In the past month and a half, I have traveled over 14,000 miles (22,000 kilometers), attended a conference at the UN, visited a city I have always wanted to see (NYC), returned home, hung out at the Dead Sea and the Pacific Ocean and most importantly, seen so many of my friends and family from all over the world. Here are some of the highlights of my travels.
New York City
My first stop in my travels was to New York City. This was my first visit to New York as well as to the East Coast of the US. I was fortunate to stay in Midtown Manhattan, right next to the Chrysler Building and the United Nations Headquarters. New York stands true to its reputation as one of the great cities of the world. After having spent extensive amounts of time in other major cities such as London, Paris and Cairo, I have been lucky to add New York to my list of cities visited.
One of the highlights of my trip to New York was being able to participate in a United Nations conference, the Commission on the Status of Women. It was exciting to be around so many people from all over the world who were concerned with the welfare of women. I really enjoyed meeting accomplished and inspiring people in the human rights field. I especially enjoyed the event held by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Ms. Rashida Manjoo.
In regards to the city itself, I have heard that New Yorkers are a bit cold, but I was pleasantly surprised in finding that the majority of them were extremely helpful and nice. New York is such a tall city; I was amazed at all of the impressive buildings in this city. The Chrysler Building has become one of my new favorite buildings. Central Park is beautiful with the New York skyline as a backdrop. I loved exploring Chinatown. One of my favorite things I did in New York was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Even in the rain it was beautiful and the views from the bridge were fantastic. If anyone has the chance to visit New York, I would definitely recommend it.
Chrysler Building
Empire State Building
United Nations Headquarters
Piece of the Berlin Wall at the UN
Central Park
Oregon
There’s nothing quite like home. The more I travel the more I have come to appreciate my amazing corner of the world, Oregon. This is a diverse state which prides itself on its nature, quirky but lovable inhabitants and delicious, local food. I was fortunate to be able to be home for a month, which was wonderful as I had not been home in the past 14 months. Oregon shows off one of its best sides in the spring with everything in bloom. During my time home, I was able to visit Portland (one of my all-time favorite cities), roam the Willamette Valley, Redmond and make a couple of trips to the Oregon Coast. I was also able to spend a lot of time with my lovely family and friends.
Portland with a view of Mt. Hood
Springtime in the city
Willamette National Forest
Tulips!
Oregon Coast
Back to Amman
After many weeks of traveling, I arrived back in Amman. It is so sunny and warm here, it already feels like summer. Overall my travels were fantastic. I am already looking forward to my next trip, wherever that may be.
To Live Would be an Awfully Big Adventure 