Hang Ten : )

After over two weeks of being with my nephew from sunrise to sunset it's strange to not hear the pitter patter of little feet or constantly being berated with "Eeeee!!!!" (what Tristan calls me : ) I was fortunate enough to spend the last few days with Tristan & Jess at the beach. It was awesome to be able to get Tristan acclimated with the water and within a few hours have him floating around on a board saying, "hang ten, dude." Could I ask for anything better?

The weather was perfect and it was wonderful to be able to catch up with friends who we haven't seen in quite some time. We stayed with family friends, Steve & Diana, who live right on the sound up the road  from where we once lived a number of years ago. At night Tristan is accustomed to the moo of cows, crowing of roosters and even the occasional rumbling of tractors on the farm. As we slept he was totally stoked as light was shed into the windows from passing boats making their way through the harbor after a day out on the water. He kept saying, "E, pirate boats. Look at the pirate boats!" He was enthralled by flying seagulls, spray of the surf and flickering of lights resonating from the cabins of boats drifting through the harbor. What an experience for a little dude not quite three yet. 

We parted ways Wednesday afternoon as I had to be back for a meeting at 8 am the next day. Driving a very pleasant nine hours (with a number of stops for coffee, seafood & other things) I could only smile reflecting on a summer that couldn't have been any better. But technically, we still have 72 hours left and my goal is to enjoy every moment of it.  

Green Acres, apples & lots of smiles

It has been a great two weeks here on the farm. Between tending to baby chicks, roasting marshmallows under the stars with Tristan, literally running with the bulls (and away from..run away!!!) and picking heaps of apples and pears. As I was up in the apple tree yesterday about fifty feet up and as I felt the swaying of the branch it dawned on me, 'if I slip I could actually break something.' The realization that I actually thought that made me feel a bit aged, but still I hopped down a few feet closer to the ground and figured it to be a good compromise. 

The baby chicks are in their tending house and are doing well chirping, bouncing and creating plenty of smiles all around. Jess is out helping my pops with the pigs and then the three of us are off to the shore for a few days. Tristan is fairly stoked to learn to surf with his 'E' and Jess, on the other hand, is stoked to just chill on the beach, read and possibly have a few moments of relaxation. The wind is supposed to switch, so hoping for a nice swell to come our way. So.... off to the beach and savoring a few more days with the family : ) 

Can I add farm hand to my resume???

Earlier this morning the phone rang and it was the post office. I bet you a million dollars that you couldn't guess what it was regarding. Go ahead, guess.... At 7:30 am the local post lady informed me, "Ms. Lawler your delivery is here. There are 150 baby chicks waiting for you." I have to say in the way of phone calls that had to be one of the most random I've received. Jess, Tristan & I spent an hour getting the baby chicks acclimated with their new surroundings as they learned how to drink from the water dispenser and where their feed was located. There were 150 little yellow balls of fur darting from one direction to the other and Tristan was having a blast trying to keep up with them. 

As summer begins to wind down so do the rituals of  roasting marshmallows around the camp fire, walking around in bare feet and sipping iced tea on the front porch.  Its tough to let the wonder of summer leave, but it has been full of rich experiences and memories. 

Today has been just one of those really good days of summer. As Tristan and I drove out into the lower pasture and stood on the rear of the pick up to pick pears I had one of my reflective moments. Standing in the middle of a field with a light breeze, cows stirring and bees buzzing next to my favorite person in the world I couldn't find a sweeter moment of happiness. It is moments such as these that I feel profoundly unworthy of and am in awe of God's goodness. 

Farm Life : )

It took about a week to feel back to sorts after arriving home from Egypt. It was a long week of attempting to slow down and listen to my body say, 'give me time to recharge.' So, all is good now after increasing the stock in Gatorade. 

When arriving on Faith Farm it is a place of quite stunning beauty. I am in awe of what my parents have created here in a two year span of time. The two from Bayonne, NJ are farmers rounding up cattle, raising chickens and have a few dozen pigs romping around in the lower pastures of their 95 acre spread. It is unbelievable. I'm allowed to be in awe for about ten minutes before I'm handed an empty crate to collect eggs or doing a quick pace walk to help fence in any renegade cows on the loose. 

There are not many moments of down time, but it has been great just being here with them. Yesterday my dad and I spent a good hour rounding up three pigs to take to market. One, nearly four hundred pounds, almost scaled one of the fences in the process. That would have been one for the books. The roosters are crowing as I write this and the sun has not yet begun to show its signs of stirring. I'm off with my padre to drop off the pigs at the area processor. It's 5:30 am and I'm soooo ready for a Wawa coffee.  : )  

Back in the States

Returned back to the States Monday evening and although this was the trip of the lifetime there is nothing quite like being back home.  For the first two days home I had a bout of post-Cairo illness that I'm slowly recovering from. I feel profoundly blessed to have the time to unwind and recharge on home soil instead of in Cairo or in transit. That wouldn't have been too good. 

I spent a few days in Jersey recharging and am presently in Virginia at my family's farm where I plan to be until the end of August. The first thing I arrived to was my nephew, Tristan, throwing his arm around me and saying, "oh E, I love you so much! I missed you E." That little dude makes my heart melt and I'm stoked to have the next two weeks to just be with my family and just savor every moment we have together. 

** I've attached a few movie clips I located from Wadi Rum in Jordan and the other in Cairo riding alongside the pyramids.**   

Mind the Gap : )

I arrived in London a few hours ago and headed to the Leicester Square area to walk around a bit and soak in the atmosphere. It was quite a transition going from near 100 degrees in Cairo to the lower 70s in London. So there's no chance of darkening the tan today. Overcast and a chill in the air, but after all it is London. A part of me wishes I'd spent a night or two here to take in a few shows. I was wincing as I passed advertisements for the Royal Shakespeare Company productions at the Globe. The Globe is situated near London Bridge and overlooking the Thames River. There is truly nothing like seeing a summer production at the Globe with a blackened sky above and torches placed around the stage to provide light. How I would love to be a groundling! But, it will have to wait for my next stop into London.

