"My Third Nostril"

I haven't done a blog entry for quite a while now and for that I'm sorry. It's not that you've missed so much, I just know that this is my lifeline to the rest of the world and if you are "here with me" as I say then you should be aware of what's going on:) As I'm moving through my journey internet access is becoming less and less available and I can make no guarantees about the frequency of my entries when I'm in Africa, India or Nepal, but for now let me tell you about Greece.
I'm telling you, island hopping is the new black!! Although the first island is difficult to get to...no matter where you are, it's so easy just to go from island to island once you are here. Each one has a different vibe and gives off a different energy, you would never think they are all part of the same country. Santorini had a Caribbean feel to it; if you aren't on "island time" like everyone else, very quickly you begin to feel uptight. The result of this neither good nor bad, just always the same: you end up staying longer than you had planned because it's easier to stay than it is to leave:) The next island I ferried to was Mykonos... mecca of the gay community. I can compare this island to a cross between South Beach and Cancun. The island was packed to the brim with tourists...mainly Italians on holiday for the month of August. The "beach bungalow" (which sounds FAR more glamorous than it was) had no view and ironically was no where close to the beach. This I didn't really mind...it was the 45 euros per night I was paying to stay on a campsite (yes, a campsite!!) that really hurt. (In "real money" that is the equivalent of about $65!!) After lodging and one drink at 15 euros (about $22) I was over Mykonos. I've loop holes in many of the places where I've been and been able to get, at the very least, free wifi... When I got to the campsite and asked about free wifi the driver said "Nothing is free in Mykonos...welcome to Paradise". (To be fair the name of the area where we were staying was Paradise Beach, so it doesn't sound that bad when put in context.) My next island was Naxos where I camped as well. The people there were great and I had a blast! It was far less expensive and felt "real" not the showy feel that Mykonos had. I'm now on the island of Paros which is sort of a cross between Mykonos and Naxos. The prices here are higher than Naxos, but not ridiculous like Mykonos; the aesthetics are as beautiful as both if not better! Still, it has the artificial feel of Mykonos...the girls are in heels and full make up. I'm not about to cave to the cosmetic industry now...I've gone this long. Most of the time I just feel bad for the girls because I know how uncomfortable those shoes are!!
Some of the nicest people I've met have been from the places where I've been told the people are "mean" or to "watch out for the locals". Greece and Morocco are both great examples of this. I don't think the people in either occurred any differently to me than they would have normally or that my expectations of them were lower because of the things I had heard. I think people are generally doing what they are doing in good faith...whether it's trying to look out for a solo female traveler by warning her or a culture consciously being on their best behavior because they are aware that they have a poor reputation and are working to turn it around. I was told that the Greek people were mean and aggressive before I came here, but what I have found is just the opposite. I think this is another one of those cultural misunderstandings. The Greeks, like Italians, are very expressive and to some extent curt, but any foreign language spoken loudly and coupled with hand gestures is going to sound mean and aggressive to a listener who can't understand what is being said. I consider myself soft spoken for the most part and gentle with my voice, but in the hierarchy of descriptors apparently "ability to adapt" ranks higher. I've found it takes me about 2 days in a country before I have taken on the cultural nuances and adopted the country specific characteristics. This is by no means intentional, but has proven to be by far my greatest asset on this trip.

I was asked to write an article telling about my journey for "Adventure Woman" newsletter!!! (The link is on my Facebook page.) Some of the questions and topics addressed in my article are why I took this trip, the inner and outer journey/transformation, would I do it again? Recommend it to others? Has it changed me? What is the best advice I would give someone embarking on (or dreaming of) a similar journey/expedition. The article follows below. Enjoy!!

