Day 1: New York

HELLO! I guess you are interested in reading about my recent trip to Egypt! Let's just say you're in for a treat. It's like chocolate chip cookies (the best kind of cookie there is!) but you'll have to replace the cookie with my pictures and awesome commentary! That's just about as good, right?

Anyway, before I go on, I should talk about how and why I went on this study abroad trip. I am a history major and anthropology minor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Last semester in November, when I left my Ireland and the Irish class, I saw a similar advertisement for a travel abroad trip to EGYPT sponsored by the ARAMFO foundation across from the classroom. I immediately wrote down the information and contacted the professor in charge. Unfortunately, about a month later, Metro pulled out of the program but I was still incredibly determined to go on this trip. I mean, it was EGYPT. It was a dream of mine 17 years in the making to go. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had to take it! The professor referred me to Dr. Abeer Ibrahim and she immediately responded saying I could come with as a community member!

The rest is history as they say, hahahaha! History! I'm hilarious.

Our journey began in New York on May 18th! We had a 12 hour layover there before heading off to Cairo (!!!!) and I went exploring with a handful of others around the city.

New York! Taxis and buildings! I really like the way New York LOOKS but the vibe I got there was very RUSHED and not so-friendly, so I wasn't a huge fan. Perhaps if I toured the city with Ryan Star then I'd have a different opinion...

What? You don't know who Ryan Star is?

RYAN STAR

He's only one of the best singers/musicians/performers in the world and I've seen him in concert/met him 6 times so far AND he happens to be from New York! [/shameless promoting of awesome musicians, a.k.a. check out his music!]

Anyway. That was a slight detour.

Central Park!

A group of us went the Metropolitan Museum of Art and this place is HUGE. It's amazing but it's HUGE. I was expecting it to be kind of like the Denver Museum of Nature and Science where I could easily find the exit if I was done but NOPE. You think you're almost done but ANOTHER EXHIBIT AWAITS! We got lost a lot!

The entire first floor was filled with Egyptian art. It was a great introduction as we were about to see the real stuff in the actual country!

My next greatest love after Egypt when it concerns history and anthropology is that of the Native Americans. I was stoked to see some Native art at the MET!

Swords!!!

Bow and arrows and quivers!!!

This is what it looked like outside the MET when we were done. Super crowded!

Here, I present to you my first New York hot dog. It was $2 and quite delicious though I put too much mustard on it.

Could this be the bridge from Enchanted?!

"Giselle! I've been dreaming of a true love's.... (gets run over by bicyclists)"

New York! 

EgyptAir! The plane we took to Cairo!

My ARAMFO name tag, passport, and ticket from JFK to Cairo! 

At the end of 2009, I took a semester of Arabic and I regret not taking any more classes after! It was my last semester at Front Range so I didn't have the motivation but now I wish I did. I was able to go to Egypt with a very, very, very basic knowledge of Arabic but I could NOT keep a conversation. I'm very good with the numbers and letters and spelling out people's names and actually reading Arabic but I just have no idea what I'm reading, haha!

This was in front of my seat!

The plane ride was about 11.5 hours!!! I'm not a frequent flyer and so I was too anxious and not prepared for this flight. I wasn't relaxed enough to sleep so I maybe...maybe slept two hours total on the flight. I watched Chasing Mavericks since it had Gerard Butler in it but it didn't really keep my attention. We arrived in Cairo at around 11:20 in the morning! My next post will focus on my first day in Egypt!