Turkey

It seems that the longer I travel for the more difficult it becomes to blog. To relay to those I love most the experiences, moments, sights and countries that have crossed my path....

It seems that the longer I travel for the people who come into my life become  more breathtaking and the places visited touch my soul on a deeper level... 

It seems that the longer I travel for the harder it is to remember the life I use to live and the place I called home. The bed I use to call mine and the clothes that are technically mine yet hang in a closet millions of miles away.....

It seems that the longer I travel for the more distant that comes into my relationships with friends and those that call me family.....

And it seems that the longer I travel for the more I change. The more I grow and the more I become unsure of life. Or better yet, unsure of the life I am suppose to live.

The longer I travel, the more I travel, the more I see, and the less I know.

So here I am.

I know less and less. I expect less and less. I judge less and less. But...
I see more and more. I feel more and more and I love more and more.

One cannot blog about the world, a country or a city without writing about life, love and all those grey areas in between.

So here is mine. Take what you want and leave the rest;

Canada. It seems like years ago since my feet touched your soil yet its only been eight months. When the wheels of the plane came up and we touched the clouds in the sky I was still clenching my one way ticket with white knuckles and excitement in my heart. I desperately desired to see what laid beyond the seas and the adventures that one could claim. I went forth, sought them out and claimed them, owned them and now I have become them. I  became the adventure, the travelling girl, the one who cannot see past tomorrow or live for anyone but herself. Funny how things can so quickly change.

Now my questions surround me like vines. They wrap around my legs, tug at my arms and pull at my heart. There are now too many questions in my head that I am more bewildered about this thing called "life" than ever before but strangely less afraid.

So I broke away from my family once again in Greece and set forth to Turkey.

I arrived alone but left in love. 
And what a beautiful thing love is.

From every fibre of my being I wish people in the West would stop listening to the news and believing everything they read, see and hear. But more importantly stop taking it as the one and only complete truth. There is so much more to the World, so much more beauty than the news projects.

                                                                                                      
The East is not an evil place. There is evil everywhere in the world. Everywhere. But there is also beauty, peace and good people, just like you and me, everywhere in the world.

It is amazing how many people messaged me and told me not to go to Turkey because of what the news was telling them. Silly. Just pure silliness. A mistake I am sure I would have regretted if I have obeyed because Turkey is now one of my top countries travelled and is one of the very few that I pledge to return to one day. Yes it is a Muslim country and one must respects a countries religion and customs but don't we all expect that of visitors who enter ours?

So without saying too much because I want you to experience this unforgettable country for yourself here is a bit of my adventure....

Cappadocia was amazing. Riding in a hot air balloon and hiking in the valleys was unforgettably beautiful.

Chilling in tree forts in Olympos was so unique;, eating oranges and pomegranates from the trees outside my room was delicious; and swimming in the sea during the pouring rain was pure happiness.

Being in Izmir during Turkey's Independence Day was energising and watching the sunsets over the sea with your hand locked in mine made even my eyes smile.

Istanbul is well, Istanbul. Nothing compares. I could live there if that says anything about its charm. I didn't even take any pictures because I got so lost in the cities charm and appeal. A few memories stick out though: falling in love in Neverland, sitting in Taksim square eating delicious Turkish pastries, listening to the mosques during prayer, my first couch surfing experience and walking around the bazaars breathing in the sights. Moments of my life I will never forget.

So to wrap this little story up with a nice little bow - I strongly encourage you to travel to Turkey and let the country sweep you off your feet. Just be careful you may arrive alone and but leave in love. 
                                   

Istanbul 

Yummy! Street nuts ;)

Exploring Istanbul with new friends 

Inside the blue mosque 

The Blue Mosque 

Liam and I on the top of the Galata tower in Istanbul

Cistern in Istanbul

Me inside the Cistern

Cappadocia, Turkey 

Hiking in Cappadocia, Red Valley

On top of the hot air balloon :)

Prior to take off 

Watching the balloon go up 

About to take off 

A view from above

Sooooo happy!

