homes and showed me around their city. Regrettably, my last host overslept on my last full day there :o) so we missed going to one of the highest points of Pecs to catch the best views……. but I guess that’s just another reason to visit again in the future.

Christmas Nativity in Osijek

That brings me to Osijek, Croatia, which is where I spent my first European Christmas. In many countries in this region, Christmas is celebrated over two days, the 25^th and 26^th of December. It was a true blessing that I was able to find not one but two families with whom to share the holiday season. I loved decorating the Christmas trees, which is something I hadn’t done in years. Aside from Osijek, I also took some day trips to surrounding smaller cities, which was a treat. It was the first Balkan country I visited, and I felt so welcome wherever I went. When most travelers picture Croatia, the cities near the Adriatic Sea may come to mind, but I’m so happy I had the chance to go somewhere less explored. Although some popular tourist destinations do attract me, I prefer mixing in some areas that are not as well known, too.

New Year's Eve concert in Novi Sad

After several days in Croatia, I took a bus to my next destination, Serbia. My hope had been to spend a little time in Novi Sad and then bring in the New Year in Belgrade, but that wasn’t in the cards for me. Instead, my host and I attended a concert in the downtown area of Novi Sad, which was entertaining. In retrospect, I would say it worked out for the best because I actually preferred the smaller city over the capital. In both cities, I enjoyed visiting the old fortresses the most, if only for the magnificent views from them.

Stari Most in Mostar

Due to its interesting and sadly, rather tumultuous history, Bosnia and Herzegovina was a country I was looking forward to visiting. The capital, Sarajevo, surprised me with its rolling hills that made for a brilliant backdrop to the old city. I was unsure if I wanted to make the trip down to Mostar, but when everyone you meet tells you that a trip to Bosnia isn’t complete without going to this little gem of a city, what choice do you have? They were right as there was a lovely old town and an impressive 14^th century Ottoman bridge called Stari Most [Old Bridge] there that has always served as a symbol of the city. Unfortunately, it had to be rebuilt since it was destroyed during the Bosniak-Croat War in 1993, but despite that fact, it was still quite a spectacle to see and made it well worth it to visit Mostar.

Bluest skies over Dubrovnik

After my day in Mostar, I took the bus to Dubrovnik since it wasn’t that far and I had read that it was one of Croatia’s most exquisite coastal cities. I couldn’t agree more with all the travel guides! I had a nice host there who drove me around to some scenic points that I never would have gotten to without a car. I loved walking around the old city walls and watching the sunset over the sea. I didn’t find this out until later, but it was awesome to learn that some scenes from King’s Landing in Game of Thrones have been filmed there.

Cousins in front of the Acropolis

My goal had been to travel around the Balkans and slowly make my way down to Greece for an appointment I had in Athens, but I ran out of time so I had to book a flight instead. Since my mom was born in Sparta, I grew up hearing little anecdotes about her life in Greece. It was a bit of a difficult choice to not explore areas outside of Athens because I know the rest of the country has so much to offer, but it felt strange to do it without my family, especially my mom. It’s been in the “talks” stage for a long time, but I’m hoping we’ll all take a trip there together within the next couple years. On the plus side, I got to spend a lot of time with relatives I had never met. Our days were spent visiting the Acropolis, exploring the Ancient Agora and wandering around Monastiraki, and our evenings were filled with copious amounts of Disney movies, board games and episodes of “I Love Lucy.” Never much of a partier, that’s my idea of a perfect night; I’m glad my cousins agreed.

Views from Saranda

The next stop on my journey around the Balkans was Albania, a place more than several people told me to avoid for one reason or another. Now that I’ve been there, I can say with absolute certainty that it’s an underrated travel destination, and I’m glad I followed through with my plans despite all the opposition. There were many charming cities to visit, like Berat and Gjiroskaster, both of which featured some of the most well-preserved Ottoman houses in existence today. However, my personal favorite was Saranda, a growing city on the Mediterranean that has terrific views of the Greek island of Corfu. It was the most attractive, and I have some of the best and most random memories from there. I mean, where else can you find cows that aimlessly wander around and eat rubbish out of the bins?

