One of the things we’d been looking forward to about living abroad was getting to travel even more. Living in Prague allows for cheap and easy transportation to other areas in Europe. We planned to go visit as many areas as our budget would allow. First destination that came up was Vienna, Austria.

While on the trip, I had the pleasure to take over My Wander Year’s Snapchat, in what we call a Snapchat Takeover. If you get a chance and want to take a look at my Snap journey in Vienna, head over to their snapchat: mywanderyear and check it out.
We took a train from Prague to Vienna for our thirty-six hour stay, with a few other women that are a part of My Wander Year, a gap/remote year group we are participating in. The tickets were super cheap at $57 round-trip. It was a four-hour train ride.

We stayed at the Renaissance Wien Hotel, which is a gorgeous hotel and has impeccable service. Nadine, who checked us in was so pleasant and I hope they promote her and give her a raise because she was great. Many of us once we got to our rooms had to resist the urge to stay in our rooms snuggled up in the beds that felt like you were sleeping on a cloud.

We sought food close to the hotel and had a very cheeky waiter, which made the meal really fun.

Afterwards we headed to Schonbrunn Palace. It was about a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel and we got a chance to take in some of the beautiful architecture that Vienna has to offer.

Schonbrunn Palace is beautiful and I couldn’t stop imagining what it must have been like when aristocrats drove around in their horse drawn carriages and Lords and ladies courted one another. The place does make you want to be dropped into some period drama.

Of course besides period films, the other film that is easily evoked, the minute you step into Austria, even though you’re not in a green meadow, spinning in circles like Julia Andrews, is ‘The Sound of Music’. So you know what’s going to be on the Vienna playlist.

After some more wandering around the Palace we headed back to the hotel bar, where Oliver the bartender was very knowledgeable about cocktails and nice and chatty. Exactly what you hope for in a bartender (I think). Maybe some people feel differently and like their bartender to be the strong, silent type. Alas, I am not. I  have seldom met a stranger a didn’t like so I always enjoy a good conversation. Oliver didn’t disappoint. I’m not a drinker so he made me a very good mocktail, which I proceeded to order three of.

The next day we decided to do a walking tour so we could see many of the landmarks and famous building s and places of Vienna, such as the Albertina, Hofburg Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, one of Mozart’s residences and the oldest coffee shop/cafes in Vienna – Frauenhuber, to name a few.

When you’re short on time, walking tours can be great and allow you to see some of the highlights and attractions of the city, plus this one was free. We just paid a tip to the guide when the tour was completed.

We were famished after our tour and went to famous Figlmuller for their pork schnitzel and apple strudel. The strudel eclipsed the plate and even though many of us shared the dish, we still didn’t finish.

A little walk afterwards to the Mak Museum, helped rid us of the gluttonous feeling we had after that meal. This decorative arts museum is really cool, if you’re into furnishings, interior design from different periods. We had a lot of fun here, as you can see from the goofy, cardboard glasses they offer if you want to wear them around. The glasses were due to the Robert La Roche exhibit that is on display until Sept. 25th

Overall, it was a very nice way to be introduced to Austria. We look forward to coming back when we have more time. For now, I will say ‘So Long, Farewell.’ Oh, and don’t forget to check out my Vienna playlist below.

Of course, this playlist would not be complete without my favs from ‘The Sound of Music’, you’ll find them sprinkled throughout this playlist. And since this is the city of classical greats like Mozart and Schubert, I could not leave them out either. I always try and find some contemporary artists I like that are native to that city or country and happily stumbled upon hip-hop artist Left Boy. His music is very catchy and fun, has some good beats and I promise you, you’ll be hitting that play button again once it finishes & doing that dance step from the video of ‘Security Check’. Billy Joel’s ‘Vienna’ was a no-brainer. I mean c’mon, I had to include that one. Although, I’m not a die-hard fan of the cult-classic, ‘Before Sunrise’ & ‘Before Sunset’, Richard Linklater directed, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy starrers. I couldn’t not include a song from the film that famously saw the pair wander the city before having to say goodbye. Last, but certainly not least, with no rhyme or reason, other than, how can you go anywhere and not take him along, the lovable and talented Mr. Stevie Wonder. Enjoy!

1. Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music) - My Favorite Things
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Marriage of Figaro
3. Left Boy - 10AM
4. Rodgers and Hammerstein (The Sound of Music) - Sixteen Going On Seventeen
5. Kath Bloom (Before Sunrise soundtrack) - Come Here
6. Stevie Wonder - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
7. Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music) - The Hills Are Alive
8. Franz Schubert - Ave Maria
9. Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music) - Do-Re-Mi
10. Billy Joel - Vienna
11. Left Boy - Security Check
12. Rodgers and Hammerstein (The Sound of Music) - So Long, Farewell

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, The Silverado Squatters

I started this blog post within a week of us being here, but things kept getting in the way, so I’ve had to rewrite much of this piece. So much has happened. We’ve gotten lost multiple times, participated in a Color Run, tried our first hookah, tried out Tinder (which is a story for a whole other blog post.)

We’re almost through our first month of living in Prague. I fear time is passing by too quickly. The whole time flies when you’re having fun is definitely ringing true in this case. Sometimes I wish I could grab time by the tail and force it to adhere to my demands. But alas, that is not possible.

The first few weeks of living in Prague have been a bit surreal. I still don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet, that we live here and we’re not just visiting. This is my home for another two and a half months.

The city is broken up into different sections. We live in Praha 4. I love my apartment which you can see a video of below. Excuse the mess.

Prague has been a friendly place and it helps that I try and use the few phrases I’ve learned when dealing with locals. We’ve even made some Czech friends. Petr and his wife who are expecting a baby have been excited to hang out with us and practice their English. We first met Petr when we participated in the Color Run. He was a radio host during the event. We’ve had a lot of fun and seen some great sights thanks to him.

Czech Republic has really hearty cuisine, which we’re having fun sampling. It’s lots of meats, potatoes, sauerkraut (which I’ve found I love). There is still so much of the city I need to see, but we did go on a nice walking tour of Prague Castle, St. Vitus Cathedral and much of Old Town. I think we walked over 15K steps that day. You’ll definitely walk a lot here which is great to me, but Prague also has amazing public transportation. I’m becoming spoiled by how easy it is to get around this city.

We get the occasional stare or second glance. I think mainly because of my fro. Many people have been helpful in offering directions or advice on places to go. I have to say we’re having a wonderful time. Clearly you’ve seen the evidence on all of our social media.

I have to stop myself some days from feeling like I have to cram everything in, take as many pictures as possible, etc. I remind myself we have time to explore and discover and immerse ourselves in the city.

I know I still owe you guys a Prague playlist, so be on the lookout for it. Continue to check out our social media feeds for even more pictures of our adventures. Chow!

You don’t realize how many things you’ve accumulated in life until you have to move. I remember looking around my home and there were many mixed emotions about shedding my present life: excitement, fear, anxiety, relief, curiosity and sadness. I’m a bit of a sentimental packrat; so it was a bit daunting to finally decree that everything must go; so I could pursue the life of a digital nomad, only owning what I could fit into my suitcase and backpack. I sold or gave away all of my possessions and belongings in preparation for this time abroad (including my car). There were many tear fests, not over the things, but the memories attached to them. I found myself mourning the life I was leaving behind, because I knew I wasn’t coming back the same person.

Growing up a military brat where there was often change, I learned to be adaptable and flexible. The last eighteen years though, I’ve resided in one location, instead of moving every four years like in my childhood. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to know that change is a part of life, but knowing that doesn’t make it any less harder to endure. I thought I’d grown immune to the feelings of homesickness and longing I kept hearing many others in our group talking about, but as the time grew nearer I realized I wasn’t.

We went out to Los Angeles eighteen years ago for college and stayed (the longest location I’ve ever lived in my life) and I found it hard to leave. At the beginning, I was so excited about the new adventure I was about to embark on I didn’t think about all that I was leaving behind. Although our immediate family lives on the east coast we’re all very close and speak everyday, often multiple times a day and now that’s going to change. I think about the friend’s I’ve had since college, that have now become my family and it makes me sad that we won’t be getting together for impromptu lunches or hanging out. Yes, some people say it’s only a year, but a lot can happen in a year … change. You find yourself saying I hope they don’t forget me while I’m gone, all the while they’re probably thinking the same thing. I’m planning for a lot of Skype and iChat sessions so I can maintain these priceless relationships.

Besides being saddened over the loss of my everyday communication with my friends and family, there was still an avalanche of stuff to do. All my friends kept telling me that they seemed more excited about my trip than I did. It wasn’t that I wasn’t excited, believe me I was; its just there is so much to do to transition to living overseas and becoming a digital nomad. You’re not just going away on vacation. It’s a total life change. It wasn’t just giving away stuff and downsizing, which is stressful enough in itself, but my career was not conducive to working remotely so I had to change to another career to fit this lifestyle, which can be fun, but that can include learning new skills and/or going back to school or taking classes to help you be more marketable in the new field you choose. Then there is all the paperwork, such as creating a living will, a medical directive in case something happens to you, do you have all the vaccinations and immunizations you need, travel insurance, international health insurance, what bills or subscriptions do I need to end, what kind of international calling plan and data are available on my cell phone, will Netflix work overseas (yes, this is a real problem to me :P), and the list goes on. It can all be very overwhelming and mess with the daydreams of the fantasy life you’ve concocted in your head that excludes all the red tape, which is why my excitement has been muted at times. The reality of what this life change entails has been smacking me around the last couple of months.

After hearing my diatribe and woes about the stress of preparing for this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime journey, I’m sure many of you are saying, ‘Why go, if you have to go through all of that?’ Well, I will tell you, like I’m sure many before me have said, anything worth having takes hard work and getting to have this dream year is no exception. I love traveling, seeing the world and experiencing new cultures. I wouldn’t trade the experience of this next year for anything. I’m sure this amazing journey will have joys and pains and ups and downs, and I’ll take it all. You have to be willing to take the good with the bad with anything in life, so you appreciate the good moments even more. I wanted to share the whole process and not just the exciting stuff. You need to understand that this isn’t a year long vacation. It will be my lifestyle for the next year to travel the world, but I still have to eat and pay bills, which means I have to work.  

We’ve been in Virginia, for the last three weeks, visiting our family. Tonight, I get on a plane headed for New York to meet up with the rest of the group before we leave for Prague on Sunday, and I find myself a little emotional. Even after the many years of living away from my family I’m sad to leave them, because I know with the time difference, communication won’t be as frequent as we all would like. Nevertheless, I feel my excitement overtaking my fear and anxiety that I’ve forgotten something. At this point it’s going to be, what it’s going to be. Thankfully, in this beautiful day and age of technology and the internet anything or anyone I’m missing or whatever I forgot to do should only be a click away.

You know I always have to include some music. I haven't had time to put together a full playlist, but right now these two songs have been playing on a loop in my head ... 'I'm leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again ...'

Leaving on a Jet Plane - cover of the Chantal Kreviazuk
Everyone Says Hi - cover of the David Bowie song by Fyfe Monroe (heard this version on the TV show 'Defiance')

Well, please stay tuned for our crazy adventures of this next year. The next time you hear from us, we’ll be in Prague.

As you know by now if you're following the blog, we always create playlist for our destinations. Music is a must when we travel.

Some great artists have come from this area over the last fifty years, but everyone knows that Seattle became famous for the grunge and garage era of music that emerged in the early 90's. If you're a friend of mine or have ever rode in my car at any point you know I have a fondness for this music. I do love this playlist. It was really hard to choose just one or even two songs for an artist, but I had to slap myself on the wrist a couple times and say no, you will not add more songs. Most of the time I would say sit back and relax and enjoy the tunes, but I hope this makes you jump off your sofa and rock out :)

1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit/Heart-Shaped Box
2. Sir Mix-a-Lot - Baby Got Back
3. Pearl Jam - Black/Better Man
4. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
5. Brandi Carlile - The Story/Hiding My Heart
6. Presidents of the United States of America - Lump
7. The Head and the Heart - Another Story
8. Kenny Loggins - Footloose/Danny's Song
9. Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
10. Kenny G - Theme from 'Dying Young'
11. Audioslave - I Am the Highway
12. Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta 
13. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Ray Dalton) - Can't Hold Us
14. Modest Mouse - Float On
15. Singles soundtrack - Chris Cornell - Seasons
16. Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark
17. Foo Fighters - The Pretender/Best of You
18. Heart - Barracuda ​

We hope you enjoy this helpful infographic we co-produced with Rebates Zone on packing tips. While you're at it enjoy some discounts & deals to Backcountry courtesy of Rebates Zone, by clicking on their name.

While we're sitting here waiting for our flight I thought I would get a jump on our blog. So, I have my earbuds in and Billy Joel singing in my ear. Let's go.

We had a great time in Philadelphia. In the past our travel style consisted of structuring activity after activity and jam-packing our itinerary from the time we woke up until we were ready to drop. After our last trip we adopted the philosophy of if we see it, we see it,
if we don't, we don't and hopefully we will get to come back. We wanted to have a more laid back approach and have some sights that were musts, but allow for some things to happen organically.

There were only two absolutes on this trip. We absolutely had to eat an authentic Philly cheesesteak and we had to see the Rocky statue. That left us room to breathe and relax and just take in the city and enjoy any chance encounters or the opportunity to experience any unexpected gems that might be recommended to us. While I thank
everyone that tossed us a suggestion, please forgive us if we didn't get a chance to check it out. It has gone on our list for next time.