All the other balloons in the sky 

So beautiful

Our hot air balloon team :)

Exploring Olympos with a fellow Canadian 

Tree forts and chill out huts. Olympos, Turkey

Sunset in Izmir 

Ruins in Izmir 

There are cats everywhere in Turkey so one shot was necessary

Clock tower in Izmir 

The Sister I Never Had

Jennifer Lopez. 

India.

Baby powder. 

Farts. 

'Oh my God'.

The Wanted.

Santorini.

Riding through a cloud.

The crack in the bed.

21 year olds.

Raki.

James.

Domino's. 

The Dutch boys.

Game of Thrones.

Naan babies.

These are a few of things that make me think of you. 

I have been spending weeks in Turkey, or it feels like weeks, trying to decide what to write about you. I miss you like crazy and still wish you were here. 

It is so difficult to let go of someone, especially when you travel with them for months and then one day they are gone. 

You became so close to me that an unspoken routine formed and we found a sense of peace, a sense of home in each others never ending presence. Yet, when that reality was broken, and you had to go home, I found it hard not to feel a sense of loss.

A sense of complete disorientation.....

Many of you know that I am an only child and because of that my friends and cousins have become my siblings. They have shared a place within my heart that, I think, only those who share your own blood have. I have many best friends who I cherish more than this adventure I am on and now I have another to add to that remarkable list.

Kate Benson.

If you have being following my blog then you know that Kate and I met on a random bus ride to Bangkok. From there she made the phenomenal decision to change her flight home and come to India with me. We travelled India together for the better part of a month and then ventured off to Greece for a month family vacation with my parents. Two months of travelling with a single soul is the longest I have spent with anyone and it fucking rocked! 

They say that some people come into your life for a short time and some come into your life for a long time. Kate is definitely someone who will remain a best friend forever, regardless of geographically location or time. From the day that I met Kate, I felt like I had known her my entire life. We connected so quickly and so deeply that she was instantly someone that I wanted to travel with. After a month of travelling together we knew each other so well she was able to order my desired ice cream flavour without even asking or looking at me. We understood each other on a level that take years to establish in a friendship but somehow came to be in a mere few months. If you have ever travelled with someone for an extended period of time then you understand what it takes to spend every day, every hour, every moment with the same person and still love everything about them. You eat together, you sleep together, you sight see together, you sit on buses for hours together, you endure together, you experience together, you laugh together, you cry together, you share together, you feel together, you live together. 
You live as one. 
So finding someone that every moment rocks, every moment is easy, every moment is beautiful, every moment is a memory...is well....a true blessing. 

So from the bottom of my soul I thank the universe for bringing Kate into my life but most of all, I think the world is blessed to have someone as beautiful as Kate in it. 

Travel Romance

Perhaps it is because everyone is secretly searching for love, the one, and their happily ever after, but people seem to be extremely curious to whether or not I have fallen in love while travelling. The short answer is no. I have not given my heart to anyone nor whispered those three very sacred words. But (and there is always a but) travel romances have definitely knocked on my door, once or twice. I think it is almost impossible to travel the world, for any length of time, and not have at least one travel romance. Now by travel romance I don't mean the undying feeling of complete infatuation or visualizing your life with the person but merely a roller-coaster lust that leaves you feeling light headed and happy. 

Now don't read into this too much and assume in Greece I had a whirlwind of a travel romance because that would be false. I am merely expressing the reality that travel romances do happen and they forever change your world.

When travelling you meet the most a-amazing, like minded, outgoing, interesting and beautiful people one probably ever meets. On top of that you meet these remarkable individuals in some of the most beautiful and breathing places in the far hidden corners of the earth. It is truly phenomenal how two people who barely know each other are willing to open up their lives like books and allow the other person to pick the chapters they wish to read.  In some ways I am afraid that when I return to my own motherland finding a man who can keep my interest will be an impossible task. Yet, there is no point in worry about so far in the future when tomorrow hasn't even arrived yet. 

The bitter-sweet reality of travel romances is that the majority are doomed from the beginning. Each person, usually, has a very different travel itinerary and path in which they are meant to follow. Thus, before a travel romance begins both people already know it will end. On the flip side, or positive side, that doesn't stop any backpacker from jumping in with two feet into waist deep water....

