I find it so fascinating that a certain sound or smell can trigger a memory that is so incredibly vivid in your mind. This happened to me the other day. As I was walking through the streets of downtown Phoenix in between classes, I heard a honk from a car. Why might that trigger a memory? Well, about one year ago, I visited Cairo, Egypt. If you've ever been, or have heard from anyone that has, you'll know that the streets are jam packed with cars. Literally, there is about two inches between each car on the road. And with a traffic jam comes continuous honking. I don't think I ever experienced a moment of silence more than three seconds long. Just when I thought Cairo just might've been still for a moment, BAM there was a honk. And then ten more. It was kind of hard not to go a bit crazy. But while in Egypt, my trip leader encouraged us, that every time we heard a honk while we were back home, we'd be reminded to pray for Egypt. So, while walking through the, mostly, calm streets of Phoenix, I heard the honk and was immediately brought back to Cairo. It put a smile on my face for a minute, but then it caused my heart and spirit to travel to Egypt and pray for the nation. To pray for peace during the upheaval that's happening now. To pray for the Egyptian Christians who face persecution. And to pray for peace amidst the crazy traffic jams and honking. I can imagine how stressful it can be to live in that kind of environment every day. For a glimpse, watch the video below.
Warning: If you watch this video for more than 10 seconds, you might go crazy.
I have so many dreams and desires, but have never really written them down, so here's to my first bucket list. New ideas will be added and old ones will be scratched out in future days. But for now, here you go.
1. Become fluent in German
2. Read the Bible in German
3. Learn to play the piano
4. Ride in a private plane above Hawaii
5. Marry my soul-mate
6. Have children
7. Visit Ireland
8. Go on a Mediterranean Cruise
9. Own a vespa
10. Be on a tv game show
11. Celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany
12. Visit the 50 most unique churches in the world
13. Walk in Jesus and the disciples’ footsteps in the Holy Land
14. Record a wide array of drum covers and post them on YouTube
15. Go on a Route 66 roadtrip
16. Visit all 50 U.S. states
17. Meet my sponsor child in Kenya
18. Eat Thai food in Thailand
19. Eat sushi in Japan
20. Take flight lessons
21. Ride in a hot air balloon
22. Adopt a dog
23. Visit South America
24. Live in another country (again)
25. Learn how to sing and sound decent
26. See the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro
27. Attend a symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House28. See and climb the Eiffel Tower29. Visit the Louvre in Paris
30. Play drums at a large girls or womens’ conference
31. Go on a trip alone
32. Win in Bingo at the casino
33. Go to a Coldplay concert
34. Celebrate New Years in Sydney, Australia
35. Travel to Spain
36. Take a roadtrip around Italy
37. Have a reunion in Sydney with Hillsong College '08 alumni
38. Find a career that I love
39. Attend a worship service at each of the Hillsong churches around the world
40. Visit South Africa
41. Swim in the Great Barrier Reef42. See the ancient Egyptian pyramids
43. Change someone's life
I apologize for the extreme delay in blog posts from me lately. I've been laboring away at assignments, tests, lectures, etc... But the end of the semester is in sight, therefore I hope to have more time to write. To kick off my blogging again, here is a travel narrative that I wrote over the summer for my travel writing class. It's about my experience in Australia. Enjoy
Don’t worry; we eventually brought them back safe and sound. I thought of when we found a large Huntsman spider, an eight-eyed Australian native the size of a man’s fist, intruding on our property. Standing atop the couch screaming like little girls, we called over our rather tough male neighbours to exterminate the furry beast at once. When thinking about when my roommates and I found mould growing directly behind our beds, I nearly hacked up my respiratory system. On a lighter note, I remembered being proud, like a sister, watching my roommate and close friend, Richelle, dance at a conference in front of an audience of 20,000. I reminisced on the numerous times I bussed alone to downtown Sydney to grab an Iced Tall Soy Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks and watched the Sydneysiders go about their business. Those were the times I could escape my crammed and, sometimes, emotionally draining home. Put four different girls in one apartment for a long period of time and you’re bound to experience a bit of drama. Anyways, lastly I thought of mine and Ruths’ Saturday morning ritual where we invited over our best buds and cooked up delicious pancakes. We sat around our ghetto table and chairs that we had found lounging outside a house earlier that year. In Australia, if anything is left out on the roadside, the items are free to be taken, like a garage sale but without the selling. There we sat every Saturday as the weeks leading to our departures became shorter and shorter, recalling the memories of the last year we’d spent together. First, total strangers, now best friends. There I was 11 months later, not alone this time, but overwhelmed with heartache because of the wounding separation that was about to happen. My eyes like floodgates tried to keep the tears contained, but they found a way out like uncontrollable floodwaters.
As a lover of all things travel related, I have found that food is a huge component of travel that cannot be ignored. I have always loved seeking out new foods whenever I’m in another country. And when I'm not traveling, I love finding ethnic restaurants in my hometown to satisfy, not only my cravings for international foods, but also my longing to be in a new culture. It's fascinating to be able to drive ten miles up the road to a locally owned ethnic restaurant and feel like I've actually entered into the country itself. It's not always just the food that's attractive, but being in an atmosphere that feels like you've been teleported out of America into a totally unique culture. The food is just a bonus.
Crocodile Potstickers |
Chicken Shawarma Sandwich |
So whether you’re an avid traveler, an adventurous food taster, or you simply would like to support local cuisine and try something out of the ordinary, these restaurants are definitely worth your time, money, and appetites. This weekend, why not change up your typical routine, grab a few friends or a family member, and head out to one of these unique restaurants. If you’re looking for a heavy European dish to fill you up, try out Zur Kate. If you have a craving for a nice glass of wine, rock up (Aussie slang for ‘to arrive’) to Down Under Wines and Bistro. If you want something really different, go for The Nile Café. Or, seek out a new ethnic restaurant you can call your own. I can bet if you pick a main road in your city and drive a few miles, you’ll be sure to find a delicious ethnic nugget much like these.
nilecafe.net
I have recently began an online travel writing class through ASU and I hope to share some ideas and insights I gain throughout the summer semester on this blog. To start, we had to read an article by a writer named Pico Iyer who explains reasons why people travel. Then, in our own words, we had to share and discuss why we think people travel. Included below is the article along with my response.
Why We Travel (article by Pico Iyer)
In early June, a few girlfriends and I took a road trip to San Diego, CA. Luckily, we didn't get harassed or shot at for being from AZ, being the circumstances right now regarding AZ's immigration law and all the backlash we're getting. The weekend wasn't full of sun and bronzing (the Sun was never out), but we all had a fantastic time exploring the city.
We stayed at the Hilton Airport hotel in the harbor/bay area right on the water. It was a very nice hotel, other than the $17/night parking charge. In just 4 days, we ate and shopped at Seaport Village, laid out on Coronado Island, rode bikes at Mission Beach, ate dinner downtown, and had a wonderful Mexican lunch in Old Town, among other little things. It was a fun weekend filled with laughter, good food, blasting Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, and others in the car, getting lost, and even homework... summer classes are the death of me. Nonetheless, it was a much needed getaway! Here are a few pics of our time there: