One month in

It's been one month since I've left. Which is pretty crazy. It feels like I just left, but at the same time it feels like it was a while ago. Do I miss NYC and everyone I left behind? Of course. A part of me wishes I was experiencing fall in New York (really anywhere in the state would be great). And I wish some of you folks were with me seeing what I'm seeing. But I'm really glad I made this leap and doing what I've been thinking about for years.

I want to do a reflection on the last 4 weeks. Overall, things have been going very well. I've made it to 2 countries on my list: Turkey and Israel. Jordan is right around the corner, and my flight to Sri Lanka is booked. I feel like I've been making good progress, but not rushing.  I have spent more time in Turkey and Israel than I would have otherwise. At the beginning it felt like a vacation (and still does a little), and I wanted to make sure I see and do what I can. Now, I'm definitely not trying to exhaust myself seeing everything. I know that's not possible and why not leave things for another trip. You never know. That is one reason I've been mixing it up in cities and smaller towns. I love cities. Walking around and seeing the people and the sights. But it's a nice break to relax a bit in the smaller towns.

I'm feeling pretty good about the upcoming weeks and months. I'll figure out what to do in Sri Lanka and then head to India. I think I'm going to try to see both the Southern and Northern part of the country. I should be there to celebrate Diwali, which should be pretty cool. From there, I'm not sure yet. I have some friends meeting me in Southeast Asia, where we are probably hitting up Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. From there, I just need to be in Thailand by December 20th. I imagine, I'll be seeing a lot of Southeast Asia, which I'm pretty happy about. From there, I'll keep you posted. 

Since I've left, I have met so many great people. And yes, people are a little surprised I'm on my own. But generally speaking, people think it's great. There was a Turkish airport security guard that was a bit nervous for me. But he's been the exception. I've met people from Colombia, Argentina, Canada, Germany, England, Belgium, China, Korea, and of course the US, and so many from NYC. And such a range of people, ages, religions, and backgrounds. I enjoy doing things on my own, I mean I am on this trip by myself. But talking to people is also something I enjoy doing, so I appreciate the conversations.

I have mostly stayed in Airbnb apartments. I've been booking them a bit last minute and since it's off season everywhere, it's been fine so far. But I'm going to make a conscious effort to do a bit sooner than the day before. For example, getting a place to stay in Jerusalem was a bit more difficult and I had to pay a bit more than I wanted. And to be honest, it isn't ideal, but works for a few days. Some of the places I've stayed in have been great and I've had such good hosts, and others are just a place to stay. Nothing too exciting or alarming has happened thus far. I've been reading reviews and getting single rooms wherever I go. A guy posts a room and he has no reviews. I'll pass that one up. 

Since I started this adventure, I think I did ok in the packing department. I had done a lot of research on what I should bring, bought a 63 liter backpack, and went about making sure I could fit everything. Of course my brother freaked me out right before I left, but his backpack and mine really weren't that much different in size. In the weeks leading up to my departure, I started multiple piles of items and this is pretty much what I have been lugging around. 

• Clothes: tank tops (3), t-shirts (3), shorts (4), pants (2), pair of jeans (1), long sleeve (2), dress (1) underwear (10), bras (2), swimsuit (1)
• Running clothes: shorts (5), tank tops (4), t-shirt (1), long sleeve (1), sports bras (6), socks (7)
• Running accessories: hair ties, sparkly soul headbands, 1 spi belt, 1 Nathan's belt, ID bracelet, massage stick
• Accessories: watch, jewelry, scarf, Yankees hat, fitbit, USA bandanna
• Electronics: camera, tablet, kindle, phone, Garmin, ipod, necessary chargers and cords
• Toiletries: all the standard stuff, including 2 bottles of nail polish (I can provide a full list if requested)
• Rain jacket and light jacket, hat and gloves 
• Shoes: running sneakers, Toms, flip flops
• Electronics: tablet and keyboard, phone, DSLR camera, kindle, Garmin, ipod, all necessary chargers and adaptors
• Medicine: first aid kit, ibuprofen, neosporin, antihistamine medicine, malaria tablets, diarrhea medication, insect repellent spray and lotion, plus various other items (again, I can provide a full list if requested)
• Books: running journal, regular journal, and small notebook
• Miscellaneous: laundry bag, soap and detergent packets, bungee cord, headlamp, door stopper, sink stopper, locks, all-in-one utensil, collapsible bowl, headlamp, zip lock bags, garbage bags, 
• Bed sheet and quick drying towels
• Food: some snacks, some running food, and Nuun, oh and a little thing of vodka that my sister gave me
• Essentials: passport, yellow fever card, credit cards, ID, cash

I'm sure I'm missing things, but you get the idea. All this fit in my big backpack, smaller backpack, and over the shoulder purse. So far so good. There may be a few things I would have done a little differently now, but nothing crazy. I've also gotten pretty good about packing for each departure. I have bought a few things, but nothing major (a cheap fedora hat and a wine opener). But I am on the lookout for a new dress or skirt. One of these markets I go to is bound to have something that I'm willing to purchase.

On my way to JFK September 16th.

Lastly, I've been doing a reasonably good job of documenting my trip. If you follow me on Instagram, you see the 1-2 (sorry sometimes 4!) daily photos, or my albums on Facebook, and of course this blog. I'm also trying to keep some sort of journal, most of which is in my blog, but also has mementos of various places. The other thing I'm doing is keeping track of various statistics. If you know me I do love my numbers. So I've been keeping track of various things, like countries and cities visiting, miles run, steps taken, bed slept in, etc. Maybe I'll do a 3-month analysis. We'll see.

Well I'm off to finish my Golan Heights glass of red wine and plan for my long run for tomorrow morning around Jerusalem.