My favorite country was Dominica because of its pristine beauty. It was in every sense, a paradise. And it took me completely by surprise. I have been to a fair number of islands scattered throughout the Caribbean and thought I knew what to expect from tropical islands. I was thrown completely off guard from the moment I first stepped outside that January morning to the most stunning sunrise I have every experienced, over a lush, green, mountainous landscape.
My favorite country was Brazil because of the outlandish adventure it gave me. I slept in a hammock out in the open in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. I fished for piranha and feasted on it for dinner. I went Cayman spotting in the pitch black night along the Amazon river. I hiked through the rainforest and swam in the Amazon with these bizarrely alien Pink Dolphins. Brazil gave me the Indiana Jones adventure that everyone fantasizes about at some point in their lives.
My favorite country was Ghana because it gave me the rude, humiliating, awakening as to how privileged we really are. I played with so many beautiful, carefree, happy children, who more often than not don't know where their next meal is going to come from. Going without running water, or even access to clean drinking water at times, made me appreciate just how much we take for granted, and the ridiculous amount of things we think we need to survive happily, but really don't. Growing up I never had to worry about food or water; I was fed three meals a day and was lucky enough to live in a place with clean tap water. That one aspect alone, that I never even thought to appreciate it was such a given, made me more privileged than the majority of the world. We hear that everyday but it is impossible to understand the full weight of it until you have seen it.
My favorite country was South Africa because it was the place that I could most easily see myself going back to live in for an extended period of time, and that is because I was comfortable there; everything was familiar on some level or another. Not only that but it was beautiful. It had the mountainous landscape that I have grown up with and would never want to live without, and the ocean. I got to hike to the top of Table Mountain and see the most breathtaking landscape before me, and then go diving with the magnificent Great White Sharks.
My favorite country was Mauritius because it was a small unexpected gift that was given to us out of the generosity of our amazing staff and crew here on Semester at Sea. Also, being a scuba diver, I have an insurmountable appreciation for marine life and any small island culture where the ocean plays such a significant role, whether as a source of food or in the economical role of ecotourism.
My favorite country was India because it pushed me to deal with being in a place that is so different it is uncomfortable at times, and I came out a stronger and more self-aware person for it. I have romanticized this place for so long and in return it stripped me of every little familiar aspect of life that we cling to when we travel as something that is not different. There is a point of ecstasy when you first arrive in a new place, when you are so excited that you don't have time to feel the discomfort of how foreign it is. It is only after some time there, after the initial glee wares off that you realize you don't know where you are, or how you are supposed to act, or what you are even supposed to do, and that is when you begin to become a stronger person. That is when a country truly teaches you its lessons. That is the true beauty of travel, and what India did to me.
My favorite country was Singapore because for a day I ran around and became a kid again. I visited Universal Studios, walked into the worlds of my favorite movies, got super psyched over the insanely advanced technology (they have magical electronic paper!), ate the spiciest meal of this entire trip, saw the view from the top of their most iconic high rise, and stood just outside the gate of their world-famous infinity pool. Singapore may not have been much different than any other big city, but it was a day of pure fun where I could gawk in amazement at everything with pure, childlike wonder.
My favorite country was Vietnam for two different reasons. First, because for the first time I experienced true backpacker culture, and it was exciting! I stayed in one hostel after another, surrounded by people my age who have been traveling for months on end simply for the enjoyment of it. I met incredible people from all over the world (which is ironic that that's what was exciting considering that's what I've been doing this entire trip), and heard their stories of their travels and realized just how easy traveling really is. I was inspired. Secondly, Vietnam showed me the true devastation of war. out of all of US history, I have always had this grim fascination with the Vietnam War, and visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants Museum was a more moving and horrifying experience than I could ever justifiably describe in a simple paragraph.
My favorite countries were Hong Kong and China, because they were an unexpected chaotic string of mishaps and surprises that somehow meshed together into one unbelievable experience. In fact, China was probably the most I have enjoyed myself, which is insane considering it was just one big series of mistakes and setbacks and language barriers after another (It's a long story). We were given an entire week, longer than any other port, to travel across one of the biggest countries in the world. I had no plans whatsoever until literally the night before, but I spent that week traveling with three of my favorite people on this ship, one of whom had ancestors that grew up in a virtually unknown city that we visited to pay our respects. And the street food was to die for. I still think about China's street food constantly.
My favorite country was Japan because I returned home. It was my third time in Japan, I knew the country, by this point I knew the ins and outs of traveling, and I just spent an incredible few days bumming around Tokyo and doing and eating everything I have missed the most. Japan hasn't changed a bit. It will always be a home away from home; someplace familiar and welcoming despite its being an entire world away from the US, as much in culture and customs as in distance.
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