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....

The Last Days of Oz: The Work Chapter

A couple of my friends recently asked me about my blog, which reminded me of the fact that I hadn't updated it since late September. Although I haven't touched Australian soil since mid-November, I feel like I need to close that chapter of my life here before moving on to my more recent travels.

Friday night fun

Once I returned to Australia from home, I resumed my position at Percepta, a company near South Melbourne that had hired me a couple weeks before I left for Pennsylvania. This job was such a blessing in my life for a number of reasons, the most surprising being that they took me on as a new hire in the first place. When I was looking for a new job in August, it was a matter of not only finding a company that was willing to hire me despite the fact that my visa expired in October but also one that would pre-approve a two-week holiday I had already planned so I could return home for a wedding. Most of my friends and colleagues doubted I would be able to find any such company and after weeks of interviewing, registering with various recruitment agencies and hearing nothing back, I was beginning to fear it myself.

If I'm remembering correctly, Percepta was the last place at which I interviewed. I have to admit that I came too close to declining the the second interview since I was told during the first one that the position wouldn't start until two weeks before I would leave for America. In fact, one of my colleagues almost had me convinced that it would be a waste of my time and theirs to even go. He thought that as soon as they learned about my need to request time off at the end of the month, they would decide against hiring me. I knew my chances of employment with this company were slim.

My farewell

Since I'm more of a give-it-a-go-and-see-what-happens-type of person, I attended the second interview anyway. I figured at the very least, it would help me improve my interviewing skills. However, someone up there must have been watching over me because the interview went impossibly well and in the end, the director of human resources hired me despite my awkward situation. I could hardly believe it when I got that call!

Another reason I felt like this job was nothing short of a godsend was because of the people I connected with while I was there. Most of them were also foreigners, but it was a mix of travellers and those who had studied or were studying in Australia and had permanent residency. I met people from places like Pakistan, South Africa, India and Singapore, which was lucky for me since these were all places I was either planning or hoping to go in the near future. Not only did they turn out to be great friends and colleagues, but they were also excellent resources when it came to providing advice about these places.

Miss them

Mid-October seemed to approach at an alarmingly rapid pace so before I knew it, my visa was going to expire. Normally with this type of visa, working holiday and work and holiday participants are required by law to leave the country and then have the option of returning on a tourist visa. However, once I had returned to Australia from America, I had applied for my visa to go to Pakistan, which required sending my passport to the High Commission for Pakistan in Canberra. When I had spoken to someone on the phone about the visa processing time for an American living in Australia, I wasn't given a straight answer so for a few weeks, I played the nerve-wracking waiting game of "Will I Receive My Passport Before My Visa Expires?"

Fortunately, I did end up getting my passport before my visa expired, but since I hadn't booked a flight yet, I decided to go talk to an immigration officer about whether or not an exception could be made so I could apply for a tourist visa without leaving the country. Luckily, the officer was understanding and even approved my request for a seven-month tourist visa!

Since my visa situation worked out in my favour, which meant it wasn't necessary to book a last-minute flight to New Zealand, I was able to enjoy a fun evening out with my workmates. It was a great way to end a stressful day.