Dani On the Road

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