As we mentioned before, this was our first time stepping foot in the City of Brotherly Love (I don't count layovers at the airport.) We arrived early the morning of August 24th, on a red-eye that had left LAX the night before, so we were a bit bleary-eyed, but eager to start
checking things out. Since we couldn't check into our AirBnB until later that afternoon, after stowing our bags we headed out to wander the streets of Philadelphia (cue Bruce Springsteen song). I love walking the streets of the east coast, the architecture and layout are obviously very different from the west coast. The streets belonged to us on the early Sunday morning. The Rittenhouse Square area we stayed in was virtually deserted. I highly recommend this area because it is centrally located and offers some great markets, eateries and a quaint park to just sit and enjoy nature or people watch.

A man who happened to be out and about at that early hour, must have seen our uncertainty on where to go, what to do, so he stopped and gave us some information on breakfast spots in the area that were open. We settled on Bluestone Lane, an Aussie inspired, restaurant. It was nice to escape the cold as well since it was only in the low 50's having not reached the high of 66 that was expected. Our brekkie consisted of this wonderful green juice (coconut water, spinach, apple, banana, orange and one other ingredient that I apologize for not remembering or writing down), apple-soaked oats and
their breakfast roll (over easy egg, bacon, spinach, tomato and cheddar and some secret sauce on a brioche bun). It was all very delicious.

After breakfast, we hit the streets again and began our walk to Independence Hall. Along the way we stopped in a park to just do nothing. Our everyday life can be very fast paced and you don't always have time to stop and smell the roses as they say, so it was nice to
sit and just be. Just breathe in, take in our surroundings, sit back and not have to rush off to the next thing on our to-do list.

Once we made it to Independence Hall, there was yet more green space to enjoy while we decided whether to do the tour at Independence Hall first or see Liberty Bell. You have to remember we live in LA, which is considered a concrete jungle. It can be hard to find lush, green spaces.

We ended up seeing Liberty Bell first. While your initial response upon seeing it may be, okay it's just an old bell. There is so much history in that bell, the places it's been, the people that have seen it, touched it, looked to it as a source of hope and freedom. We were seeing a piece of history that had meant and still means so much to so many that flock from all over the world to see it.

Afterward we toured Independence Hall and stood in the room where Washington, Franklin, Hamilton and many other founding fathers sat in attendance at the Constitutional Convention.  The guided group tour was informative and lasted about forty-five minutes.

While we didn't get to all the historical sights Philly has to offer, we were sufficiently satisfied and hungry by this point, especially after all the steps we'd logged so far (maintaining health is important to us on our travels).

To satisfy our hunger and one of the main goals of our trip we went on a search for the best authentic Philly cheesesteak. Before leaving and even during the trip many people suggested we go to Pat's, Geno's or Frank's, but as we spoke with more and more native Philadelphians the consensus became Jim's Steaks was the must eat steak. So off we went to South Street to wait in line. We watched through the window as the line cook grilled up steak and onions and expertly assembled sandwich after sandwich for drooling and salivating patrons. We took ours to go since finding seating was going to prove futile (plus, we'd just gotten the call that our AirBnB was ready).

Hopefully, we can say this and not get stoned. Please forgive us and know that food is a subjective thing. One man's culinary delight is another man's meh. We thought it was okay. Would we eat there again if we were in town? Probably once we'd sampled some other cheesesteak places, but it wasn't bad by any means. We just require a bit more seasoning to our meat so that is why we didn't fall madly in love with this cheesesteak.

During our travels we often must make time to get some work done so after a quick
nap (our late lunch put us in a food coma), we devoted the rest of the day to that. So
out came the laptops and iPads to answer emails and take care of business.

Our first day in Philly was great. We had accomplished one goal, seen some history and also logged over 11K steps according to our FitBits.

Before heading to bed, we did some research to map out a minor itinerary for the next day. Thankfully, using this great app called Tripomatic we were able to load everything up in there so it could give us the perfect route in which to see everything we wanted to see that day and we wouldn't have to keep looking up addresses.
 
Our second day in Philly found us sleeping in, so we got a slightly later start. Stepping outside we found the weather was a bit warmer than yesterday. First things first we had to grab breakfast. In our research the night before we'd found a cute bagel spot nearby: Chestnut Philly Bagels. We sat out in a park and ate our bagel sandwiches.

