Dani On the Road

An old friend from high school sent me this message last night and it really meant the world to me. :) Now I can share it with all of you.

Danielle, Bonjour! Today, I decided to sit down and take some time to read any blogs/notes/anything that I would find interesting around facebook. I stopped by different profiles to see how people have changed, and to know a little bit about their new lives after high school or after graduating from the university, etc. I wanted to catch up, and suddenly I landed on your profile. Then one thing led to another (and don’t ask me where the link was), but I ended up at your travel blog. I rubbed my eyes, I’m a bit jetlagged, and then I began to read. There was a post that really drew me in, and I had to message you about it. How couldn’t I? I had been feeling a similar disappointment throughout my high school years mostly about the superficial relationships, and because I wanted to travel to become trilingual, I don’t know, maybe learn four more languages, and then be, how do they call it?, someone who speaks seven languages…well anyways…I was happy to read that you decided to travel alone, to take chances, to live life to the fullest, and to take everything IN…the goodtimes….the bad times…etc. I have been traveling alone for three years now…I have spent most of my time in Paris…one different apartment every year. It is the best thing I have done in my life. Living alone in a city that makes me smile, cry, and learn life’s most important lessons. I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. I’m very delighted in the fact that you are exploring the world and thinking outside of the box. I apologize for any spelling mistakes, etc, etc, because I’m jetlagged, and VERY tired, but something told me to write this now, maintenant. Bon courage et bon voyage! Best, Amanda

This is absurd. I now have a gym/pool membership at the Safir Hotel/Resort across the street from my awesome apartment. I have to say that there is no living in the lap of luxury like living in the third world - even on a student budget.

My weekend mornings and weekday afternoon are sure to be spent by the pool. This is so unfair. I may never live like this again.

So I am going to disregard the fact that I am completely and totally behind on my past travel posts… and begin to sum up my last month in Egypt. I suppose you can look forward to flashbacks to Amsterdam, London, and Dublin.

As you may or may not know, my computer was being a little piece of youknowwhat over the course of my travels… but finally it seems to have found its place and overcome its awkard phase. So from now on I have a reliable source to produce some sort of coherent account of my experiences thus far. So there are some things I want to say/get out/write down and tell you all about my trip.

I suppose when I left the States I had a big weight on my shoulders. I’m not exactly sure when, where, or why I decided to take a trip abroad for an entire year. It was probably a culmination of many things (my disatisfaction with GW/DC, my need to be travelling/exploring after returning from an excellent trip to Morocco, my needing independance) but it also in a way happened to me. In any case, I found myself at JFK airport once again, bags packed and ready for another journey. This one was going to be a lot different than last year, I realized once I was about to leave Paris. This one was me. All the success, lessons, mistakes, it was all me. Any happiness, loneliness, discoveries, disappointments… I’d be the one who had to deal with that or celebrate it. And I’m so glad I decided (maybe by accident really!) to face this journey. Because you know what, travelling alone is lonely, but not for long. After a while you learn what you need to be happy and you give it to yourself. I learned quickly that the people I’d talk to one minute would be gone the next, so I met as many people as I could. I talked to people from all over the globe, and many who were just like me but in different places in their lives… and they decided to travel (many alone too!) to find something. I’m not sure if they were looking for the same thing as me, but I guess this year I needed to renew my faith in the world. GW’s politics and shallow friendships made me feel at a loss and unfulfilled. I felt there was better out there if I could only go out and get it. And I did.

I can’t even count the number of people I met on this trip, but they were from anywhere from Mexico City to NYC to Singapore. And they were good people, caring travellers, passionate people young and old, and just plain interesting. And then sometimes I found myself in Amsterdam wandering the canals and cobblestone streets, or in London staring out the double decker bus at the downpouring rain. Those times (while sometimes lonely at the time) meant a lot to me too.

But I have to say that nothing has compared to the luck that I have had in Egypt in meeting good people. They really warn you, and I mean, warn you so much that they discourage you to even arrive at Cairo International Airport about arriving as a young, female, American girl on your own. I had no idea what I was in for when I arrived here, but I had to have known that luck was on my side, since I had been upgraded to Business Class by Lufthansa on my way into Cairo and arrived in style, well fed and entertained. I had an excellent buffer and friend to greet me when I got here, Jacqueline, who is starting a whole new life right now in DC. Anyway, one night we decided to go to one of her favorite places in Cairo, Al Azhar Park, and walked in as we always do, a little dazed but mostly on top of things, and was overheard by an Egyptian guy we later knew to be named Salah Mohammad. He asked us if we knew how to get to the concert and we ended up wandering in together, and sitting together for the show. He was childhood friends with the drummer, Waleed, and used to be in a band with him years back, before moving to Dubai. The show was amazing, and as an avid music lover and student of Arabic I enjoyed the show so much that I took a few photos so that I could remember my first show in Egypt. Afterwards, we met Waleed and decided to go for coffee and talk. Since arriving in Egypt, those conversations were the most honest and engaging conversations that I had the pleasure of being part of. They were so honest about Egypt and their own lives and just plain genuine. We decided to all meet again a few days later. I will always remember Waleed saying on the phone, “I just wanted to make sure that the other night was real.” The truth was I did too. Well after a while, Salah found himself busy with work and Jacqueline and I became closer with Waleed and we went with him to one of his practices for a band I would later know as Profile. I had no idea what I was in for. I walked into a music studio and inside was a room with foam walls and four talented musicians. I think my face hurt from smiling after hearing them play their American covers. I was seeing the music I was passionate about be reflected back at me half way around the world. We all went out to dinner afterward and talked until the late hours again. And this has been going on for weeks now. I’ve now met Metia, Basem, Yasmeen, Saad, Ghalib, and others. They are so intellegent, funny, and fun… and then they play wonderful music. And did I mention the fact that they are Egyptians, who not only have their wonderful personalities to offer but also their knowledge of the language, region, and numerous other worthwhile topics.