Climbing to the fort in Kotor

After spending a couple weeks in Albania, I took a bus to Montenegro. Without a doubt, my favorite city was Kotor as the old town was just lovely and following the wall up to the castle awarded some of the best views of the area. While on the bus from Budva to Kotor, an Australian and I struck up a conversation and then ended up spending the day together, which was unexpected but enjoyable. He happened to be from a suburb of Melbourne so it was fun talking about places we both were familiar with in Australia. To top off a great day, there was a Carnival celebration in Kotor’s center with people in costumes and masks, traditional music and free food in honor of the Venetian festival.

Views from the monastery in Trebinje

When I was in Dubrovnik, I had looked into visiting Trebinje; however, the bus timetable and my schedule weren’t compatible so I had to postpone that trip. Luckily, I visited Niksic in the northern part of Montenegro, which had a bus that connected the two cities. One of the most noteworthy things about Trebinje is that although it’s in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it’s located in the political entity called the Republika Srpska [Bosnian Serb Republic] and is primarily populated by Serbs. There was an old Ottoman bridge there that was comparable to the one in Mostar but considerably larger. It was a bit of hike up to the monastery, but it was a peaceful place with a breathtaking view of the scenery.

In the city center of Prizren

A comprehensive trip around the Balkans wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Kosovo, even if it’s on the small side and lacks many attractions. Similar to my experience in other countries in this region, the capital wasn’t overly exhilarating; however, I found little pockets that I enjoyed. Mitrovica was interesting because it’s divided between Kosovo and Serbia. There were a couple bridges that connected the two territories, one of which has more or less been a symbol of the city and has been a common setting for violence between the two ethnic groups over the years. When I first arrived in Kosovo, I was told that the most picturesque place in Kosovo was Prizren, and now that I’ve been there, I would have to agree. From both the city center and the old fortress, snow-capped mountains could be seen in the distance. A stone bridge and the main mosque in the downtown area added to the aesthetic atmosphere of the city.

Lake Ohrid from Samuil's Fortress

After leaving Kosovo, I made my way to Macedonia, where I spent a couple weeks. I enjoyed walking around Skopje’s city center, where it was impossible not to stumble upon several statues, one of which was an impressive fountain with a warrior on a horse. Many claim it’s Alexander the Great, but officially….. it’s just a massive warrior on a massive horse. After spending a few days in the capital and some of the surrounding smaller cities, I took a trip to the southwestern part of the country to visit Bitola, Ohrid and Struga. Bitola and Struga were pleasant to explore and it was inspiring to meet a couple Peace Corps volunteers there, but there’s a reason Ohrid is called the crown jewel of Macedonia. Sometimes referred to as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," it’s also a city that once had 365 churches, one for every day of the year. Some of the most picturesque views in that region were from St. John’s Monastery, Samuil's Fortress and Sveti Naum, which was near the southern part of Lake Ohrid.

On Vitosha Mountain

Well before I had even booked my flight to Germany, I had told an English friend I had worked with in Australia that I would be traveling around Europe. Due to his work schedule and my apparent inability to calculate where I would be more than a few weeks in advance, it took a while for us to make official plans, but we eventually agreed to meet in Sofia, Bulgaria. It had been a while since I had seen a familiar face so I was beyond happy to see him. It was unfortunate that his time here was limited, but we tried to make the most of it. We enjoyed exploring the city, visiting the different monuments and churches, but my favorite part of Sofia was taking the cable car up the mountain. There was a fair bit of snow on the ground and true to my clumsy self, I even slipped once. In retrospect, we probably should have spent more time wandering around the nature trails, but at the time, I wasn't feeling up to walking in such damp weather. In addition to getting to know a tiny corner of Bulgaria, we learned that "pavement" and "cot" have different meanings in British and American English. Even after living in the UK, Ireland and Australia, it's still rather amusing to discover how different the dialects are.

