BALI

Well I and everyone else who is reading this have come to the conclusion that I am an awful blogger. But i do have to say to my defense that if i had been blogging more that would have meant that i would not have been having that much fun. Because lets face it, it is way more fun to expereince things than to write about experiencing things. So here i am on my birthday, giving you all a birthday gift. It has been days since i last posted and so much has happened, so i will try to fill you in on most of it.
Thailand:
- I moved from the Sancutary in Haad Tien to Big Blue in Haad Yuan and although it was more expensive iI was very happy to have my own bungalow with bathroom.
- I met and connected with some amazing people whom i will never forget for the rest of my life (Frannie, Stephan, Bob, Myrthe, Zoltan, Ash, Rose, Ivo, Kate, Katie, Megan, Adam, and Alberto) Just to name a few. I would wake up every day excited that i got to spend the day with my amazing friends.
-I had so many wonderful experiences because of their knowledge and safety, and I will never foget the experiences and knowledge i gained because of them.
- When i left it was bitter sweet, I had to spend the night in Koh Samui and i thought that i would just get to my hotel and go to sleep, but as i was standing out on my balcony soaking up the view I looked down and saw a group of 4 boys glueing empty beer cans together. I thought to myself why would i choose to sit inside and do nothing when i could go down stairs and ask them Why? So i went downstairs and met 4 of the prettiest and nicest german boys who i then proceeded to hang out with until 3 in the morning, even though my pick up was at 5 in the morning.
-Thailand was one amazing adventure after another, one mind-blowing experience after another, and one amazing person after another, i will never forget it and i will definitely go back!

Bali
-Bali has been fate leading the way the whole entire time. When i was sitting in the Kuala Lumpur airport looking up places where i could stay and waiting for my last leg of my journey, i was on facebook talking to my friend Caroline who told me that she had a house that i could rent from her and stay in since i came to Ubud durring high season and all the places i was looking at were probably booked already. I was so excited that she had been on facebook at that time because i would have gotten there and not known where to stay or what to do.
-Because of a chance meeting with an amazing person in a cafe i got to have lunch with a famous writer without even knowing it.
-Ubud has been one of those places where anything can happen and if you open yourself to the world and just say, life lead me and show me the way, than things turn out the way they were intended to and the best way possible.

Well I have just finished my birthday lunch and i think i will not go birthday shopping. Today is one of the coolest birthdays i have ever had and maybe I will go see a Balinese healer today, who knows? But to everyone who has written on my facebook or sent me an email, thank you so much, you are all in my thoughts and i send you all loving energy!

Until next time (no promises on when that will be lol)
Jess

Thailand Day Six

Well, my clumsiness has reached epic proportions...

  I have been having a great past couple of days, i made a ton of new friends with all different nationalities including: Dutch, English, German, Slovakian, Swedish, Canadian, Polish and Swiss. Because of this mix i have now started saying crisp instead of chip and horrendous instead of awful. I find that with every new conversation my vocabulary slightly changes. But not to get off topic, today started off as great as the past couple of days, maybe even better because i had booked a few sessions with some of the different healers here and i was so excited to have new experiences.
  But then at about 1pm disaster struck.
  A bunch of us were planning to go to a Had Yao, 2 bays north from where we are, we had haggled with the boat driver and got a good price for there and back so we were ready to go. The boat was rocking more than usual today with the larger than normal waves that were crashing along the beach and i was the second to last person to get on board. As i stepped one foot onto the boat and stood up, about to swing the other leg over, a wave came. I completely lost balance, tried to find my footing but instead i twisted sideways and fell backwards into the water, bag in hand.
  The bag, which for 10 seconds was completely submerged, was unfortunately not waterproof and contained my Kindle and my iPod.
  Although it has only been a few hours since the incident and i have been told by some people to let them sit over night, the preliminary report (and my gut feeling) is that they have gone to technology heaven.
  I am still pretty shaken and upset by the fact that i have just lost 2 pieces of technology that were to be my tools for relaxation and cures for boredom. Although it was a complete accident i am still really upset with myself for not thinking and not being more careful, since i know best of all how uncoordinated i really am.
  Everyone has been so supportive, i have to say the staff here are some of the most caring people ever, right after it happened and while i was pulling my stuff out of my bag assessing the damage a few of the Thai employees who saw what happened came over to make sure i was O.K. One of them even joked with me telling me that later he would teach me a few tricks for getting on the boats. It make me chuckle.
  Well as my friend Mierta said right after it happened "Everything happens for a reason, maybe life is trying to tell you to get rid of your distractions." Having not embraced this notion fully i can, however see where she is coming from and maybe with time i can come to the same conclusion. Until then i will mourn the loss of my of my technological friends.

