What is it good for?

There are almost always wars going on in our world in some form or another.  When peace arrises in some part of the world, chaos outbreaks in another.

What is it good for?  Absolutely nothing...?

It was only 15 years ago that the part of the world where I am visiting was in chaos.  It is impossible to imagine what life could have been like, but seeing some cities which were under seige and talking to local residents really helps create an idea of how terrible the conditions were in Bosnia and Serbia.

I was accompanied by some fun and rowdy erasmus students from Prague which made traveling to Belgrade and experiencing the city a lot of fun.

Rolling into Belgrade, just in time for sunrise.

The weekend was filled with protests and parties, we only took part in the parties. 

Much of the buildings were old and beat up.  

Even the main fortress of Belgrade, which has been demolished something like 38 times during its 500+ years of existence.

Despite the destruction, it was nice to experience a new culture, quite different from anything that I have known.  Hostility could be sensed in some ways and I didn't feel as though many Serbs had a feeling of national pride.

I said au revoir to my French, Spanish, and Portuguese travel companions and joined forces with a nice young Danish man, Morten, for the second part of my Balkan adventure.  We headed to the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.  I was looking forward to comparing these two cultures who were so hostile so recently.

Home of the 1984 Olympics and situated within the mountains, I knew that physically, I would like Sarajevo.

 Bosnia is also an Islamic country filled with beautiful mosques which really intrigue me.

Sarajevo was under siege by the Serbians for 4 years, during which time the only access to the outside world was via the "Tunnel of Hope."

This tunnel spanned ~900m under the Sarajevo airport and into a courageous woman's house in a surrounding neighborhood.

This city has been significant in history for more reasons than the recent war - Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on this bridge which was the single event that began the first World War. 

Every part of this city was very enjoyable, even the local dark beer fresh from Sarajevska Pivara... Morten asked for a couple "big beers"... neither of us knew that "big" meant 1 liter.

My feeling during my short stay that Bosnians living in Sarajevo really valued their lives.  Maybe living 4 years under such terrible conditions really allowed these people to value life.

Sure there were many destructed buildings, but rather than make the city feel dirty and slummy, it gave a sense of pride.  

There was a sense that even though some buildings may not survive 4 years of bombing, a culture can live on.

BA - out

We all need some Forint coins

In a couple short days, another chapter will be in the books.

I began this chapter for one reason... change.  Change is exactly what I received.

In addition to change, I also received knowledge.  Knowledge of biophysics and genetics.  But, more importantly knowledge of myself and my values.

I wouldn't have written this chapter any other way.

BA - out

Nomad - no plan, no worries.

In less than a week I will be a nomad... for over a month.

A spec on this continent, eager to explore.

When I stop and think about living for 5 weeks with no plan... no itinerary.... I can become stressed and scared.

This way of living, traveling, and seeing opposes how my life has been for most of 23 years.

But, then I think more...

My greatest stress is being autonomous amidst sites and cities, waiting to be viewed by my keen eyes...

... life isn't too bad.

I am blessed.

BA-out

Familia safari... hakuna matata

My European adventures became intercontinental.  My sister and I went all the way to Tanzania to meet up with our mother and go on a 5 day safari.



We didn't see any rhino births, but we did see rhinos...

...along with pretty much every other animal that you would expect to spot in this region of the world.

Like, blue balled monkeys...

Zebra butts...

Not so wild wildabeasts...

Lions and lionesses...

Giraffes...

Leopards in trees...

Hungry, hungry hippos

Elephant herds...

Three legged baboons...

...just to name a few.

Plus, endless beauty.

Romping around the country and spotting animals was a great time, but not my favorite part of the trip.

Having friends in the country along with the nearby island paradise of Zanzibar really allowed us to truly get a taste of the beautiful culture.

We were greeted everywhere with huge smiles everywhere we went.

The long lasting theme throughout the country is "hakuna matata" ... "no worries, no problem"



I will gladly incorporate the easy going, eastern African ideals into my life.

BA-out

My big, fat, Greek vacation.

Before a couple weeks ago, the closest I had come to Greece was walking down Frat row at U of A or eating Fage yogurt.  I was immersed into the culture during a 5 day visit with my sister.

We had planned to spend 4.5 of 5 days traveling by car around the Peloponnesian Peninsula.  After arriving in Athens at night and being in complete awe of the illuminated acropolis and scattered ruins, we decided to cut our Peloponnesian tour down to 4.25 days, so we could spend a few more hours in the Greek capital.

The Acropolis through Hadrian's Gate

View of Temple of Zeus and the modern Olympic stadium from atop the Acropolis

And, of course the Parthenon

We fought through the Athenian traffic in our rental car like true warriors and were off to Delphi.

The very well preserved Treasury of the Athenians

Delphi was the center of the world according to ancient Greeks.

The temple of Apollo

Pythian Stadium

Delphi was also home of the Pythean games, which rivaled the Olympics.

We crossed the Gulf of Corinth to shack up in Patras, which was a completely dead shithole (at least during off season travel).

On the road again bright and early to my favorite archeological site – Olympia.

 It is amazing to think of how much labor and resources were put into constructing this city which revolved around athletics.

Archway leading to the Olympic stadium

Lined up at the original starting line, from over 2500 years ago

Rachel and I had pretty much the entire ancient city to ourselves.

From Olympia, we migrated like sheep, south through the olive tree forests.

We kicked our feet up in Kalamata on the Messinian Bay in our luxurious hotel, which seemed like our private villa.

Amazing food and gorgeous beaches kept us both content.

The next morning we were off along curvy roads through the hills that led us to the Diros caves.

The caves were… cavey.

Then, we were Sparta bound.

There were no Spartan warriors in site... just oranges.

We stopped and toured ancient Mycenae.

These walls are more than 3500 years old!

And home of the amazing tomb of Agamemnon.

Nearby Nafplio was my favorite stop along our journey. 

There were awesome fortresses from the Venetian rule during the medieval times.

It was during the night in Nafplio when 22 delicious, living sea creatures were put to death for the sake of my sister and my appetites.

Finally, through Corinth and back to Athenian traffic we headed.

We were constantly on the move as we looped through the Peloponnese, but I never felt as though I had bitten off more than I could chew.  I really enjoyed traveling during the low season (which in Greece is REALLY low…).  Even though many shops and restaurants were closed down for the season, it was so nice not having to deal with the masses.  I am quite proud of my trip planning ability, not to mention my European driving skills.

BA-out

Dada

Dada is Swahili for sister.

My dada and I used to butt heads like most siblings.  If someone tried to get us to spend two weeks together, we would have ended up on opposite sides of the world, with one or both of us in critical condition.

We recently decided to come together from opposite sides of the world to spend two weeks together... whaaaa?

Even though we entered this predicament willingly, I was a bit unsure as to whether either of us would survive to return to our respective sides of the world.

She suffered a few mosquito bites and a sun burn and I endured some vomiting and diarrhea, but we survived.  In doing so, a bond was formed that I am quite happy to share with her.

Yes a dada will always be a dada, but now my dada is my friend.

Travel stories to come.

BA-out

a public ponder of life's uncertainties

I am opening up my windows to the universe and letting the fuzziness within my head diffuse a bit.

A brief summary of my evolution of existence...

1. Chaos and rebelliousness.
2. Structure and nerdyness.
3. Not so much structure and nerdyness.
4. Lack of direction and freedom.
5. ...?

Realizing my lack of direction in the universe was initially liberating.  I know what I want to do and where I want to be (maybe not physically...), but I don't know how I will get there nor how long it will take.

I am starting to feel like I should be making steps towards my goals, but I am not sure that is what my heart wants at the moment.  Plus, every step I take will ultimately lead me towards my goals, right?

I know that I am young, but I am not that young.  

I am at a point where I need to make a decision about what I want to do and where I want to be during my next year of life.  There are two main options which I am considering...

 - Option A:  Find a stellar job in Europe that would allow me to learn a new language (French, German, or practice Spanish) and gain more international experience.

 - Option B:  Return to the states, study/take MCAT, apply to grad schools, work in the states.

Option A would not only be more beneficial for me and my future, but it would also be more fun and rewarding.  However, it does require getting that "stellar job in the health field," which isn't the easiest thing for a barely bilingual 23 year old American with a bachelor's degree.

Option B would require a lot of work, in addition to returning to a place where I don't necessarily see myself fitting at the time being.  Although it would be the smartest choice if I wanted to 'stay on track.'

HMMM... Just doing some public pondering.  

The universe will unfold in my favor.

BA-out