525,600 Minutes: The Second Half

Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral

Although I was just going to pick up from where I left off, it's necessary to backtrack for a second because I accidentally skipped China's other Special Administrative Region: Macau. When my friend and I were in Hong Kong, we decided to take the ferry to Macau since it was so close. I don't have much interest in casinos, which Macau certainly isn't short of, but I loved the Portuguese architecture.

Leaving Riyadh

While I was in Taiwan, I debated where my travels would take me after the Philippines. Although it made much more geographical sense to stay in Southeast Asia, I did something a little drastic and decided to research flights to Egypt, a country that had been on my mind for quite some time. With some luck, an affordable flight from Manila to Cairo, via Riyadh, came up in my search; however, I ran into a minor obstacle when I discovered that while Saudi Arabia requires a transit visa for those with a layover longer than eighteen hours, solo female travelers are forbidden to even apply for it. Fortunately, another option presented itself soon after so my bitterness towards Saudi Arabia's obnoxious sexist rules was short lived. :o)

At the pyramids in Giza

For me, going to Egypt was an absolute dream come true, and I can't express enough how much I enjoyed my time there. Although definite highlights would include obvious activities, like taking a camel ride around the pyramids and the Spinx in Giza and touring the many temples in Luxor, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the Sinai Peninsula a couple times. On one such occasion, a friend and I joined a tour group that climbed Mount Sinai, which is the site where Moses allegedly received the Ten Commandments from God. The goal was to reach the peak to see the sunrise, which meant leaving Dahab for Saint Catherine at 1am. It was an unplanned trip so I didn't have the proper shoes to participate in such a hike, but somehow my little black flats got me up and down the mountain in one piece.

Hiking to the peak of Mount Sinai

While I was in Oman, I had met someone who had been to Lebanon a couple years ago. Lebanon wasn't initially on my list of places to visit, but listening to him talk about his

Streets of Beirut

time there immediately piqued my interest in the country. One of the most intriguing aspects of Lebanon was seeing the mosques and churches constructed right next to each other. I'm aware of the conflicts that are occurring in the northern part of Lebanon, but for a nation with such a volatile history, even the smallest signs of religious tolerance is surely something to admire.

I have several fond memories of my time in Jordan, from exploring the rose- colored city called Petra to sleeping under a blanket of stars in Wadi Rum, but my favorite one is swimming in the Dead Sea. I loved the feeling of effortlessly floating in the water, and the sunset is

Floating in the sea

something I'll always remember. If it had been possible, I would have stayed there for days.

Perhaps I have to admit that I may be a little geographically challenged and my knowledge about ancient civilizations is subpar, but it struck me by surprise to find so many Roman ruins in Lebanon and Jordan. Wandering around the sites in Baalbek and Jerash could only be described as incredible.



The final chapter of that part of my backpacking journey was Israel, which I found to be a truly special place. Finding an easy route there, however, proved to be a bit of a challenge since based on my cursory research online, flying between Israel and any of its Arab neighbors is rather pricey and takes an absurd amount of time. Just to

Roman ruins in Baalbek

provide an example of what I mean, one of the least expensive options for flying from Amman to Tel Aviv was a 20-hour flight that included an extended layover in Istanbul. In the end, it became apparent that it would be in my best interest to travel from Jordan to Israel by land.



By chance, I found a Palestinian CouchSurfer who was going to be traveling the same route so I didn't need to go alone. I'm rather adventurous and independent so I still would have chosen this route even if I hadn't met him, but it was nice to have the company for some of the journey. Although I expected the

Finally got my Israeli visa

immigration process in Israel to be a lengthy process, it never crossed my mind that I would be there for over three hours. Not only did my passport have stamps and visas from Pakistan and Lebanon, both of which made me a suspicious traveler from Israel's point of view, but I also made the mistake of admitting I would be in Palestine overnight. It was only later that I learned that Israeli immigration officers are wary about visitors spending a lot of time in Palestine because they fear they'll go to the refugee camps or be inclined to cause problems for Israel.

