So I had a very interesting moment at the post office today. I went to quickly drop off something, but ended up staying there longer than I thought. The African-American man working at the counter asked me where I'm from. For those wondering why I say hyphenated life under 'Author,' here's why...do I say America? Or do I say Afghanistan?  If I say America, the look on their face is priceless. If I say Afghanistan, I was born here. So I told him Afghanistan because I knew what he was thinking. 
His reaction was hilarious. He kept saying 'NO, For real?' And he said I was the first Afghan he's ever met. So we had a nice conversation about how things have changed since 9/11. We talked about Islam, Muslims, Afghans, etc. His next statement really made me think... "They aren't afraid of us anymore, they're afraid of you guys." 
The media so commonly links terrorism and terrorists to Muslims. We talked about the power of media and it's implications. But what is the solution?   

Hello and Welcome to my blog! I will be updating my blog on a regular basis. I will have two categories, the first one will be about things that occur to me daily, the second one will be about my travels. I have the travel bug and will be sharing my experiences with you. But, I first want to welcome you to my life! 

I will write more about my recent trip to Greece soon...the sunset picture above is taken in Santorini, Greece...

My mom took me to Greece for my grad school graduation. It was the absolute best gift! I would first like to say that my heart goes out to those in Athens right now. I pray for peace and stability to resurface soon. 

I can't begin to describe the beauty the islands of Greece have to offer. I have traveled to many parts of the world, but have never seen water like in Mykonos. The different shades of blue and green just take your breath away. My favorite part about Greece is how unique the blue and white buildings are. It's what sets Greece apart from the rest of the world. We traveled to Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. But I have to say that I left my heart in Mykonos. And I have to return there one day. Maybe when I retire. 

Our itinerary started in Athens. I had heard terrifying stories about Athens, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was really nice and just to see the Acropolis was worth it. Learning about it for so many years, and to just stand there and watch history, was priceless. It was also visible from our rooftop pool in our hotel. We then took a ferry to Mykonos. And I fell in love. It was such a quaint, peaceful, beautiful island. We stayed at the San Marco hotel, just a few minutes from town, and with an ocean view. It was perfect. I could have stayed there all summer. If you haven't been there, book your trip now. Pictures will be posted soon.

Our next stop was Santorini, by ferry once again. And this place is just incredible. As you get to the island by ferry, you see that the whole island is up top, high above, on a cliff! It's a must see. We stayed on the black sand beach, about 30 minutes away from town, but a perfect location because it was away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Which is the whole point of a vacation anyways, right? The town of Oia is where all the Santorini postcard photos are taken. With the blue domed buildings alongside the cliff, with white steps and donkeys and all!  Truly special. 

Both islands very different from one another, but special in their own unique way. But one point I want to give to all travelers, always be aware of tourist menus and local menus. As you can imagine, tourist menus rip you off like crazy. Even if there aren't two distinct menus, there are local items that are not displayed on the menu at much better prices, so ask for those! A Gyro sandwich should not cost more than 2.50 Euros, even if the price displayed says 9 Euros. 

That's all for now folks! Stay tuned for more...