Sitting shiva,
Jess

Thailand Day Three

Well it has been an amazing past couple of days!
The weather has not been very hot, which has been nice, it has been overcast most days with the sun coming out for maybe an hour or two. On friday some friends that i met invited me to go over to the next bay and go to dinner with them and it was amazing, We went to this place called bamboo and it had the best pumpkin salad ever, then we went to this bar called Eden and chilled out ,the amazing place about this bar is that although it is highly illegal, you can buy: weed, mushrooms and LSD over the counter. I thought it was so weird, now dont worry im not about to try any hallucinogenics while in a foreign country but just hearing that it was readily available just gave me a shock. Yesterday we had this huge rainstorm come where it was pouring cats and dogs and it was so nice and everything cooled down, I just sat in my hammock closed my eyes and listened to the rain hitting the leaves and the waves crashing against the shore line.

So i thought i would show all of you my little space that i have in the dorm:

This is my "bed" with all my stuff around it, the dorm is above the restaurant so if you go to bed early you have to fall asleep to the sound of the dinner crowd downstairs. I usually am a very picky sleeper, i have to have no sound and no light to fall asleep, I have found that it is very easy to sleep just as long as you are very tired.

( To the right) My bed is the far one closest to the door and its actually more comfortable than it looks.
(The bottom) This is the view out of the dorm, the windows stay open all night, which is the reason for the mosquito nets, but we get a fantastic breeze off the ocean that just cools everything down.
This "bed" costs 200 baht a night which works out to 6 dollars, there a private bungalows that i can get at another resort on this same bay but inland a bit, but i like the vibe of this place and i really like being right on the ocean.
Oh! i didnt even tell you where i was staying, well it is called The Sanctuary (check out their website). This place is amazing and the food is fantastic and so healthy and just the feeling while you are here is so relaxing and calming.

Now that you have seen the diggs, yesterday i was laying in bed just reading and enjoying a nice afternoon when i heard a very loud noise come from the rafters above my head. I got up to check it out and found this guy:

Say hello to my little friend! lol
I dont know if he is still there i forgot to check this morning when i woke up but he is so cute and i was so excited to find him!


Well my battery is about to die and i am truly just too lazy to get up and move closer to an outlet, so i will say goodbye for now and ill be back on in a couple of days.

Until next time!
Jessica

Thailand Day One

I have arrived! (Well i actually arrived yesterday at like 3 pm but whatever.)

So as i sit here at 6:30 am (yes Dad, i have actually woken up before 10!) in my hammock listening to the sound of the gentle waves hit the beach and rocks around the secluded cove i think back to the trials and tribulations that was my trip here. And then i spot a gecko on the ceiling and i get distracted lol, they are cute and everywhere and Loud! But anyways, Yesterday i had to date the best and worst flights of my life.

The Best: Cairo -- Abu Dhabi,
                * The plane was only half full, so i got to have a whole middle row to myself( it would have been even more awesone if the middle arm rests would have gone up but it was nice just to be able to nest.
                *The food was fantastic, i mean i took a chance and got the lamb meatballs and it was amazing.
                *The TV, although hard to figure out was great, it had a ton of movies and games and TV shows

The Worst: Abu Dhabi -- Bangkok,
                *It was completely full and i sat next to 2 guys who were from italy who did not know english, and although i had the window seat i was sitting next to an armrest hog.
                *I wish i could have fallen asleep on this excruciating trip but alas, as always, i could not.
                *And although u might think that i could have just turned on the tv to suck myself and forget my surroundings, i could not. I had the broken TV. My remote would not go side to side and the touch screen would not respond.

But after all of that, the ups and downs, i have made it, and i have to say it is way better than i expected. The people here are so down to earth and nice and the staff is funny and kind, i can see how this might be hard to leave.

(more on facebook)

Well today i will probably just lounge around and read, take a nap and then hot up the local bar for their weekly (every friday night) kick ass party

"Quietly going about the business of being utterly epic"
Jessica
      

Egypt: Last Day

Well it’s my last day here in Egypt and its been amazing living here. Karim has introduced me to 3 of his cousins and his little brother and they have been amazing, they have cooked me dinner, ordered drinks that I would have never had without them and places I would have never even known of. This is a wonderfully romantic city and with the right guides and a good driver, you will find that it is so much more than what is in the guidebooks.