The Old City of Jerusalem

It's something I should have been aware of beforehand, but looking back on the situation, I'm just glad that they eventually let me through.

As I mentioned before, I loved Israel and simply adored being there. It was fascinating to walk along the streets of Palestine and Israel and to visit places I had only read about before, like the Church of the Nativity and the Old City of Jerusalem. In many ways, I felt like much of my time traveling in the months before built up to my being in

Beautiful Eilat

Israel. It could be said that spending time there brought everything around full circle for me. To be honest, although I had read several articles regarding the issue, I've never been very knowledgeable about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. I've always felt that it was a
difficult situation without an apparent solution. When I was in several Arab nations, the subject of Israel and Palestine came up on more than one occasion, but it was difficult for me to express an opinion on something I knew very little about. To this day, I'm no expert on the situation, but it was a true learning experience for me to hear various perspectives regarding the problems that plague that region of the world. More importantly, it put faces on the conflict and really humanized the issues for me, so to speak. In reflecting on my time there, I feel like ending my journey in that area with Israel provided a balance for my own views.

My travel companions to Cairo

After Israel, I had to make my way back to Egypt so that I could fly home from Cairo since two of my friends were getting married. My original plan had been to spend a few days there to see some of the sites I had missed the first time and to meet up with some friends I had made when I was there; however, poor planning on my part and a failed visa run resulted in my arriving in Cairo the morning of my flight. When I flew to Cairo the first time, I was able to get a visa on arrival at the airport; however, when planning my route home, I had overlooked the fact that going to Cairo by land required me to obtain one beforehand. While I was in Bethlehem, I had called the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv and had been told that they could issue a visa on the same day I applied for it; however, when I got there, the officer said it would take multiple days to process and advised me to go down south to the consulate in Eilat. Although I took an unnecessary trip to

Broadway with my mom

Tel Aviv, the situation worked out for the best because when I was at the Egyptian Consulate in Eilat, I met three other backpackers who were heading to Cairo at the same time I was so I unintentionally found travel buddies for the long journey between Eilat and Cairo.

Although I had originally planned to stay in Pennsylvania for just a few weeks, my time there eventually grew into a beautiful three months surrounded by family and friends. It was nice to be home and not feel too rushed to make plans with everyone I wanted to see. It was a summer filled with multiple adventures in New York City, more Broadway shows than I've ever seen in a single year, three memorable trips to Lancaster County with my mom, a return to the Renaissance Faire with some good friends, and countless other special memories I'll hold forever.

525,600 Minutes: The First Half

Bathing boxes in Mornington

Sometimes I feel like I blink and an entire year of my life has gone by. Just like that. This especially rings true for the past twelve months.

About a year ago, I finished working in Australia, completed a short-term mission trip in Pakistan and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure that brought me all over Asia and even to Africa. An adventure that introduced me to an incredibly wide variety of people, places and situations. An adventure I wish I had blogged about more on here.

Or, at all.

Driving along the Grand Ridge Road

For some unknown reason, it seems that when I blog, I don't journal and when I journal, I don't blog. Although I lived in Melbourne for over a year, the number of journal entries I wrote could be counted on one hand..... or quite honestly, less than that; however, I updated my blog relatively frequently. Conversely, I journaled almost every day while doing the mission trip and backpacking, but not once did I bother to type anything up online. Unfortunately, it appears that I'm unable to do both with any sort of regularity.

Seals on Kangaroo Island

I didn't even manage to finish blogging about the last-minute trips I took around Victoria and South Australia after my job wrapped up. These happened ages ago so details have inevitably been lost; therefore, I won't dedicate an entire entry to them like I had originally planned. However, it should be noted that the Mornington Peninsula, the Dandenongs, the Grand Ridge Road, Wilsons Promenade, Mount Lofty Summit, Hahndorf, Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley and Macedon Regional Park are all worth visiting.

