Pursuing Lovely Travels: July 2015

My husband and I love road trips, even if it's only an hour long. We love spending time with just us two, and blasting some great tunes while hitting the road. Some songs are great for singing at the top of your lungs like a rock star, and other perfect for contemplating as you watch the horizon and landscapes pass by.

Over the years we've been on a handful number of road trips, and we've gotten used to a certain selection of songs that are our must-haves on any road trip playlist. Here are our top 15 current favourites, enjoy a little listen!

1. Send Me (On My Way) by Rusted Root - Wayne loves this song, and it's really fun to kick-start the journey with a song about going somewhere!

2. Pompeii by Bastille - This is a great song overall, but can you imagine this blasting through your speakers as you see the sunrise? Or come upon some mountains? Pure epic-ness...

3. The Gambler by Kenny Rogers - Every classic road trip deserves a classic country song, and what could be more classic than this?

4. What I Wouldn't Do by Serena Ryder - This is one of my favourite go-to songs for something up-beat and a bit folk-y. I can picture and endless road and open skies whenever I hear this song.

5. Wake Me Up by Avicii - Great song over all! Definitely up-beat, which is good for those long, sometimes aching, hours of sitting in a car.

6. Lighthouse by Rend Collection - Wayne adores this song, it's très catchy and uplifting! Definitely gets us singing every time and bobbing our heads to the beat.

7. Secrets by OneRepublic - I love OneRepublic, and this is by no means my top favourite, but for the purpose of this list, I only chose one of their songs.

8. I Will Wait (or almost anything) by Mumford and Sons - We both LOVE Mumford and Sons, what more can I say? They are amazing!!!

9. Old Pine by Ben Howard - Such a soothing and earth-y song, and Ben Howard is wonderful. One of my faves. I would love to listen to this while driving through a dark pine forest!

10. Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer - Maybe this is my girly-girl side, but I love this song. I love the picture the words paint; goes fitting with a road-trip through the prairies.

11. Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus - If you're going to the US, this is so much fun to pump yourself up to! Especially when approaching a huge city like New York or LA!

12. Let Her Go by Passenger - What a charming song, and who better to sing it with than with someone you love whilst holding their hand?

13. You & Me by Lifehouse - If you're travelling with your significant other, it is literally just you and them. Too bad you can't dance a slow dance in the car...

14. Hey Soul Sister by Train - HE-EY! HE-EH-EH-EY! HE-EH-EH-EY!...

15. Any Other Way by Daniela Andrade - She's not big like that Ariana chick but I love this Canadian singer song-writer! (since there isn't much on YouTube, check out her songs here!)

Listening to these songs make me want to get in the car and take off...

What songs have you been listening to on your road trips lately? Or maybe air plane trips? Song suggestions are greatly welcome!

13:45 No comments

Today officially marks 1 month until my husband and I touch down in the land of Egypt. I would be lying if I said we weren't nervous. While we've read as much as we could on life in Egypt, travel tips, and received info booklets on what to expect and customs, and such, there is no such thing as being ready, only willing.

There is some danger to be apprehensive about, as well as many comforts from home that will be missed. Yet there are countless new foods to try, new flavours to explore, new language to learn, new sights to behold, new people to embrace, new music and sounds to be captivated by, and new experiences to live.

Thus I present, first, the things were not looking forward to/will miss about home, and second: what we can't wait for!

Top 5 Things We're Not Looking Forward To

1) Women's Rights A-Lacking.
I've read many blogs and articles about how different life will be for me as a female in the middle East, and I dred it. I'm not a feminist in the radical sense, but I do think a woman should be able to show her knees without men treating her like a prostitute. Also, I've been practising how to say "I'm married" and "Leave me alone" in Arabic...

2) Illiteracy.
I am fortunate to know 3 languages fluently, and have a good linguistic talent for deciphering Latin based languages I do not speak. Arabic, however, could not be more foreign to me. While I am ecstatic to learn a new and different language, neither my husband or I are looking forward to the growing pains of learning to read right to left and in a new alphabet. Can I join the kindergarten kids in Arabic class?

3) Heat.
I am an odd creature. I don't mind warmth but always had low tolerance for extreme heat (and cold). Tropical places are not where I want to retire. Give me a cottage in Ireland, and I'll be thrilled. Fortunately, Egypt is a dry heat, which I know I can combat with much more ease than humid.