A few days ago, while waiting for the power to come back on (In this heat it is not uncommon for that to happen) and before I take the dogs on another walk I put in the movie Cairo Time and I have to say that it is the best portrayal of Cairo that I have ever seen in a movie.

Watching it again I can say that the sights and sounds are so true every thing can be so loud out in the city, you always hear a car horn honking somewhere, and yet it can be so romantic. In this time of year no one really comes out during the day if they do not have to because of the heat so the night time is so busy and every stays out until maybe 2 in the morning and does not get up until 3 in the afternoon. Although being a foreign woman in the city can be a bit uncomfortable and annoying, with the stares that every one gives, I try not to get mad and I just don't notice it anymore.

Well I am off to a small island off the coast of Thailand and away from the hustle and bustle, and I will miss it, and everyone in it. But tropical forests and pristine beaches, here I come, and Cairo; I promise I will be back!

Excited for new adventures!

Jess 

Egypt Day 11

Well it has been a while since my last post and i have big news for everyone who is reading, i have changed my flight and i am staying in Egypt until the 15th! I know you all might be saying, why would you stay in egypt when you could be on an island paradise in Thailand? Well there is a very simple answer, Friends. I have made so many wonderful friends here that i just felt that i had not spent enough time with them. They love taking me new places and showing me their city and introducing me to their foods. Although i do get stared at by the locals i do not notice it anymore, and when everyone is speaking arabic around me and i have no clue what is being said i just tune them out. (Im used to doing that since when i go to Mexico to visit my family i do not know what they are saying half the time)
If you know where to go the sights can be amazing, like the garden we went to just last night, there was actual grass and a lake and it was so beautiful, and the mountain we went to a couple nights ago where you can sit down and drink some tea and see all of Cairo.
Erin's graduation was amazing (pictures are on facebook) it was so cool that right behind her was the pyramids and the sphynx!
But that is all for now i promise to update again sooner, well ill try at least lol

With 9 more wonderful days left in Cairo,
Jess

Egypt Day 6

I appologize for not posting in a while it has been an awesome couple of days so i will try to go chronologically:

On Sunday Karim and his cousin and I went to the Citadel and the Mohammed Ali mosque, both were so georgeous, it over looked all of cairo and was one of the places that i did not get to see last time.

This is the mosque, to go inside i had to take off my shoes and cover my head and arms, it was so beautiful on the inside.

















On Monday Karim and i went bowling! It was so much fun because we were both so bad, hahaha. One of his friends met us at the bowling alley and after playing one more game we left to go pick up Amr (the friend in the sheesha video) and we went to the biggest mall in Cairo, with 7 floors of stores. We walked around and sat and had some coffee and then we all went home for the night

On Tuesday Karim and Amr came to pick me up and we went to lunch, ran some errands and then got lost. Amr got us lost in the middle of desert away from the city and took us a long way out of the way but when we finally found where we were going it was amazing. We ended up at a bedouin lounge up on a hill overlooking the pyramids, it was perfect. The tea was so good and the view and atmosphere just made it all even better.

Today, well i dont know what i will do today. Mom just got here and hopefully i will see Karim and Amr later this afternoon for more wild adventures!

Love from egypt!
Jess

Egypt Day 2

Today was a TON of fun!

-I met up with Kathys friend (now my friend) Karim!

-We hung out and drove around, He showed me some of the local spots and we went and talked for a while at a cafe before going to eat at a local restaurant where i had a food that i cannot pronounce, Koshardi (sp?) but was so good i cannot wait to have it again, Then we went to another cafe where we showed each other pictures of our life and exchanged music. He then went and hung out with his girlfriend and then came back and picked me up again.

- We then went to a movie, Hangover 2; which was sooooooo funny, but i think the funnier thing was all the jokes that I was laughing at that he did not understand, I tried to explain them later. Then we met up with his friend, whose name i cannot remember, and we went to the Khan, the outdoor market that has been around for more than 400 years and he introduced me to a local drink that is made out of pure sugar cane (very sweet) and then we walked for a while, him saving my life from speeding motor bikes twice! We then went and sat at an outdoor garden with couches and smoked some peach sheesha! I have smoked hooka in the states but i wanted to have the real experience, you know, laying on a couch, drinking mint tea and smoking some sheesha, it was definitely an experience to remember.