We all hear the stories of two people who met in some foreign country, fell deeply in love and have been together ever since. In my experience these people are the exception and not the rule. This doesn't bring any molecule of sadness into my heart though because some of the most unforgettable people have entered my life and then had to leave it. Plus, I didn't venture out looking for love. Perhaps if you are, your travel romances take more from you and they provide. 

So for all those curious ears; at the end of the day I still crawl into my single bed bunk and wrap my stolen air plane blanket around me. I may miss being a little spoon but I don't miss having someone beside me whispering 'I love you' in my ear as we drift off into dream world because I know one day soon another unforgettable person will enter my life. Perhaps it will be for a day, perhaps for a week, perhaps for a month, or perhaps for forever. Who knows?! But until then my stolen air plane blanket does the job of keeping me warm just perfectly. 

Greece

My family trip is Greece will be a vacation I will remember forever. 

Kate and I arrived from India and were greeted by my father at the airport with a backpack of ice cold beers. After travelling from India --> Russia --> Paris --> Athens, over the span of almost 36 hours, we needed that beer! 
That night we ate dinner at a beautiful restaurant with white linen table cloths, proper cultery and waiters  tending to our every need, as we stared at the beautiful Acropolis. 
It was a dramatic shift in culture and sceenery but Kate and I welcomed it with open arms. 
 

Together the three of us explored all the ancient monuments of Athens while we waiting on my Dad's girl friends arrival. Once Diane had joined our threesome we head out to the beautiful island of Santorini. (It is on the map, above Crete but it is very small). 

Santorini is one of the most stunning places on earth I have ever seen and definitely battles with my number one spot, Gili Air in Indonesia. We spent a few days in Santorini watching gorgeous sunsets, drinking cheap red wine, laying on black/red sand beaches and absorbing the never ending beauty of Oia. If you ever come to Greece I highly recommended going to Santorini especially the area of Oia. 

The next island we conquered was Crete. 
Crete is a much bigger island with many more places to see but doesn't compared to Santorini beauty wise (in my opinion anyways). We started our journey on Crete in Hersonissos to celebrate Kate's Birthday....and celebrate we did! :) Kate and I found an amazing place to stay that night; cheap, large rooms, full kitchens and a free bottle of wine on arrival. Definitely our kinda spot. My parents took the room above us and we spent a few nights there laughing, chatting about life and catching up on the balcony over red wine and olives. 
After our dose of Hersonissos we headed off to Georgioupolis, home to the longest, white sandy beach on the island of Crete. We spent a few days there simply relaxing on the beach and reading the various love novels Diane found. Close to Georgioupolis is a little town where we connected with our neighbours from Winnipeg whom were visiting their home town. They live two doors down from us yet I had never officially met them. Our encounters were limited to the occassional drive by wave.  It is an interesting world when you are meeting your neighbours from home, for the first time, in a remote town on a Greek island. They are great people whom we enjoyed a delicious dinner with and many laughs and perhaps too much raki (traditional Greek liquor). 

From Georgioupolis we continued to drive to the west end of the island hitting up almost every major town along the way. We went from Georgioupolis to Chania, to Kissamos, and then back to Rhythmom and finally back to Hersonissos were it all started. In each place we spent a few days getting to know the area and exploring the local sites. We took a boat ride around the end of the island by Kissamos and saw a beautiful lagoon with goregous crystal blue water. We climbed many mountains to view ancient rocks, no wait,... I mean ruins, and rode ATVs around Santorini. We ate the most expensive sushi I have ever had. Kate and I went out to a rock bar one night with my Dad and practiced our air guitars. We shopped, we danced, we stuffed ourselves full of Greek food and wine, we laughed, we explored, but most of all we simply got the chance to spend time together. After six months of being away from home seeing my family refreshed my soul and relieved any bits of home sickness that had started to reside in my heart. In so many ways I am blessed with two fasntastic parents. They love me unconditionally and willingly travelled around the world so they could hug their daughter. 