Having fun with henna

That would bring me to the Pakistan mission trip, where a small group of Australians and I visited a long-term missionary and his family in Islamabad and taught English and essay writing skills to graduate students studying theology at a Christian institute in Rawalpindi. Even after all this time, I feel like I'm still processing it, which leaves me with limited words to describe my time there. It was a bit of a nervewracking experience but perhaps not for the reasons one might expect. Am I glad I had the opportunity to go? Absolutely. I'm so thankful that God presented me with the chance to witness His work firsthand there and to even play a small part. I will also say that I was in complete awe of all the various ways people are serving Him in that region, both Pakistanis and foreigners. Having spent most of my life in Western countries, it's difficult to wrap my mind around the extreme challenges Pakistanis face when it comes to following Christ. Although I've been told that the Pakistani constitution protects the freedom of religion, it's far more complicated when put into practice.

Our class at ZBI

Pakistan was the first predominately Muslim country I ever visited and although it was very different from Western and other Asian countries I had been to in the past, strangely enough, I didn't feel like I experienced a huge culture shock when I was there. There were two instances when I did momentarily forget where I was and in an absolute cultural faux paux, I lifted my kameez [dress] too far up, once to retie the drawstrings holding up my shalwar [trousers] and a second time to admire the beautiful embroidery around the bottom edges.

Rickshaw in Rawalpindi

For some reason, traveling from Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates was more of an adjustment for me than going from Australia to Pakistan. It must have been the quick transition from seeing extreme poverty everywhere to being surrounded by copious amounts of wealth because I felt a similar shock when I traveled from Sri Lanka and Cambodia to Singapore and Hong Kong. I'm unsure why I didn't feel it as much the other way around.

Map of the Persian Gulf

Originally, I was planning to spend a week or so in the UAE before making my way down to South and Southeast Asia, but the travel bug in me took over and I ended up spending an entire month and a half independently exploring various parts of Western Asia, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. What a fascinating place I found it to be! As a Westerner not wearing an abaya [dress], niqab [veil], etc., I suppose I attracted some attention, but nevertheless, I felt that the culture was nothing short of interesting. It would be true to say that I have a passion for traveling so I expected to find at least some aspects of Western Asia intriguing, but it truly took me by surprise when it completely drew me in to the point where I absolutely loved it.

UAE National Day dance

Since so much time has passed between then and now, it would be impossible to describe all the details from my travels on here so I'll stick to some highlights. One of the first memories of the UAE I have is going to the Mall of the Emirates. I had met a British man on the metro and we had struck up a conversation about traveling around Western Asia. Upon entering the mall, our discussion came to an abrupt halt when the loudest Arabic music suddenly filled the air. It was the strangest experience because all around us, we were surrounded by typical Western stores, like Accessorize, Claire's and American Eagle. It was as if the music served a purpose other than simply providing entertainment; it screamed, "You might think you're in the West, but don't forget for a single second that you're in Western Asia."

View from the Burj Khalifa

While I was in the UAE, it felt obligatory to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa since it's currently the highest structure in the world. My host and I were planning to go together, but he had to back out at the last minute. In an attempt to keep the ticket from going to waste, I sold it to someone who was waiting in line-- a German marine who had spent the last several months fighting pirates in Djibouti.

Mountains of Oman

While my time in the other Gulf Nations was memorable, I have to admit that I enjoyed myself the most in Oman. In addition to the beautiful mountainous terrain that differed from the surrounding countries, I found a certain humbleness and ingenuity in the people I met there. In addition, although it was the second Gulf country I had seen, it was the first one where I felt like I was in that area of the world. While much of what I saw in the UAE looked modern and Western, Oman seemed to have maintained its Islamic architecture, which in my mind, set it apart.