Afterward, we took an Uber to Eastern State Penitentiary. One of the oldest U.S. penitentiaries, dating back to the late 1700's. It was also known, because Al Capone had done a stint here. It was remarkable to see this aged stone monstrosity sitting in the middle of the city that had grown up around it. We paid $14 each for a self-guided tour via headset that lasted about an hour. Longer if you wanted to go off and do some more exploring of your own. And what a pleasant surprise when you start the recording to hear Steve Buscemi's voice taking you on the journey of learning about Eastern State.

Walking through the halls and cellblocks I couldn't imagine being an inmate and having to call this place home. The 8x12 cell once held only one prisoner in the windowless cell. The solitary, claustrophobic feeling you start to experience as you stand in the now dilapidated cell is suffocating. It's easy to imagine the brutality and fear this place bred as you walked around, especially when you read about gangs that cropped up such as The Four Horseman in the 1930s, when the warden thought it would be a good idea to let the inmates govern themselves. The recorded tour also consisted of accounts from former
guards and inmates that are still living (the prison didn't close its doors until sometime in the 1970s.) After the self-guided tour you can check out Al Capone's cell, which was larger than over inmates cells and was not behind the locked gate in the main cellblock area. It was long held that he received special treatment, especially when you see his
re-created cell boasting other amenities not seen in other cells.

The next stop was only an eight-minute walk away. We were about to knock goal number two off our list, that's right, the Rocky Statue. We both love the 'Rocky' films and just the character of Rocky and what he represents. We were getting giddy about seeing it and the iconic Rocky stairs aka Philadelphia Museum of Art. We were able to get some
pictures with the statue and some photos of the statue solo, which has now been moved from the top of the steps to the bottom right hand corner. We both chickened out of running up the steps and playing the music or humming it as we went, but it was fun to watch other people, namely kids, do this. We even caught a newly married couple taking
some photos at the sight. One of our Instagram photos captured the happy couple.

While we were resting here and enjoying the day we were approached by a transplant to the city who had been hoping to visit the museum. (Note to travelers, many museums in the city are closed on Monday.) He sat down and talked with us and after thirty minutes we decided to spend the day time, continuing seeing the city together since he was new to the city as well. Many people often tell me I've never met a stranger I didn't like. I never have a problem talking to new people. I'm sure that has a lot to do with growing up in a military family where we moved a lot and you had to adapt to new environments, people and places. Plus, we weren't getting any serial killer vibes from him. Desi has an even keener, sharper sense of someone's ill intent than I do and if she wasn't raising a red flag in warning then we were okay. So off we went with our newfound friend.

Philadelphia's Magic Gardens was our next destination. Isaiah Zagar is the artist responsible for the art installations that consists of tiles, bottles, bits of china and other things that make up this preserved landmark. He began this huge art project in 1994. In 2002, the landowner was going to sell the land and have it all torn down and the locals stepped up and saved it. It was like walking through a land of whimsy. What dedication and love Mr. Zagar had to have for what he was doing to spend day after day, year after year creating all of this.

It had been a while since breakfast so it was only fitting we should feed our hunger by checking out the many food stalls in Reading Market Terminal. So many places to try. We were like kids in a candy store. After wandering around for a while, what caught our eye was Becky's Cajun, that boasted a cheesesteak called the 'Trainwreck'. It consisted of chopped steak, Andouille sausage and salami, cheese and onions. Now this sandwich had flavor. We sat at the counter savoring our food and chatting up one of the waitresses, trying to find out some of the history of the market. We knew there were three stalls
that were still owned by the original families and been passed down from one generation to another. Once we finished our tasty sandwiches we continued to peruse the market and stopped to get fresh squeezed juices from a Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialties. They were very refreshing. We'd come to the market towards the end of the day and many places had begun to close up so we knew this was some place we'd have to visit again on another trip.

Our newfound friend still wanted to hangout so at first had suggested we drive to NY since it was only a two hour drive. We're both usually up for spontaneous adventure, but we had a flight to catch the next day and didn't need anything getting in the way of us missing it, so we opted for a movie, which later turned into bowling since we missed
the showtime. We found ourselves at North Bowl Philly. Not to brag *no humble brag here* LOL, forgive me I'm a bit competitive, and I'm a decent bowler. He called himself being a gentleman, but he wasn't able to win any of the games we played. I've got the scores to prove it. Either I beat him or Desi beat him. It was an end to a good day.