First Greek coffee with Dad, The morning after we arrived in Athens

Auditorium at the Acropolis of Athens 

At the Parthenon of the Acropolis of Athens

My Dad and I at the Parthenon of the Acropolis

Another beautiful view

Overlooking the city of Athens

A view from our hotel

One of the buildings of the Ancient Agora

Saw so many rock structures and heads. Had to include at least one.

Arrived in the beautiful island of Santorini

Kate and I on the black sand beach of Santorini

The beautiful sunset from my parents places on Santorini

The ending of the same sunset :)

Just chillin' by da pool on Santorini

Kate and I at Oia, Santorini. One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen!

My parents and I at Oia, Santorini

The blue and white buildings of Oia, Santorini

The streets of Oia, Santorini

Just like in the movies!

View of Oia, Santorini

Another view...

At dinner in Santorini

My Parents

Kate's Birthday in Hersonissos, Crete

On the look out for our neighbours from Winnipeg

Delicious, cheap, Greek wine

Dinner with our neighbours from Winnipeg. First time I officially met them is in Georgioupolis, Crete

Chania, Crete

The boardwalk of Chania

Dinner in Chania. Watching Diane's amazing dance moves. (Note: not sure why we look red)

Boat ride in Kissamos, Crete

After an unexpected mountain climb in flip flops

The view from the top

We all made it up :) Some needed more encouragement that others

Balos Lagoon on Crete. A stop on our boat tour and one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! The picture does not do the beach justice.

My Dad knows how to rock & roll!! A night to remember. Rethymnon, Crete

Why not?

I love this man!

Single hood

For many of my good friends October represents celebrating their first year of marriage or the birth of their first child. But for me October represents my one year anniversary of being a single woman. My first complete year of single hood! Of course there have been a few romances, here and there, but nothing substantial and nothing worth writing about it. For many this may not seem much of an achievement but for me this is a big one.

My entire life I have been constantly bouncing from one relationship to the next, usually without a breath in between. This has continued since I was approximately fourteen years of age. As much as I wish I had taken more time for myself, to be single in my early twenties, I also understand that everything happens for a reason so obviously that wasn't meant for me. Perhaps it was the loss of my mother in my teens that subconsciously forced me to seek companionship or perhaps I am just a serial monogamist. Either way it probably doesn't matter anymore because whats done is done.

This year of single hood, part of which as been travelling the world, has taught be many things;

1. I still believe in love.
2. Being in a relationship isn't always what its cracked out to be.
3. If its the right person, at the wrong time, its still the wrong person. Move on.
4. Choosing someone to share your life with is very precious decision. Make it wisely.
5. I have made many inaccurate choices with men in my past. It is absolutely no offence to them but we clearly just weren't right for each other. I know in their hearts of hearts they must believe that too otherwise we would still be together, right? But each of my ex-boyfriends taught me something very valuable that I'll never forget.
6. The more you travel, the more people you meet, the more selective you become.
7. There is no rush to get married especially if you are going to be together forever.
8. I don't want a huge white wedding, I wanna get married on the beach.
9. It is very important to love yourself enough that you are comfortable being alone. Your partner can't always be there for you. Sometimes you gotta be there for yourself.
10. Learn to be your own best friend. Your partner will love you more because you actually love yourself.
11. Romance is still alive!
12. Chivalry exists. It really does.
13. Being single can be very liberating if you know how to embrace the empty moments.
14. Being in a relationship doesn't mean your happy.
15. People who travel with partners back home usually cheat. Sorry guys (and girls) but 90% do. Its a harsh but true reality.
16. Don't travel for long periods of time with a significant other back home. It's not fair to either party.
17. Travel romances are the best.
18. COMMUNICATE! And I mean communicate everything!
19. If you can't trust someone then don't be with them. Relationships are build on all forms of trust.
20. The small things are so much more important than the big.
21. Have standards and stick to them.
22. Relationships take more compromise that I use to give.
23. Love like you have never been hurt.
24. Say what you mean, do what you say and never hold back. Tell your partner everyday that you love them and how much more insanely beautiful they make your life!
25. I am not afraid anymore of being single, I am terrified of settling.