When I first found out that I would be traveling to Egypt, I started nesting like a mom-to-be. Even though I had a few months, I started seeking the perfect outfits to wear during the trip. I started searching through blog posts to find the balance between conservative and not roasting from the 100 plus... Continue Reading →
From Cairo to Aswan: Overnight Train
Night:At the train station, it seemed fairly obvious that we were only visitors; most people looked comfortable and exchanged dialogue in Arabic. Next to the mostly-covered women, I felt naked, but not uncomfortable. Rumors had passed through our tour group that snacks were a train necessity, so my dad and I perused the snack carts... Continue Reading →
A Night on the Nile: Egyptian Felucca Ride
An open-air sailboat ride on the Nile: the aspect of the Egypt trip that I dreaded. To me, nothing about sailing down the Nile sounded appealing. I thought I was going to be sleeping on a very large mattress with up to 21 of my new 'closest friends.' The fact that there would be... Continue Reading →
How People I’ve Met Traveling Changed My Life
Being abroad teaches you everything you expect to learn and then everything you never realized you didn’t know. The summer before sixth grade, I took my first trip out of the country, to Mexico, and met Nieve, a girl my age from Ireland. We were instant friends and spent the rest of the vacation playing in... Continue Reading →
Days and Nights
When I was on the flight back from Egypt, a phenomenon that seemed quite unique to me (but is probably rather common) occurred. As we prepared to land at JFK airport in New York, puffy white clouds could be seen in a bright blue sky below. However, looking up, the sky was dusky-dark and the... Continue Reading →
To Market: Shopping in Egypt
When it comes to finding someplace to shop in Egypt, it isn't a hassle--you can find vendors nearly everywhere. However, hassling over the prices is essential. Luckily, a little bird told our tour group what reasonable prices are for the most popular purchases.It should be noted that...Khan El Khalili Market in CairoWhen it comes to... Continue Reading →
One Day in Cairo
When people imagine visiting Egypt, many probably envision seeing the same things: the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, mummies, and treasures from tombs. While the other towns of Egypt (such as the Luxor/ West Bank area) have incredible things to offer, many travelers fantasies (and bucket list items) can be fulfilled in one day, in one... Continue Reading →
5 Reasons to Travel to Egypt
I could go on for hours about the reasons that you should travel to Egypt. The people are kind. It's relatively cheap to travel there. Once you arrive, it's incredibly affordable (lunch-for-two-for-$2.50 kind of affordable). The citizens are so passionate about people coming to visit their country--they are especially excited to see American tourists. The... Continue Reading →
Lost and Found
After dinner at our resort by the Red Sea, my dad and I decided to take a walk on shopping street reminiscent of the boardwalk. We walked for a bit and I bought a nail clipper keychain for my best friend, a surprisingly easy to find item that I buy for her on most of... Continue Reading →
5 Things: First Day in Egypt
Being in Egypt is absolutely surreal. I wrote this early in the trip while we were on board a local overnight train traveling from Cairo to Aswan. My first day was full of a lot of Big Moments and stories to tell, but these are some of the most important things I learned in my... Continue Reading →