The next day our final hours in Philly involved sampling the chicken and donuts at Federal Donut. These donuts were so tasty. I took some home on the plain with me and was eating donuts two days later and they were still moist and delicious. Try the Lemon Meringue, Chocolate Eclair or the Butter Pecan. You won't regret it. We decided to walk off some of the donuts by walking to Dilworth Park to and snap some shots with the famed LOVE statue. Any of our Instagram photos that include a shot of me (which is rare) get dubbed with the hashtag #afrochronicles since they showcase my natural hair. After completing what we considered a fulfilling trip we sat in the park and watched the kids play in the fountain. The children’s unbridled excitement of trying to catch the water I think had everyone enthralled. Many people stopped to eat their lunch here or just sit and enjoy the day and children's laughter, which was very infectious.

Our Uber driver to the airport was an older gentleman, we always like to engage people in conversation as I've stated before and he was no exception. This man had been all over the world. He'd traveled the world on cruise ships and with bands as a musician. He is a bass guitar player. I loved that he said no riches in the world could equal the memories and experience he'd gained in traveling and seeing the world. I couldn't agree more.

And now here we sit in the airport, our Philly trip at an end, and the richer for the experience. It always nice to get out and see more of this great country we live in. If you’ve never visited before check out www.visitphilly.com.

We always have music wherever we go. It helps us enjoy the city even more and Philadelphia has homegrown some amazing talent; which is why this playlist is a bit longer than it normally would be. There were so many famed talent that we love we couldn't leave anyone off the list. It was difficult to choose just one song to represent each artist. Two songs that made the list were of course due to the beloved 'Rocky' films. There was no way they weren't making the cut. Other songs were written about the city and resonated with us. So, sit back, close your eyes and roam the streets of Philadelphia with us.

Philly Playlist:

1. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger  ​https://youtu.be/btPJPFnesV4
2. Bill Conti - Gonna Fly Now  https://youtu.be/ioE_O7Lm0I4
3. Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia  https://youtu.be/4z2DtNW79sQ
4. The Roots ft. Erykah Badu - You Got Me  https://youtu.be/MJCHeEQV454
5. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Fresh Prince of Bel-Air   ​
https://youtu.be/1nCqRmx3Dnw
6. Hall & Oates - Rich Girl  https://youtu.be/7mdIWaRi-7c
7. Blue Magic - Sideshow  https://youtu.be/eamL5JBdcM8
8. Joan Jett - I Love Rock n Roll  https://youtu.be/xL5spALs-eA
9. Santigold - Creator  https://youtu.be/DJkWoAhSiZ4
10. Stylistics - Betcha By Golly Wow  https://youtu.be/alvEUFJtMw8
11. P!nk - Try  https://youtu.be/yTCDVfMz15M
12. Jill Scott - He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)  https://youtu.be/Pvyji_Z2fSs
13. Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle  https://youtu.be/dO1rMeYnOmM
14. Boyz II Men - Motownphilly  https://youtu.be/Rciee-oQLoI
15. Patti LaBelle - If You Ask Me To  https://youtu.be/Da-RjeCObyA
16. Elton John - Philadelphia Freedm  https://youtu.be/2sd6P2Tu8rw
17. Eve ft. Gwen Stefani - Let Me Blow Ya Mind  https://youtu.be/Wt88GMJmVk0
18. Amos Lee - Seen It All Before  https://youtu.be/0KNcLM10oBU
19. Toni Basil - Mickey  https://youtu.be/NW7VnHnX3LQ
20. Delfonics - La La  https://youtu.be/baNbyst7aW0
21. Christina Perri - The Words  https://youtu.be/B9tc9R_Y3FY
22. Three Degrees - When Will I See You Again  https://youtu.be/T6fVDAjs9f0
23. Res - Sittin' Back  https://youtu.be/YzyFX99b0F4
24. Chubby Checker - Let's Twist Again  https://youtu.be/eh8eb_ACLl8
25. Teddy Pendergrass - Turn Off the Lights  https://youtu.be/T1uv-w5quH4
26. Maze ft. Frankie Beverly - Joy & Pain  https://youtu.be/KNuKMPeOdfM

​Stay tuned tomorrow to hear about our journey thought the city :)

Jordan Playlist:
Jordan is such a spiritual place, a few of the songs on my list are gospel songs because when we visited the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus it was quite a moment for me. My faith is important to me so it was quite amazing to be at this place. Other songs on this list such as some of the movie scores were inspired because the films were either about this location or they had filmed part of the movie here, i.e. Petra in Indiana Jones. Bob Marley made the list because many people, and not just in Jordan but Egypt and Morocco also seem to love him and in particular the song I chose. If you've ever seen Wadi Rum, you understand why we chose David Bowie's 'Life On Mars', it resembles the Red planet, which is probably why Matt Damon's 'The Martian' used it for their Mars location. (Desi will be mad if I don't give her credit for the inclusion of this song, lol.)

