Risk-Taking, Success and Increased Resilience

[TruthSeeker]

your post also really spiked my energy and made me so happy for you. I love traveling and I am heading to east africa myself during Christmas ...
I think you will have a blast in Tanzania and Morocco (I have not been there myself)...
I am just so happy for you...and wishing you great experience and rest and growth while you are there.

Ps. I forgot two things that I am adamant about even with my husband today:
No landing of a country at night unless we are picked up by the same hotel....like I will not take a taxi or bus in the night from the airport of a country I have not been before...NO. I think this one will stick with me for life. it is just too random for me.
Also when I am alone, I do not dwell around late nights - no night club, alcohol etc absolutely no drugs even if I am in US...to me I do not mind all those at home if I feel it, but just do not want to end up Midnight Express! LOL or trip or lose control or get screwed!

Good advice. I took a group of 40 kids to Australia about 13 years ago. One of them got sick....I had a dying cell phone.....arrangements were made for us to cross the ferry off an island @11pm at night (with a sick middle school age young man), walk to a "bench" about midnight, and get taxied by unknown taxi service to the hospital. Taxi was 45 min. late.........it was pitch....and we were alone....Roger that one......all turned out well, and the clinic people (not hospital) in nowhere -w brand new doc on staff couldn't have been nicer....sitting in a foriegn country, w a sick kid, with a cell phone and no idea how to use it in Australia and who would I call? an OMG moment in time. Roger that-and a point that will stick when making Morocco plans.

Yeah...and I'm a boring party person, drinking is not a passion or need, and don't do the dark without a plan-and another person with me. Good points!

 

[Ronin]

then I thought Egypt (yeah....no....single woman w PTSD...bad idea), Morocco probably is a better choice for the flight home.

If that was the rationale for no to Egypt, Morocco aint much safer.

 

[grit]

I agree with @Ronin that Egypt and Morocco are like US and Canada...samething but no different! (-; (intentional wording).

However, I have been to Egypt and as long as you are travelling in the daylight, learn how to say no, maybe even made up a story about having too many children (for some reason bearing a lot of children and being married are sort of barriers in the middle east from my experience) and you are in metro city...I think you will be fine.

I see in my head, @Ronin shaking his head in disbelief about Morocco being safer than Egypt!

The sexiest part of woman's body in Morocco is her ankles...think about that for second. That is all most men see most of the time especially out in the suburbia or rural area...not sure how metro Casablanca is...but these days, a lot of these countries are pushed back culturally unfortunately the nature of our current political environment.

@TruthSeeker I can only try to imagine the stress of that incident in Australia! But is proves that even with PTSD, the self is that resilient and creative in order to survive.

 

[Ronin]

I see in my head, @Ronin shaking his head in disbelief about Morocco being safer than Egypt!

Lmao... I wasn't shaking head so much. :p The airports are cool, I'd get if it is an overlay or flight out, don't matter from where so much.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I agree with @Ronin that Egypt and Morocco are like US and Canada...samething but no different! (-; (intentional wording).

However, I have been to Egypt and as long as you are travelling in the daylight, learn how to say no, maybe even made up a story about having too many children (for some reason bearing a lot of children and being married are sort of barriers in the middle east from my experience) and you are in metro city...I think you will be fine.

I see in my head, @Ronin shaking his head in disbelief about Morocco being safer than Egypt!

The sexiest part of woman's body in Morocco is her ankles...think about that for second. That is all most men see most of the time especially out in the suburbia or rural area...not sure how metro Casablanca is...but these days, a lot of these countries are pushed back culturally unfortunately the nature of our current political environment.

@TruthSeeker I can only try to imagine the stress of that incident in Australia! But is proves that even with PTSD, the self is that resilient and creative in order to survive.

Then maybe Egypt....could check off another bucketlister.........it seems like a fascinating place. Not that far from Tanzania....looking at the continent....on a little map...LOL.....lots of possibilities....and I can say no and smile, and have a dozen children and grumpy husband at home waiting for me.....,just a lie to a stranger not in need (doesn't count for safety). Could consider???

I agree with @Ronin that Egypt and Morocco are like US and Canada...samething but no different! (-; (intentional wording).

However, I have been to Egypt and as long as you are travelling in the daylight, learn how to say no, maybe even made up a story about having too many children (for some reason bearing a lot of children and being married are sort of barriers in the middle east from my experience) and you are in metro city...I think you will be fine.

I see in my head, @Ronin shaking his head in disbelief about Morocco being safer than Egypt!

