I met up with two of my dear friends from when I lived in Zurich and it was more than grand. Milan was the chosen city because we had an apartment to stay at and thanks to Ryanair we were all able to find cheap flights. I also saw another dear Italian friend who lives there permanently.

I loved meeting up with them and spending quality girl time…gossiping…drinking…shopping…eating…and laughing so hard we cried. I only wish we saw each other more often, but in the end a friend is a friend and the 7 years apart quickly disappeared and it felt like yesterday when we graduated high school all together…so scared and so excited about the world awaiting us.

Until next time girls…I shall love you and miss you.
L

While planning my trip to Turkey it was hard to imagine not going also to its neighbor…Syria. But how, you might say, how can I go to Syria without going to Jordan,  so I decided to go to Jordan too. And since Israel is so near,  why not go there too! And well… then there are the few little pyramids just a little bit south… so… why the heck not.

So, it begins my trip in the middle east. A lot of people are a bit weary of my trip, they are right to be and I do not take their words lightly. Safety, finances, and health are the top three concerns I have while doing this trip, but I pray and ask for your prayers that these things will be looked after.

Some of you may know that G and I are couchsurfing, this is something completely new for us. CSing is literally what it sounds like; you surf (or rather, sleep) on couches. This is run and organized by an online network called couchsurfing.org. This has allowed me to save a considerable amount of money on accommodation. Not only this, but we get to stay with locals, learn more about their cultures and countries and try to avoid all of the tourist traps.

The trip will go something like this… start in Istanbul then travel south to Antalya and across to Antakya which borders Syria. From there I will travel to Aleppo in the north and work my way down Syria stopping in Hama, Palmyra, and finally Damascus. After Syria, I head to Jordan stopping in Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba. In the middle of Jordan I will make a pit stop to Israel and visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and Tel Aviv.  Finally, I will reach Egypt and see Cairo and possibly Luxor. They are flexible plans and open for change…this is the best part.

See you in Istanbul.
L

*my posts are being written in present time in my journal, but the first decent internet I have had is today July 30th*