4) No Bacon.
And no pork at all for that matter. I'm not in love with pork, though I do really enjoy ham, but both my husband and I love bacon - we are Canadian after all! So knowing we will not be having these foods at all while in the Middle East, makes our stomachs rather sad.

5) On Your Guard.
There is a safety and sense of social respect that is present more Western societies that seems like a fairy tale in more exotic eastern countries. I know we will get used to it and it will become second nature, but we soft Canadians will have much to learn about who to trust and how to behave in society if we are to be safe and not get into trouble or mixed up in something.

Now for the Top 5 Things We Are SO Looking Forward To

1) The Food
We are BIG food lovers! There is very little we are shy to try, and we love ethnic cuisine, so we are definitely looking forward to the exotic tastes and aromas that await!

Food.com - Egyptian Recipes

2) The Sites
The Nile, the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Red Sea, need I go on?

3) The Cultural Experience
Getting used to a new way of life can be challenging and sometimes embarrassing. But once you get into the ebb and wane of life of the culture around you, it's a beautiful experience. I believe in life-long learning, and being exposed to the new and different is bound to teach you some things.

4) Adventure
What do wanderers want more than an adventure? We wouldn't be going at all if it weren't up for one! We are building our To-Do list, which already includes: scuba diving in the Red Sea, climbing inside a Pharaoh's tomb, visiting visiting countries such as Turkey and Israel and so much more!

5) Teaching
As a new teacher, I'm gushing over having my own classroom and students for two years!!! I know I will be learning just as much as I am teaching, if not more, but I couldn't be more excited to put my skills into full gear and truly begin my career! I'm also thrilled to have a classroom full of brown-eyed pupils with dark curly hair...My grade sixes will be the most adorable!
Have you ever moved to a completely new culture and country? Have you lived in Egypt? What was it like?

11:23 No comments

Hello wanderers!

There are plenty of tips and pieces of advice for travelling Europe that many people will be familiar with or easily find on most travel sites. Don't forget your umbrella while in the UK, do not leave valuables for pickpockets to easily snatch, keep a close eye on your taximeter, wear appropriate clothing to visit the Vatican, etc.

Yet, there are small details that will come up in your travels that could cause confusion or trouble. Here are 5 tips that I have recorded from my time in Europe. They should prove to be useful, especially if you are planning your very first trip over to Europe. Here we go!

06:46 No comments

There are many kinds of travellers out there. Some travel as part of their work, others sell everything they own to wander the globe. Many are everyday people with more typical jobs, who make an effort to use up whatever vacation time they can get to go out and see the world.

Then, there are those who travel for very selfless reasons. Missionaries, relief volunteers and aid workers are these kinds of travellers. They go where they are needed, not necessarily what is on their bucket list. They don't go to resorts, or with the mindset to hit up attractions and monuments. They are there for the people, the locals, who are in need, and they come to serve and share hope, life and love.

A couple months ago, on April 25th, you may recall the terrible earthquake that shook and tore across the country of Nepal, leaving behind utter destruction, fear and hopelessness. Among the survivors was my very good friend Julia, who had only landed there a couple weeks before with her YWAM (Youth With A Mission) team from Kona, Hawaii.

It has been 2 months now since that disastrous day, and Julia is back home safe and sound, and with incredible stories of what happened there in Kathmandu before, during and after the two earthquakes. I decided to sit down and chat with her, to get a first-hand account and perspective of Nepal, the country, the people, the event, and the aftermath. We met up at Tims, and the following conversation and questions ensued.

Nepal: The First Impressions

The noise! The vehicles, the honking, and crazy driving were the first things I noticed when I arrived in Nepal. "It scared me, it was scary!" The roads don't have lines and no speed limits.

Motorcycles zig-zag through traffic anyway they can, it’s chaotic. There are also no stop signs, so you better run when you cross the street! Drivers don’t get punished the same way if they hit a human. "They would rather hit a human than a cow, you could go to jail for hitting a cow". Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, has mostly dirt roads, there not many that are paved. “You can see electrical wires hang just a few inches above your head from electrical posts!”

The capital is very polluted and dirty, so much exhaust and grey-coloured skies - "you can't even see the mountains except on really clear days". Other sights include goats tied up, stray dogs wandering around, and cows literally lying and gazing around. "Because they consider the cow holy, you cannot even touch it, unless you own it". It gives whole new meaning to the term ‘holy cow’.