-After more driving (there will be a video posted of the traffic in Egypt, you have to see it to understand how crazy it is) We dropped his friend off and then he dropped me off, and here i am.

I have to say one of the best nights i have ever had in Egypt and with more of Karims friends to meet it will definitely get better!

Well im off to bed, The Citadel is tomorrow and then who knows!
Night!
Jess

Egypt Day 1

I am happy to say that i got here in one piece and so did my luggage (I literally jumped up and down when i saw it roll down the baggage carrousel). Thursday Erin was off at a friends house so Tim and i cooked up a nice frozen pizza and had a chill night watching movies, it was a very nice and simple change of pace from a long day.

Friday is another chill day since there is supposed to be a demonstration in Tahir Square and we just felt that it would be our best bet just to relax inside (the heat also played a role in that decision). Well since there is nothing to report on today i will do what i promise and let you all know how i prepared for this massive trip and i will explain how i fit it all in, in under 40 lbs.

Clothes:

-13 undies

-2 bathingsuits

-3 sports bras

-2 bras

-2 capris

-2 jean capris

-1 long jean pants (nice dark wash)

-7 tank tops

-8 short sleeve shirts

-3 long sleeve shirts

-1 zip up hoodie

-1 pullover hoodie

-1 skirt

-2 dresses

-2 flip flops

-2 TOMS

-1 Sperrys

-1 scarf

-1 hat

Dubai

Well I have gotten to Dubai and i just have to say that i envy people who can sleep on a plane...

It was a 12 hour flight and i had forgotten to charge my iPod which i was very upset about until i sat in my seat and realized that every people had their own touch screen computer above the tray table. Just imagine my excitement when i figure out that this computer was not going to show us all the same movie like in every other international flight i had ever been on before, no, it let us choose between 50+ movies, 100+ Tv episodes, All different kinds of music (even some that i would like) and it had games on it!

I was in flight heaven! Not only were these computers at our service, so were the Flight attendants, and i was in Coach!

These men and women were always around with water and snacks and when meal time came they happily switched your main course out for another if you were not happy.

A long and tiring flight, Yes, An awful headache inducing flight, No.

They even had Stars on the ceiling when everyone was sleeping :-)

Let me just say, If you are flying to the Middle East or even around here, FLY EMIRATES!

Well I appologize if that seems like a bit of an advertisement lol, but that is about all that has happened since my last post.
I have already met a few fellow travelers and had some great conversations about where they are going and what they are doing and its definitely getting me ready so when i leave the airport.

Well, im going to try to find a nice spot on the floor to crash on for a few hours, so...

Until i get to Egypt!
Jess

Washington DC Airport

And so it begins....

This post will be short and sweet since i am running out of battery and these airports do not like to have working power plugs, go figure...

3 bags and about 50 pounds later i have packed up my life, It was very suprising that my back pack was only 30 pounds but i guess thats a good thing since i will be collecting things from the places that i go. I do have to admit it was sad leaving home, I shed a tear for Hampton Roads and waved goodbye for i will not be back for 6 months.

I am excited and nervous and weary and very tired, so i just want to thank My parents for supporting me, my friends for being behind me and especially Josh for waking up at 4am just to drive me to the airport, You are all AWESOME!

My next post will be about my preperations and then i will post from Dubai with a video!

Adventuring,
Jess

Introduction

Hello Friends and Family,

 So being as this is a new thing for me, as I have never written a blog or even a journal before I thought I would start by explaining a few things, and I apologize if I am longwinded. Some of you may already know why I am putting this together and some of you may be absolutely in the dark about why I am writing this in the first place, so this is for the people in the later category.

 A while ago I was unhappy at College and so I left. A big step for someone who usually likes to make everyone happy, but I realized that while trying to do that I was making myself unhappy. So I came home and while talking with some friends a question was posed, “what do you really want to do?” The answer came very quickly because it is something I have loved doing for as long as I can remember, “Travel.”

 And so with the amazing support of my family and friends that is what I plan on doing.

 As some of you may know my sister is graduating from High School at CAC (Cairo American College) in June and that is where I will start the first leg of my journey. I now know what the phrase “the world is your oyster” means and I’m excited (heart palpitations as evidence).

 I can’t wait to have adventures, meet new people and see amazing things.

A new chapter in my life has started and although it will be a minimalistic one I will come back with more stories than I can remember.

And so for now I am off learning what textbooks couldn’t teach and getting lost along that way.