"My Third Nostril"
It is the end of August and I am rounding the corner on my third month of traveling! It is actually a drop in the bucket when I look at the year and a half left in front of me. I'm currently in Greece, the 13th country I've visited after moving counterclockwise through Europe. I began June 1st in London, took the Eurostar to Paris and the train through Belgium stopping in Brussels, Bruges and Oostende before heading up to Amsterdam. I took a few days in Bordeaux before switching gears to Spain's Madrid, Sevilla and Malaga. I took the ferry to Morocco and enjoyed the cities of Tangier, Marrakech and Casablanca before flying to Barcelona. I returned to the coastline of Nice, Cannes, Antibes and Montecarlo, then hopped on another ferry to Corsica. I took the overnight train to Vienna and Salzberg before going to Munich. I stayed in Prague for a few days to relax and enjoy what I had always remembered as my favorite city in Europe. I explored eastern Europe's Budapest, Zagreb and Split before a stop over in Italy and what has turned into an island hopping extravaganza including Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos and Paros. My plans are to fly out of Athens on the 1st of September to begin the next leg of my journey to Turkey, Egypt and Africa, Dubai, India and Nepal, followed by China, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, before ending in Japan. Many have asked me why I'm doing this...and I've never been one to need reasons, but the more times I answer the question the closer I come to the answer. I remember hearing a quote that said "Those willing life takes hand in hand; those unwilling life takes kicking and screaming". This trip chose me; I'm clear about that. The variables that made it easier were that I'm a teacher and there are no jobs, I'm not in debt, I'm not married and I have no children...If those aren't reason enough, I'm young and probably won't get a chance to do something like this again. It's not that I didn't have reasons to stay; I'm just bigger than my reasons:) It's not that I don't get scared; I feel it. I just don't let fear stop me.
The inner transformation is best described as the equivalent to getting a third nostril. That may sound silly, but you didn't realize how much you needed both of them until one plugged up when you got sick right? Well traveling is like growing a third...you can't imagine that there is this much air out there!! I've learned there is a fine line between naïvety and intentional ignorance and that both are self defeating. I'm aware of my own transformations in some instances like my relationship with women. There is a kinship that I either denied or never chose to be a part of, but I've come to see that the bond amongst women has a language all it's own.
The outer transformation...well it's a humbling experience realizing your personal level of vanity. Going without hair color, cuts, facials, waxing...you get the idea. Men lose weight in Europe, women gain weight. Fair or not, that's how it is. There is no "low/non fat" or "sugarfree" anything and I hope you like ham because its in everything:)
"Would I do it again?" Well it's not over yet, but so far- in a heartbeat!! At times it felt closer to an endurance test than a vacation, but the yoda-like ticket lady in Oostende said it best: "You'll eventually get there...don't worry". I would recommend this experience to everyone! It's so difficult to realistically consider it once you have begun your career. Two weeks vacation really isn't enough time to go anywhere, but the world that opens up is beyond words.
The trip I'm taking at the age of 31 years old is very different that the trip I took to Europe just 9 years ago for my semester abroad.
I think the biggest challenge, in the beginning especially, was getting used to the sound of the voice in my head. Now if growing up an only child doesn't prepare you for traveling alone, I really think there can be no training.
I believe this trip has already significantly altered my thoughts, but as for my outward personality, well I'll have to ask my friends when I return home...in 2011.

Austria, Prague and Hungary, oh my!!!

