Genuinely Happy & Sleep Deprived

I remember back in the day when I was active on Tumblr, I used to wonder how I’d feel like if I went on an exploratory adventure just like the people I saw on my timeline. Last week I found the answer to that; genuinely happy and sleep deprived.

A week ago, my family and I went on a short getaway to Luxor and Aswan. For my non-Egyptian readers, Luxor and Aswan are two cities located in south Egypt. They’re considered ancient wonders that hold the great history of the pharaohs through just monuments. Luxor alone contains about one third of the world’s ancient monuments; you can now imagine how valuable those two cities are to the world! Not to bore you with dull history facts any longer, I finally went to places long talked of their greatness with no expectations and certainly no interest in history.

I couldn’t tell if that trip would be a kind of adventure or not at first but I had my backpack, camera, journal, sneakers, and parka jacket with me anyway. They all came in handy because it was indeed an on-foot adventure. I walked a lot in museums, temples, and underground tombs. I climbed up and down historical valleys. And I sailed feluccas at different times of the day. It was all very enriching, mind-blowing, and beautiful at the same time!

The Sacred Lake at Karnak Temple in Luxor

Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor

Thutmose The Third Temple in Luxor

The view from Valley of the Nobles in Luxor

Luxor Temple at night time in Luxor

I’m anything but a history enthusiast so when I signed up for that trip, I had zero intention to learn about ancient history (still do). I was only all in to see what the big fuss is about, and cross those cities off my bucket list. However, that trip exceeded my non-existent expectations by creating on-spot ones. From the very first site we visited, I took loads of photos and videos, and suddenly became interested in the ancient history being told by the tour guide – except when names and events came up because they were just too many to remember. And as we passed by each historical site, expectations to be mind-blown by absolute greatness and brilliance continued to build up. My feet became eager to wander around, and my eyes became eager to capture greatness as witnessed through my camera lens. For four full days, I was filled with eagerness to explore, and that somehow felt like a tamed version of ecstasy. I was a tourist in my own country!

Nasser Lake in Aswan

Philae Temple in Aswan

The view from Philae Temple in Aswan

The Nile in Aswan

Another photo of the Nile in Aswan as the sun was setting

An artistic wall inside a Nubian House at the Nubian Village in Aswan

The outside of a Nubian house at the Nubian Village in Aswan

My getaway to Luxor and Aswan was surprisingly more than just changing scenery; it turned out to be more like changing my mind set. I tried to grasp every moment of last week through photos, videos, conversations, and long pauses of awe. All that grasping has fueled me with determination to go on exploratory adventures more than ever – so let it be my first documented 2017 life goal.

A dove bird house at Banana Island in Luxor

The view from Banana Island in Luxor

Speaking of goals, my goal at the moment is to sleep for as long as I can because I’ve been sleep deprived the whole past week. We used to wake up very early to go to as many places as we could, and I slept very late because winter break ends soon and I couldn’t just waste not sleeping early… Anyway, I hope your week was filled with excitement for something as small as the release of a new episode or as big as the purchase of a new gadget whatever it is. Don’t forget to let me know in the comments what the highlight of your week was. Enjoy your weekend!