The souk, fort and mosque in Nizwa

I especially liked the souk [marketplace] in Nizwa, which was situated right next to the old fort and a mosque. A couple CouchSurfers and I took a trip there and to one of the highest mountains in the region. There was nothing physical that marked our location on the mountain so to this day, we're not entirely sure we were successful in finding the peak, but nonetheless, we have wonderful memories from that day.

National Day fireworks in Doha

In December, it was a special time to be in Qatar because the country celebrated its National Day, which commemorates its freedom from Great Britain. Some of the activities throughout the day included a parade in the morning and fireworks later at night. I'm glad I was able to be there to witness the festivities and the Qataris showing such pride for their nation.

Dilmun burial mounds in Manama

Bahrain seemed to be in the midst of attempting to build its tourist industry, but I mostly witnessed the ruins of old forts and rundown resorts that looked much more attractive online. I imagine one day, the forts will be restored and artifacts will be brought in to create a museum of some sort, similar to what the Omanis did with the fort in Nizwa. I did, however, enjoy the burial mounds and parts of the Bahrain National Museum that focused on Dilmun, an ancient civilization in the Persian Gulf that dates back to the third millennium BC. It reminded me of learning about places like Mesopotamia in my eighth grade Western Civilization class, which was always my favorite.

At the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City

Prior to exploring Western Asia, I had never stepped foot in a mosque. However, since they were among the most prominent structures in many of the cities I traveled around, I felt that visiting them would be an important part of my experience. While I was in Kuwait, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a guided tour of the Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the country. It was a very informative tour and I enjoyed learning a little about the Islamic faith from someone who was so passionate and knowledgeable about the topic.

Wild elephant

After leaving the Gulf States, I headed to South, Southeast and East Asia. As a whole, Sri Lanka was one of the most picturesque places I visited. While I didn't care too much for Colombo [only because it was a noisy, crowded oven with way too much pollution], Nurwara Eliyah and Tissamaharama were complete dreams. It was near the latter that I saw my first and only elephant in the wild. I was told that leopards could also be seen in the parks, but unfortunately, I didn't come across any of those.

Downtown Singapore

Even though I had an extended layover in Singapore, I still managed to miss my flight. I had checked my luggage without a problem, but security stopped me on my way to the gate to weigh my carry-on bag. Since it was too heavy, I tried to post some items home, but by the time I finally tried to board the plane, it was too late. In the past, there had been more than a few close calls, but this was the first time I actually missed my flight.

Trying something new

I operated a motorbike on my own for the first time in Cambodia and found it to be a pretty freeing experience. Interestingly enough, another American trusted me enough to drive us from Kampot to Kep, which was quite an adventure since we hit a pothole on the way back that temporarily caused our only headlight not to work. Thankfully, after hitting a series of buttons and switches on the dashboard, it miraculously turned back on, which undeniably saved us from being hit by any of the trucks flying by us in the opposite direction.

Chinese New Year parade

In February, a friend who I had studied with in Korea and I met in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. It proved to be an ideal place to spend the holiday because although the Spring Festival is mostly private and celebrated with family, there were some nice public festivities held in Hong Kong, which included fireworks and a parade downtown.

At the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

My time in Taiwan was among the most magical, if only because I had the opportunity to attend the magnificent Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. Visiting Taiwan wasn't even on my "itinerary" when I was considering traveling around Asia so stumbling upon this particular gem was a true blessing. If you haven't already, it might be worth it to check out the video I posted on Facebook back in March. I said it then and I'll say it again:: It was like watching a live version of the movie Tangled.

Procession in Pampanga

Visiting the Philippines was another unplanned surprise, but thanks to an affordable ticket from Taiwan, it seemed like too good of an offer to overlook. For the second time in a row, I found myself in the right place at the right time as I was able to join a CouchSurfing host and several other backpackers in the province of Pampanga to see the Holy Week events. Traditions in this region are unique and include a reenactment of Jesus' crucifixion and devotees self-flagellating and being nailed to crosses, the latter of which seemed bizarre to me.

I hope the second half of this post comes sooner rather than later, but I have to apologize and admit my track record isn't that promising. Until then....