The World Is Just Awesome

The last few months have been indescribable. I’m trying to think of some way to sum up what the last few months have been like for me and it's turning out to be one of the hardest challenges I’ve had in a while. Harder than building up the nerve to purchase the most expensive plane ticket I’ve ever bought in order to launch myself into an adventure where I didn’t know what was going to happen and what I would be getting myself into. Harder than hauling up almost two-hundred feet of slippery, muddy, anchor chain. Harder than trying to sleep in a hot and stuffy V-berth along with hungry mosquitos. Harder than attempting to walk from sun-up to sun-down for several days in a row. Harder than trying to find a good meal or restroom when not being able to speak or even read the native language. Harder than trying to find the rest of your crewmates, in the capital of Malaysia, when nobody has cell-phones. Harder than converting currencies on the fly between last weeks country, the current country, that shop from a few hours ago, US dollars, and Euros. Harder than sanding and re-varnishing two coats on the WTP. Harder than not buying all of the cool hand-crafted items that are always for sale. Harder than eating on a minimum-budget diet. Harder than trying to stay awake on a four-hour night watch. Harder than hiking up a five kilometer mountain with a pack and at midnight. Harder than deciding to get home a different way than via the Suez Canal. Harder than keeping toes from freezing after hiking through snow powder in tennis shoes. And even harder than traveling eighteen hours on buses.

But there is one thing that has been coming to mind when thinking of the past few months. It’s a t-shirt that a vendor was selling on the street in Johor Bahru. I wish I had a picture of the shirt; it had the outline of the face of a growling wild cat and was filled with pictures of colorful birds and flowers. It was obviously a girl's shirt, so I didn’t buy it. But the text on the shirt simply said in bold, bright letters; “The World Is Just Awesome.” It's not much of a statement but it's true. People have been asking me to tell them my favorite country, or favorite place that I’ve visited but its simply an impossible question to answer. I can honestly say that every day for the past few months I’ve been surrounded by something awesome and beautiful, in one way or another. The buildings, the landscapes, the people, the animals, the customs and cultures, the skylines, the temples, the vehicles, the foods, the sports, the clothes, and even the night skies have all been awesome.

I’m sad that my adventure is coming to an end but the truth is that it is only just beginning! Soon I’ll start the next greatest adventure of my life as an entry-level environmental engineer in Richmond, Virginia. I’m looking forward to finally seeing friends and family that I’ve been missing and I’m also looking forward to staying in one place for more than a few days at a time! I think it will be strange to rejoin the “real world” and it may take a little while to get used to wearing different clothes every day, buying and preparing all of my own food again, scheduling meetings and planning for things more than a few days in advance, showering regularly, and being able to have pleasant conversations with anybody around.

Here are some of my favorite pictures (from my camera) from what little I’ve been lucky enough to see of this awesome world over the past few months:

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Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe. Its believed that humans have been living in the area of Plovdiv for as many as 6,000 years.

Like most of the cities in this area it has been occupied by several different people groups and changed names several different times. Plovdiv, as well as most of Bulgaria, lies on what was historically one of the main trading and traveling routes between Europe and Asia. This was usually very good for commerce but unfortunately made it an easy target for conquering forces.

At one point this area was occupied by the Romans and they named it Trimontium (three hills). Their mark still survives in the form of ancient ruins of massive gateways and arches, a city forum, an amphitheater, and fortresses. The top of one of the many hills in Plovdiv has the ruins from an ancient fortress. Its now a city park and great place to sit and watch the sun set and then watch the night lights of the city turn on.

One of the best things to do while in Plovdiv is wander around the Old Town. The area is small and most of the streets do not allow cars. The streets are laid with cobblestones and set the bar for cobbleiness. They were the mostly cobbley streets I’d even walked on, high-heels are simply not an option and even with tennis shoes walking wasn’t always easy. Four-legged animals weren’t off the hook either and I saw a few dogs trip or stumble down the stone roads.

A lot of the buildings in Old Town have been restored to their 19th century splendor and many of the houses which were once owned by the wealthiest citizen in Plovdiv have been turned into museums. In those museums I saw exhibits on traditional Bulgarian music, dress, costumes, crafts, historical artifacts, religious icons, and learned about the local guilds that made Plovdiv such an important city for commerce. Some of the houses are now art galleries and exhibit local traditional and modern art. Plovdiv is a center for art and many artists still live and work here.

The main downtown area is a long street that is off-limits to cars and usually jam packed with people, especially on weekends. Fancy restaurants and clothing shops line the street as well as cafes, gardens, and fountains.

Unfortunately, while I was in Plovdiv I didn’t have my camera with me. So none of these pictures on this post are mine. However, they are all very similar to the exact same sights I enjoyed while visiting the city.

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