1. Lawrence of Arabia score - Maurice Jarre https://youtu.be/jdFwhhH2x7I
2. No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley https://youtu.be/x59kS2AOrGM
3. Bas Bas - Toni Qattan https://youtu.be/1SmzcFtCBSM
4. Take Me To The King - Tamela Mann https://youtu.be/wU3qgPn3bGA
5. Waking Light - Beck https://youtu.be/ixtNYSiNyO4
6. Alabaster Box - CeCe Winans https://youtu.be/4Ls8ZfeBmHA (Lillie McCloud, a contestant on the X Factor also sung a killer version of this song)
7. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade theme - John Williams https://youtu.be/8LtWN94DxrA
8. Jesus Christ Superstar - Carl Anderson (from Jesus Christ Superstar film soundtrack) https://youtu.be/IvVr2uks0C8 (many people are a fan of the play, but I fell in love with Milos Forman's film version first and especially the voices of Carl Anderson, who played Judas in the film and Ted Neeley, who played Jesus. Listen to Ted sing the song 'Gethsemane' and you'll know what I'm talking about.)
9. Life on Mars - David Bowie https://youtu.be/v--IqqusnNQ
10. Selah - Lauryn Hill https://youtu.be/9LBAbWdBWtA 
​11. Closer to Heaven - The Alan Parsons Project https://youtu.be/VDcmhsyjU3s 

One of the first places we visited in Jordan was Mount Nebo. It is said to be the site of the place where Jesus granted Moses a view of the Promised Land. The remains of a monastery and a Byzantine church were discovered at the location in 1933. In that excavation many mosaics were also found. Our guide was a sweet little old man named Ali, who was very knowledgable. The Brazen Serpent Statue was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni, it represents the bronze serpent that Moses created and the cross that Jesus was crucified on. You might recognize it also as closely resembling the widely known medical symbol of the serpent coiled down the length of a staff. 

After our tour concluded here we headed to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the baptism site of Jesus. It was quite a moving experience to be at the spot where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, to know that we were walking where he once walked was incredible. After standing at that spot for a while in quiet reflection we made our way to another spot where many people enter an area of the Jordan River. I knew that Israel wasn't that far away, but once we came to this section of the Jordan River, across the 10-20 feet width was Israel. We watched many people on that side wade into the water in white gowns and immerse themselves in the water. At one point, a nun led several women clad in the white gowns to the water's edge and they began to sing. I was nearly in tears as I listened to them and then watched them walk into the water and submerge themselves hoping to be washed clean of whatever sins plagued them or whatever forgiveness they were seeking. It was quite amazing to be a witness to that.

The spiritual journey left us a bit famished as we headed to the Dead Sea, where we had intended to soak, but we opted for lunch first. The view at the Oh Beach Resort was breathtaking. I could have sat outside on the terrace of that restaurant and just looked out at the water for hours. It was calm, peaceful and quiet because we were the only ones there. I take that back. We did have company, in the form of a cat. Many of the previous countries we'd visited so far had stray cats that roamed around and Jordan was no exception. They always seem to like me over Desi, which is unfortunate because I'm allergic to them. Today was no exception. As we sat waiting for our meal to arrive he seemed harmless enough, but the minute food was bought to the table he began to meow and circle the table hoping for scraps or so I thought. This cat was quite clever. He played his game for a while, but I guess he figured I was the weak link because before long, he found his opening and leapt onto the table, grabbed some chicken off my plate and then made his escape. It happened so quickly, I could only sit there stunned, with my mouth hanging open waiting for something to fly in. Desi couldn't stop laughing at what happened or my reaction to it. Sorry, no pictures exist of this outrageous, comical moment.

Once our eventful lunch was over we headed back into Amman ready to prepare for our very early trek into Wadi Rum the next day.

Our final day in Luxor was pretty mellow. I think we were both a bit tired from the constant activity and traveling. I think we've both agreed that we won't be doing too many more trips where we try to cram so much in, but really spend time in a place. That being said, our last day in Luxor was pretty cool since we got a chance to visit both Karnak Temple Complex and Luxor Temple. The two temples were once connected by the avenue of Sphinxes. A few remain that show the connection the cities once had.