The sexiest part of woman's body in Morocco is her ankles...think about that for second. That is all most men see most of the time especially out in the suburbia or rural area...not sure how metro Casablanca is...but these days, a lot of these countries are pushed back culturally unfortunately the nature of our current political environment.

@TruthSeeker I can only try to imagine the stress of that incident in Australia! But is proves that even with PTSD, the self is that resilient and creative in order to survive.

Yeah...but we made it, and the story had a happy ending, and I learned a lot about a remote hospital in Australia (we call them clinics here in the U.S. but I was grateful to see the doc....and she was so kind, I got a leather chair to sleep on, and free breakfast, too! The people we encountered in Australia were really quite nice.

 

[grit]

I find even the most scary travel story, if you survive fully, becomes a great life time story! glad to hear you had an amazing hospitality in Down Under and everybody was OK at the end.

About the lying of having children/husband, one thing I learned in my travels especially Africa and middle east (in Africa and across the red sea pond) is that a lot of these places personal boundaries are non-existent. Asking personal questions are OK. I just became accustomed to. A shop owner trying to sell you a spice or perfume will ask where is your husband? Actually everybody usually asks that unless they are educated or have been to the western country themselves- even then I find they ask in clever ways. The assumption is always you are a woman and married so rather than correcting, assuming, getting into some ridiculous battle about this or that or even confusing them about being single and traveling alone - like wtf - is wrong with her....I tell little profile. married. yes - he is here in the hotel, smile and smile and no more details..let us talk about the spice! This may not happen to everyone or every woman but from my experience and the few friends I have who have been there, it is quite common that boundaries are blurred and it takes a bit of getting used to it.

It can be super uncomfortable and honestly now that I have dealt with some of my PTSD and actually became conscious of my boundaries, I am curious about my upcoming trip in East Africa too. I think back then, I also was not aware of my boundaries so if you have clear boundaries maybe you will give out different energy. From my experience, the culture has no physical boundaries and if you are scared to cross the road, a woman (not a man) may hold your hand without even asking you and take you to the other side as an example.

However, as different as they are, I actually find middle east countries (including Israel) extremely hospitable, some of the most honest and wicked humor, generous to a fault and quite safe as long as you are aware of yourself.

 

[Ronin]

like wtf - is wrong with her...

Is not the assumption.
Its, more decent corners, a show of care, husband - protection, not accompanied, lets protect her / step in.

 

[grit]

I guess you are thinking like a man....you may have a point... actually I think you really nailed it...samething I said that too.. I had a man waiting for me.
We are really monkeys! Lol

 

[TruthSeeker]

I find even the most scary travel story, if you survive fully, becomes a great life time story! glad to hear you had an amazing hospitality in Down Under and everybody was OK at the end.

About the lying of having children/husband, one thing I learned in my travels especially Africa and middle east (in Africa and across the red sea pond) is that a lot of these places personal boundaries are non-existent. Asking personal questions are OK. I just became accustomed to. A shop owner trying to sell you a spice or perfume will ask where is your husband? Actually everybody usually asks that unless they are educated or have been to the western country themselves- even then I find they ask in clever ways. The assumption is always you are a woman and married so rather than correcting, assuming, getting into some ridiculous battle about this or that or even confusing them about being single and traveling alone - like wtf - is wrong with her....I tell little profile. married. yes - he is here in the hotel, smile and smile and no more details..let us talk about the spice! This may not happen to everyone or every woman but from my experience and the few friends I have who have been there, it is quite common that boundaries are blurred and it takes a bit of getting used to it.

It can be super uncomfortable and honestly now that I have dealt with some of my PTSD and actually became conscious of my boundaries, I am curious about my upcoming trip in East Africa too. I think back then, I also was not aware of my boundaries so if you have clear boundaries maybe you will give out different energy. From my experience, the culture has no physical boundaries and if you are scared to cross the road, a woman (not a man) may hold your hand without even asking you and take you to the other side as an example.

However, as different as they are, I actually find middle east countries (including Israel) extremely hospitable, some of the most honest and wicked humor, generous to a fault and quite safe as long as you are aware of yourself.

That's very helpful info.....any good cultural books you recommend? I have plenty of time before I leave to read about the culture.

 

[grit]

Hi @TruthSeeker
I do not have any books to recommend. I am sorry. I just travel there so much by myself that I picked on the differences in culture and people. I think if you go with an open mind and curiosity, you will see the difference and adapt to it your own way.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks...