People always ask me....so i thought I would respond with an unedited version of some travel thoughts.. Dont hold me to them... #please I realize I have barely seen the world...but i also realize this is a slice of #humblebrag mixed with DO THIS STUFF- its cool vibe! #justdoit #bookaticketandgo! 2 years after being asked the same question over and over....i made 2 lists in one night.... 10 Places I LOVED Traveling… • Beijing – Hutongs- where you can GET LOST literally in a traditional Chinese neighborhood for 3 hours, but not really panic. Obviously the Great Wall is cool, but not unexpected. • Saint Martin- Maho Beach –Sunset Bar- where passenger planes fly right over your head! Google it…it looks crazy, and IS! I spent my 30th there with a few friends. The Topless Beach offers something to “see” if you’re into those “mountains” but the beach is the place to see how far your jaw can really drop! • South Africa- Kruger National Park where you look for “THE BIG 5” animals till the sun comes out/or goes down! There is nothing like being the first one to spot a giraffe prancing across the skyline. • Sydney- Bondi Iceberg Swimming Pool- you can swim right “on top” of the ocean and watch whales at the same time! Australia was too westernized for me, but this was COOL! The Opera house was physically exciting to look at, but boring to me. Skip the expensive trip to Uluru- unless you’re really into the aboriginal culture or red huge rocks- which is interesting- but an expensive experience. #soundsofsilence hummmmm….almost, but the cost vs benefit analysis didn’t prove worthy of my list this year! • Berlin- East Side “outdoor” Gallery- really an international memorial of freedom. Berlin has really made historical museums a big part of their city. Most things like Checkpoint Charlie are free. “They” aren’t hiding- ashamed, but owning up to it. #explore • Jerusalem- Dome of the Rock- Such Great Religious History for Jews, Christians and Muslims. For me, the BIBLE really came to life here. Regardless of my beliefs, it’s history! • Rome- Colosseum- Seeing Gladiator was one of my favorite movies- this was awesome! PERIOD. • Egypt- Great Pyramids of Giza. Actually not that hard to get to once in Cairo. I mean one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Your jaw literally drops when you try to figure it all out. DON’T even try- just enjoy. Ride in a convoy you’ll feel Alive, Scared, and Anxious all at the same time. As long as you make it there safe- you’ll be fine, just perhaps ripped off by the Bedouin who went to Harvard if you’re not careful. • Prague- John Lennon Peace Wall – represents Love and Peace…or some say Western Capitalism. However you look at it- bring your can of spray paint. Speak or Spray- you have a voice! Prague is a shutterbugs dream- bring your camera, just beware- socializing with the in-crowd isn’t as easy as your day of navigating around the old-city. • Pompeii, Italy- A city that was literally frozen in time by a big volcano and discovered hundreds of years later. Preservation at its best and a UNESCO world heritage site. The Almafi coast is SPECTACULAR, but Pompeii is AMAZING. Experience Both! 15 Experiences I Cherish… • Riding Camels around the Great Pyramids in Egypt with my family. They Spit- watch out! If you give the 5 year old your camera, your head may be cut off, but he still expects a tip for his expertise. • Surviving the Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong- one huge hostel complex… all alone. I would not recommend every single lady does this to prove she CAN, but it was a huge step in realizing- I could live anywhere, stay anywhere if I put my brave face on and my passport in my underwear! • Favela Tour in Brazil- Where there really are no public services. With the World Cup they have really been cleaned up. This is the “City of God” – where you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Carnival and Copacabana Beach are cool, but expected. This made Brazil dope to me. • Soweto and Apartheid Tours in South Africa – My tour guide was an expert on Soweto Economics and the complexity and simplicity of it was so interesting. • Bubble Brunch in Dubai-where you can experience the cities strange relationship with the bottle. It was the most expensive brunch that I’ve ever had. Thank God, I brought my little brother with me! haha. He will never let me live this down. SO WORTH IT! #histurn • Captains Dinner on an Azamara Cruise. Cruising is amazing with the right kinda of ship/room/ luxury, and even more important the right ports. It’s not just for old people!!! Captains dinner is like being invited to the White House in your own little “at sea” world. SPECTACULAR…. At least you think you’re royalty! • Sunset Safari Drive – South Africa. You realize how small you are in this giant world. Can you tell, I love Africa? Humbling to say the least. #motherland • Stellenbosch Wine Country- South Africa- Bed and Breakfast. Heaven on Earth. If that’s ALL you go to South Africa for you may want to revisit Napa Valley fist, but it really is a spectacle of great food and wine in an equally amazing setting. New Zealand also had a great wine country but just not as “first class” as my experience in South Africa to be honest. • Swimming out to the edge of Victoria Falls – Devils Pool – Zambia. Possibly the craziest thing I have done in my life. If you google it you will think photoshop was promoting their services- yet it’s the most REAL experience you’ll find anywhere outside of bungee jumping a few hundred yards away! #pushyourlimits • Tokyo- the Thunder Dolphin where you can ride the 7th tallest roller coaster in the world and bonus- get great views of the city! The Sumo wrestlers came in close 2nd but I never actually saw the ceremony or fight, just the practice facilities. #allabouttiming. ALL in ALL---Tokyo is similar to New York in the sense if you don’t see it, later- at some point- you’ll be LOST IN TRANSLATION because everyone else will have a reference point, except YOU! • Istanbul Turkey- Reina, my favorite nightclub that I have EVER been to. It opened in 2003 and is right on the Bosphorus with 5 restaurants. Models arrive by boat in long gowns. THE PEARL OF THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD. If I was a Barbie, this is the world I would live in. EXTREEEM LA-ISM, but not- they’re more exotic and rich. • Amsterdam- Anne Frank Museum. Maybe due to my German heritage I feel some sort of guilt associate with the Holocaust, but it’s someplace that really struck a chord with me. We have to learn from history. We cannot let this happen again period. AND sadly it has…let’s just say my visit to Cambodia realizing the genocide that has happened in MY LIFE still exists. Its HORRIFYING. #dosomething #bringbackourgirls • Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling- swimming w/ large turtles coming at you and reaching out to pet large fish…Nothing makes you appreciate how much of the Ocean you’ve never seen like the Beauty of the Reef. #findingnemo • Barcelona- Basiclica de la Sagrada Familia. I hate visiting churches in too many (to be honest) countries…they all look the same- dark with gold and some Jesus stuff! BUT NOT THIS ONE- it’s the luxury modern apt’s take on churchin’ it. Or Gaudi’s take…either way- if I was Catholic I would totally claim this!!! Gives the Mormon Temple off 1-5 in my neighborhood a run for its money! • New York City subway. Once you figure this out- you can go to any big city in the world and survive on $10 a day. I witnessed one of my favorite organic live acts of all time on this subway, as well as a near fatal fist fight. Both were equally important to who I became when I swiped my metro card everyday for the next 10 years- being a ready for ANYTHING... A New Yorker! #bringiton
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 05:53:55 +0000
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