We started the day at the Karnak Temple Complex, which is an impressive structure. Our guide began the tour by explaining that the ancient Egyptians built cities and temples starting from the back and building towards the front, so the beginning of the temple had not been completely finished. I know I've said it before, but I will say it again, each time we visit these ruins or museums I'm always impressed with what has been preserved and withstood the test of time. The complex was started during the Middle Kingdom period of ancient Egyptian culture, under the rule of Senusret I. One of the main temples at the complex was built to honor Amun-Re.

After the temples we visited the Mummification Museum, which surprise, surprise, does not allow you to take photos inside. It's a tiny museum that takes no more than 30 minutes to view, but offers a detailed view of mummification and the funerary process.

Before stopping to have lunch our guide insisted that we try sugarcane juice which is kind of like an energy drink there. Desi got the chance to help feed the sugarcane into the machine. I thought the drink would be too sweet, but it wasn't and it was quite refreshing. I sucked mine down in record time. Afterwards, we had a great lunch at a local restaurant before heading back to the hotel for a little R & R.

It's been a whirlwind couple of days, and it shows no signs of slowing down. We had to get up at quarter to 5am for our 7am flight from Cairo to Luxor where we'd be spending the next two days. We almost didn't make our flight because it was raining, and our driver said that it was unexpected. He said they don't drive so well in the rain. A huge truck had overturned on the highway. Although the morning seemed like it was starting off on the wrong foot, things immediately took a turn for the better when we were told that economy seating on our flight was full and we'd been bumped to business class.

After our cushy flight to Luxor, we arrived and were greeted by our driver and guide that would be showing us the many sites around the city. We would be visiting East Bank today and West Bank the following day. Our first stop would be the Valley of the Kings.

​

On the road to the Valley of the Kings we were surrounded on both sides by mountains of granite rock, something that Luxor is known for. The Valley of the Kings is an area where tombs were constructed for Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom. There is still excavation going on in Valley of the Kings. There are currently 62 tombs available to visit, but they are not all open at the same time. The day that we visited was the day after the celebration of the anniversary of them discovering the tomb of King Tut. Your ticket enables you to choose 3 of the tombs open for that day to visit. We visited the tomb of King Ramses IV, Merneptah, and Amenmesse. Some of the chambers were pretty vast and you either were going down steep inclines or climbing up in order to get to the tombs. Inside they were intricately decorated with hieroglyphics and art. Some of the tombs still even contained the sarcophagus. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to show you of the area or the inside of any of the tombs because photography or video of any kind is forbidden in the area. It was pretty amazing.

Once we left the Valley of the Kings, our guide took us to a factory of sorts where they made statues and other items out of alabaster and granite. You can see me making a fool of myself in the video below as I was asked to take part in a part of the process that is done to smooth the alabaster.
​  

It was amazing to see the process of how they make these beautiful statues and vases from pieces of alabaster and granite that they have to bring down piecemeal from the mountains. As we were driving, we could see different groups working in the mountains to extract alabaster and granite. After we finished the demonstration and the tour of the shop, we headed off to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut.

This temple is located beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile. It's dedicated to the sun god Amon-Ra and located next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II. The Polish Academy of Sciences is still handling much of the excavation that is going on in this area. It was interesting to hear the history behind this temple, especially since many of the images of Queen Hatshepsut had been defaced by her brother, King Tutmoses III, because he wanted to erase her from history.

​

While we were still exploring the temple a school bus full of Egyptian girls arrived to visit. At first, we went to another part of the temple to look around to get away from them. As we were making our way out to leave the temple, the girls spotted us, and all of a sudden Moni and I turned into rock stars. They came running over to us with their camera phones and iPads out asking us if they could take pictures with us, where we were from, asking us about our hair and saying how much they liked it. I had experienced this before when traveling in Russia and China years ago, but it was new for Moni. She made sure that she got a picture as well. You can partially see my head in the pic because we were literally swarmed by all of the girls vying to get a spot in her photo. It was probably one of the highlights of the day. You always wonder how you will be perceived and received as a foreigner so I always find it interesting to have encounters such as this. It was a little funny though because as we were walking away from the horde of Egyptian school girls an Asian man stopped us to see if his wife could take a picture with us also. I'm not sure if they wanted a picture for the same reason as the Egyptian school girls or they were unsure why the Egyptian school girls had bumrushed us and wanted to make sure they weren't missing an opportunity to get a picture with a celebrity or something. Either way, we obliged them.

After that, our last stop for the day was the Colossi of Memnon, which are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

As I said, it had been a whirlwind few days so we were looking forward to getting back to the hotel and getting a chance to relax. The next day would be busy enough with the West bank of Luxor.