When it came to first impressions of the people, the way women are dressed really caught Julia’s attention. "You knew who were Hindu and who were Buddhist. They (Hindus) wear a kirta of bright colours - lots of reds, purples and oranges. Buddhist women wear a longer head piece that wraps around their bodies". As a female, Julia was not allowed to show shoulders or above the knee.

Many Nepalese women wear nose rings on the left, as opposed to the right, which is the Indian way. "They believe it will help make babies!"

Speaking of babies, the children in Nepal are not afraid to go up to people and start talking to them. While Julia admits that this is typical of most kids even in our culture, it was much more pronounced and open with these Nepalese children. "They fall in love with you instantly, and climb up on you. They (the families) love to invite you over into their home and feed you constantly". Hospitality is prevalent in their culture, which is surprising for us North Americans, who have so much to give, and yet are not nearly so open to give and share with others, never mind complete strangers.

When the earthquake hit, what changed -

"Before - it was harder to talk to people about Jesus and to witness, to share about what we believed and talk about what they believed. Afterwards, they were much more open because they faced death, and realized that they had no certainty of where they were going after death". The landscape obviously changed, but it is shocking in what ways it did. For instance, the Temples were all fine and standing, after the earthquake though, every single one in Kathmandu fell down. Dogs were freaking out more and barking at people, clearly also shaken after the earthquake. Life as they knew it, changed. Before, there were a lot more markets open the earthquake, and afterwards many of them did not open again. Their spirit of hospitality, however, was still very prevalent during the chaos.

How was the state of the locals?

Shaken. Every 50 years or so they experience a big earthquake, but they were still shaken. The Nepalese were very fearful, and the government already likes to use fear tactics to control the people.

They were searching for a sense of peace and would surround us whenever we were praying out loud in the streets. On the bright side, local churches were once segregated and not even aware of each other’s existence, now had a very good reason to rally together. Our team decided to get all the churches in Kathmandu to get together and 15 out of 25 of them came out to a worship event. It was very encouraging.

What was the greatest need?

"Peace and comfort". As previously mentioned, they were filled with fear. Material-wise, they needed the everyday things to stay comfortable. The government, however, is so corrupt that they kept some of the materials that came in for relief, so the people weren't getting things like blankets. They needed shelter, which we helped build, especially for those whose houses completely collapsed.

How did you comfort them?

We would walk around and pray for direction, then we would be led to a house and talk to the people, get to know their story or need. Many would come out to us before we even got there. We would pray over them. We raised some money for our close neighbours and friends in the neighbourhood where we were stationed, whose houses had completely collapsed. It was great to see how at peace and loved they felt - they almost didn't accept the money.

How were the people’s spirits when you left?

The people that we knew well, we felt that we were leading them to a state of hope, "that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and something for them to hold on to". We felt bad because we (the missionary group) got to leave the situation, but they have to stay behind and who knows how it will pan out, but they felt that they were going to be OK, and it is not the end but only the beginning of something huge. Nepal is definitely going to be a turning to Jesus, there is a chance for a revival. Everyone thought after the earthquake that "this nation is finished" but we spoke to them and said "no, Nepal is going to come back, and it's going to prosper".

What still needs to be done?

More missionaries, more people from anywhere to be placed there, because "the harvest is ready, but the worker are few". Naturally, more materials are needed for houses to be built, and even for the temples. Offering to build up their old temples is a way to show the love of God and evangelize, which is what one missionary pastor is doing over there right now. Honestly, the government needs to change. They need a new person in charge, someone who wants to help and not leave it hanging on a thread. Ultimately, what needs to be done is to build Nepal back to be even better than before.

- - -

There are people out there, just like Julia, who are doing good work across the whole world. They get no special recognition, award or building named after them. Our society and media is obsessed with actors, musicians, and famous idols who, for the most part, simply provide entertainment. Yet it is the humble, the selfless and the loving ones willingly serve others that we should look to as role models and with admiration.

I am so proud of my friend Julia, and I am so excited for what is in store for her in the coming years and she returns to do more missionary work in the fall. She inspires me to become a better person, to grow my faith and to open my heart to those who need it most. While life has not been arranged in a way for me to travel along with missions and relief groups, I know it is possible to share hope and love wherever you are and wherever you go. As wanderers, we have the opportunity to touch the lives of so many people in meaningful ways, both abroad and locally, and we should never forget that.

Do you have a story that involves travelling that you are inspired to share? Let me know and your story just might get featured in a future post!

Wanderfully yours,

Elizabeth

08:50 No comments

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