I've been open-minded enough to have unusual food and have ended up enjoying Moroccan sacrificial lamb and goulash, but this morning for breakfast I was so excited at an alternative to the typical European "bread-fast"- I was going to have an Austrian omelet!! I ordered it, but requested "no ham". (If you've ever been to Europe you will notice 3 main ingredients, much like the rice, beans and tortillas of Mexican food. Here the big 3 are bread, ham and egg...in EVERYTHING! There is the occasional exception of tuna-even on pizza. Here nothing is sacred.) Instead of ham, the young man put pork and bacon...and cheese...and then salted it. How is it possible that with the way they eat in Europe that they still live longer than we do in America?!?! Is stress really that lethal? It must be because they eat a lot of unhealthy stuff here. What do Muslims eat? Ever since the issues in France with the burkas in school, I've noticed a lot more traditional Muslims in other countries I've been to.
I think the lack of stress is a trickle down thing as well. The way they are with their children is really admirable. They have a laissez-fair approach to the role of parenting. There is a cause and effect to the choices that the children make and parents don't get involved in its relationship. Because of this the children are in more control of themselves and regulate themselves. Here is testimony to that fact: I've seen one temper tantrum during my trip and it was by a boy from England.
-How can a shower bring you back from the dead??? I'm not sure how, but it did!!
-It's amazing the transformation your body goes through when you're traveling- gain weight, lose weight, gain muscle, you can see the little purple veins in your feet from walking, your skin changes from the food you are eating, your hair changes from the water you are washing it with
-I'm realizing it isn't so much about the places you go...how many castles/cathedrals/collections of shiny thing can one person go see? I'm finding it's more about the company you keep in the places you DO go. You may take all kinds of pictures, but the relationships you build, the time you invest along the way, the laughs and the tears shared with people that at on point were mere strangers. The backpackers that I have met seem to understand this. They have learned to enjoy the moment for what it is and not live in a state of perpetual anticipation of the future. It seem as though many of us are trying to speed life up, slow it down or pause it and hold on to something that is forever changing. I'm learning to enjoy the moment, not force situations and realizing that I may not always know the best way...and for a teacher that is a huge hurdle to overcome. I don't know it all, but I'm a fast learner, an even better listener and hungry for knowledge.
-It's funny how when people are speaking a language you don't understand you are sure they are talking about very important things...they aren't. Trust me on this one. I was a bit concerned because as the announcements for the train come on the overhead speaker, the conductor speaks in German for a good 4 minutes. When he is finished he says, in English, "We will be arriving in blah, blah station in 2 minutes". You get a little worried because you don't know what you have missed. Well, I finally had someone translate what they were saying and it was about the color of the train seats, about the orientation of the 1st and second class cars and how this train differs from others because of these particular features. I liked it better when I had no idea what he was talking about:) At least I could make up something interesting.
-I've been learning about the controversy surrounding Nestle and how they refuse to switch to conflict free/non-child labor obtained chocolate because of the profit margin they would lose. I'm amazed we haven't heard about this in the U.S.
-I've noticed stages that I've gone through as I've been traveling...right now I'm burnt out. I really think the heat and humidity has A LOT to do with it though and I'm optimistic.
-Today I leave from Budapest to Croatia. I leave here highly indebted to this country for reminding me of humility...not for the reasons you may think either. While skyping friends in Prague I unplugged my computer to get better sound by the window. In the midst of the emotion I forgot my computer charger in Czech Republic and didn't realize it until I was here. I have always been the hardest on myself and this case was no exception. As I was walking downtown trying to blow off some steam, I heard a woman next to me talking to her friend, mimicking the same conversation I was hearing in my head. "I didn't even realize until I was here...I'm so upset with myself", she was saying. "I can't believe I left my passport under my pillow in the hotel." I stopped in my tracks. At that moment I realized just how much worse off I could be. I officially dropped it, forgave myself and used my words to find an alternative. As it turned out, there was an Apple Store (called "istyle" here) within walking distance from where I was staying. Again, life was gentle with me and I'm grateful.
-Tip of the week: When washing out your clothes in the sink, DON'T look at the color of the water that is running off of them!!
-I'm so pleased that I've been able to share desserts. We in America may have big everything, but we have nothing on Europe's desserts. When I've gone out to eat and ordered dessert I've never been able to get even halfway through it, but the restaurants here have no concept of "doggie bag" and even if they did, desserts don't keep. So I've taken up offering the rest to a neighbor. I explain that the dessert is wonderful, but that I can't possibly finish and if they would like it they are more than welcome to it. You know what...they take it!! That makes me so happy. I'm really a sharer at heart and to see others enjoy what I've enjoyed makes the experience that much richer:) How wonderful!!