So I have to say, that I have no idea if I hit some sort of Egyptian jackpot, but in my personal experiences I have to say be smart of course, but NEVER be afraid of what you want, or to try and go out and find what you are looking for… because if you don’t try, if you ignore that chance… you may overlook it. So forget that old wonderful U2 song because for now, it seems here in Cairo, I have found what I’m looking for.

From the city of a thousand minarets - Ramadan Kareem,
Danielle

Seals from Dani F on Vimeo.

Sheep from Dani F on Vimeo.

One evening, Kash and I decided to take the bus up to Montmartre and see the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. The bus ride had lots of great views of the northern parts of Paris and when we climbed up the steps to see it, we did not realize what we would find. Paris nightlife tends to pop up around touristy areas like Notre Dame, the Seine, and it did that night at Sacré-Cœur.

We stumbled upon a wonderful look out point to all of Paris, many wonderful performers and a small concert overlooking all of the city. What really drew me in was that the singer was doing a Bono cover. Later to come was a Wonderwall cover. In between were wonderful songs in Arabic. I think this was one of my favorite nights in Paris.

Another wonderful music experience was the Fête de la Musique, the national day of music for France and many other places in Europe and the world. Jessie and I wandered up and down the streets in Paris hearing all types of fantastic music and it was exactly as my Parisian passenger on the flight over described “This one night everybody loves eachother.”

Music is such a universal part of all our lives and a very important part of mine, so I’ve been lucky and especially appreciative of all the wonderful sounds I’ve heard since arriving in Europe. And unlike other tourists, I don’t especially mind the musicians on the streets and in the metro. Let it rock (but also please excuse my awful singing voice)!

Sadly, I must leave Paris to move on with my trip. Being with a student group for my first two weeks felt completely different than I had expected. I think when I arrived in Paris I thought I was starting a new life in the city and leaving my old American life behind. Now that I am in Brussels, I realize how quickly phases of journeys pass by. I’m going to do my best to savor every moment from this point forward.

I think the first thing about Paris that I need to take some time to talk about is the amazing, amazing food. I could eat a hundred crepes and chocolate chip baguettes and just about all the food in the boulangerie. The macaroons from La Dure, and just that place itself will be in my dreams for quite some time. And bread from any other place in the world will never add up to the delicious bread in Paris. Mmmmmm….

The sights of Paris also make it a wonderful place to live. Paris keeps its city charming and beautiful with its architecture, winding streets, and lovely parks. The sights in Paris are the ones we’ve heard of - the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Champs-Élysées but the differing districts and areas of Paris really make the city come alive. I know that I did not get to become familiar with all the places that I could have, but I was beginning to feel like a local in the area around Jardin Luxumbourg, St. Michel, St. Germaine-de-Pres, etc.

And it is not surprising that Parisians worship fashion. I find myself always trying to adapt to my surroundings in a new place, so in Paris I was very much trying to adapt my wardrobe to look more local. Once I arrived in Brussels I realized how particularly careful Parisians are about dress but that will change throughout my trip. Trying to adapt to each place that I am in terms of dress may be a bit unrealistic…

And oh la la… I think I should also address the romance of Paris. This is truly the city of love, and if not of love then of massive PDA. It’s just a way of life here. It totally puts into perspective my past opinions of public affection. I think it’s a wonderful thing for two people who are crazy about each other to

show it to the world. This is going to become complicated in Egypt, I suppose… but I’ll always remember this older couple from the Giverny garden, completely infatuated with each other. Kash and I even saw an engagement when we were at the concert in Montmartre! It was completely adorable.

As part of my course, however, I discovered an amazing appreciation for a world that I barely have scratched the surface of, and that is the world of art. I absolutely loved The Louvre,  Musée Picasso, Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie and the other museums that we visited. As my Aunt says, “It’s great to have a knowledge of these important subjects.” Art is very important to her and my Mom. My pictures from this trip are full of art so take a look by clicking on the link to my flickr.

So Paris, my love, au revoir. Perhaps we’ll meet again one day…

Here begins my career as the new Samantha Brown. Maybe Travel Channel has a spot for me.