Kalimera, Crete (Or How One Bad Morning Led To A Great Holiday)

It’s funny how I can recall the exact moment I fell in love with Crete and decided it would be a destination I would want to visit again and again and again- but I realize now it did not come easily. Earlier in the day, we’d gotten into the rental and were trying to manage…

So, I Haven’t Been Writing Lately

I have to be honest with you: throughout 2015, I would internalize every conversation, every incident, every meeting with a vendor in hopes that I would later use it as material for the blog. Challenging myself to write every single day also made me more attentive to my surroundings and even a better listener. It…

How To Turn A Bad Day Around

Tuesdays are cursed-at least for me. Tuesdays always mean missed deadlines, unexpected problems, endless meetings, hastily consumed lunches at the desk while scrambling to finish a task, and most importantly, getting stuck in traffic. I no longer hate Mondays, like everyone else, because it always pales in comparison to the day that follows it. Naturally, I’m…

Ready Or Not

Getting married has clearly given those surrounding me a free pass to invade my privacy. And nothing is more obvious then how I’ve been on bump watch since I tied the knot. A protruding stomach following a heavy meal, a more loose shirt because I feel hot and sticky especially in this weather, and even…

Some of My Observations At The Beach

One of my favorite activities in the summertime is to grab a book, my headphones, and head to the beach for some much needed quiet time and relaxation. It’s been my go-to summertime activity for years so I have to say I’m very unpleasantly surprised at the current state of Lebanese beaches and the ridiculous…

At My Worst (Again)

About twenty days ago, when I was feeling at my worst yet again, I wrote the below in an attempt to help myself understand why I wasn’t okay yet again, and what are the issues that I need to work on.  Writing always helps me feel better- and when I come back to the posts…

Small Talk, The Lebanese Way

Anyone who has ever engaged in small talk with a Lebanese person will know that it is an interesting sequence of events that always concludes in the same way. No matter the age group or the location or the subject at hand, the conversation shifts to a single topic like that theory that any internet…

Lebanon Versus The Rest of the World

Over the past few days in Sri Lanka, I’ve done things I have never done before: climb 1236 steps to reach an ancient fortress and go on a safari. I’ve also effectively learned that Lebanese people (of a certain age group) will always compare and contrast things with what we have back home. And then…

When A Group of Strangers Travels Together

In the lead up to our trip to Sri Lanka, I had been telling Ahmad that maybe it wouldn’t be so bad that we would be travelling as part of a group, doing everything together for the next few days. If anything, I hoped it would lead to new friendships (as I am always looking…

Vacation Planning

I find researching a trip just as exciting as going there. Maybe it’s because I hate surprises and don’t like having a plan, but I truly do enjoy reading guidebooks, browsing the internet for advice, and watching episodes of the Amazing Race that feature the location I will be going to. I know that many encourage others…