Upon returning to the States I plan on posting via blog fairly consistently. I'm hoping to strengthen my ties with the area Couch Surfing community as well as hosting others from around the globe. Every encounter with a new CSer and each step outside of my 'comfort zone' provides further insight into new cultures and people.

I say to you, take that step and go beyond the realm of complacency or maybe what we too often define as normalcy and embrace the people and things around you with open arms and an open heart. You don't have to travel the world to dive into the core of things. The world is pretty massive, but when you take a closer look it isn't really as large as it seems.

Heading out

It has truly been an amazing, life altering journey these past few weeks. From the streets of Olde City in Jerusalem to sipping tea in Jordan with Bedouins and then trekking through the heart of the desert in Cairo... all full and rich memories created with different faces, communities and cultures. Each time I hope on a plane and go to some new pin point on the map my eyes and heart open just a little bit more. I believe the art of travel builds character and inevitably changes you. I have to say though, out of all the places that I've been on the map (and there are many) Israel is what stands out without question. Jerusalem had a feel and level of comfort that I have yet to experience elsewhere. It sort of just 'clicked,' if you will. I have every intention of returning...
But for now...
My last night in Cairo I met up with a few other local Couch Surfers where we headed to the Felucas, local river boats, and headed down the heart of the Nile. Cairo experiences a new level of life and energy when the sun sets. And you gain a completely enlightening experience of the importance of family, friends and community when going out of the realm of touristic Cairo and swing by local parks & the base of the river.
I have a layover tomorrow in London for a good portion of the day. My hope is to relax a bit, catch the tube, walk around a bit, grab some fish & chips with a pint and head on home to the States. How about that for an ending?

Walk like an Egyptian

It's mid-afternoon and I'm taking a break from things for a few hours in an effort to be out of the sun. It is hot. I headed outside of town this early this morning and rented a horse to tour around the Pyramids for a few hours. We've all read and heard stories of the Pyramids, but all of that
truly pales in comparison to actually being there. It was unlike any other man made structure
I've ever seen. To attempt to comprehend the magnitude of how these structures were constructed and the literal blood, sweat and tears invested can leave you dumb founded. Wow.



One of the highlights was crawling through the belly of one of three Pyramids. As you descend the narrow rock quickly becomes like a brick oven. The heat, the lack of oxygen flow and the narrow layout make the outside 95 degree weather seem inviting. The temps felt over 115 degrees and after five minutes it looked as though I'd gone for a dip in the Nile. Totally gross, but absolute travel : ) But if you have any issues with claustrophobia this is not the place to be. A tight, narrow and fairly dark tunnel leads way into the center of the Pyramid where the tomb of a late Pharaoh lay. So many separate hidden passage ways leading to uncertain ends. I just sat in the middle of the tomb area trying to gain a grasp of the moment and how unbelievable these structures are.



I met up with some locals who invited me in for tea and cookies and provided some great insight into the history of the Pyramids, Cairo and the present culture. They actually showed me around their local village which is where some of the non-Pyramid related pictures are based. It feels as though each moment has been a tiny speck in the overall canvas of the life being lead a thousand miles from home.

You know you're in Egypt when....

* You get excited when there is toilet paper and a toilet seat cover in a bathroom stall
* It seems like there is a mosque every 1,000 feet
* You can take a bus cross country, spend a night in a hotel, eat a few meals, take in a movie that is followed up by a Turkish bath for around 250 Egyptian pounds ($45 USD)
* There are at least four occasions a day where you are almost clipped by a moped, bus or a donkey
* While tanning on the beach there are women dressed head to toe in their Muslim attire carrying a snorkel and mask going in for a dip
* You drink a tablespoon of tap water and your organs are now feeling as though you're part of
the eighth installment of Aliens



* Every inch of land is either covered in sand or something is built upon sand
* Locals park their camel in front of a shop (our equivalent of Wawa) and run in for a pack of cigarettes and gum
* You realize from sunrise to sunset you have the word, TOURIST stamped on your forehead and you will never get the 'local' price for anything
* While walking through the markets you receive 125 'hello lady' greetings, 12 marriage proposals and two cups of Egyptian tea

From sandy beaches to crazy Cairo

I arrived a little over an hour ago to Cairo. It is a sharp contrast to the serenity and endless white beaches of Nuweiba. After stepping off the bus it was smog, traffic and a whole lot of playing frogger to get from one side of the street to the other. But I'm born and raised Jersey & I think I represented fairly well. Tomorrow I am meeting a tour guide I was connected with via the tour agent at the beach. My goal is to head to the Egyptian museum and later the Bazaar (a well known market area). The Pyramids are on my list for Sunday and I hope to take a horseback ride out to the area with my guide.
The bus ride here was near ten hours and besides the fact I've never been able to say, 'wow, we really came close to hitting that camel' and nearly swerving off a cliff in the process. But here safely. Over seventy people in a bus with limited ac and an overabundance of body odor. There was a moment when I considered pleading with the driver to allow me to sit strapped on the roof. I think that hit when we were literally off roading on the side of a non-existing road and I had a long sleeve shirt wrapped around my face to avoid sucking in any more sand into my lungs. Hello, Cairo.
But I'm maintaining positive self talk for the few days ahead. Pictures and blue skies of Cairo shall be posted tomorrow. Ciao!