Beware the Ides of March

March 15, 2010 has actually arrived, and I'm embarking on my Antarctic voyage.

This is a huge endeavor for various reasons... (In fact, it is feeling much bigger now that it is really happening!)

For me, this means achieving a life-long dream of conquering every continent! Out of my lifetime, this will be Number 7! (For this trip around the world, it is the 6th continent I've touched so far.)

I am facing many fears, today, as well... and putting to good use my favorite quote...

A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are made for.

Since there is no one else here to say it, I'll say it myself:

Bon Voyage!

STACY IN ISRAEL

ISRAEL'S TOP 10 THINGS--well, 11 minus 1

In no particular order…

1. Israel is a diverse place in every way: even its natural beauty can shift from dry desert to lush greenery.

2. The food! The food here is absolutely incredible… So rich and so fresh. I can see why meals here have brought people together since the beginning of time! Hmmm, maybe all of the world leaders just need to get together and eat.

3. Olive trees. They are so old and so beautiful. If the trees could talk… The Garden of Gethsemane is just a small garden of olive trees… I ate one fresh off the tree… not the same!

4. Wandering away from the tourists to remind oneself of what it’s really about. Although, this got me into trouble from time to time… mainly just with my guide—a descendent of the shepherds in Bethlehem, who threatened me with the Biblical story of the shepherd breaking the lamb’s legs in order to keep it close… I had to be reminded often.

5. The peaceful countryside and old ruins… I enjoyed this much better than the gaudy shrines that people have made out of significant places—At the same time, if they wouldn’t have done this, then we might not have known where things took place.

6. Experiencing the sorrow. Without the group noticing, I stayed behind… down in the dungeon where Jesus was chained to the walls and held as he awaited his execution. I just sat there in the silence, with my wrists and ankles pressed against the cold damp stone… thinking how strong those chains must have been… to hold up the weight of the world.

7. Freshly squeezed pomegranite juice!

8. Tons of beautiful artifacts everywhere… even being made into jewelry, like my widow’s mite and Roman glass cross necklaces…. {which I’m not sure if I actually agree with, but was apparently happy to enable}.

9. The intensity in the air—especially in Jerusalem. For better or worse, it is always there and always tangible… definitely unique to this place.

10. The water: Sea of Galilee, River Jordan, Dead Sea… there is something mystical (or maybe just miraculous) about them.

11. Experiencing several different religious ‘holidays’ at the same time (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan)… and hearing varying calls of prayer—which was also a little freaky, they were so overwhelmingly powerful/ forceful. I had a love/ hate relationship with the eeriness of it.

-1. The worst part about Israel, for me… was learning the truth. And realizing that there is no black and white—just gray. The only clear line… is a giant wall with barbed wire on top. [Enlightening fact: There are Christians living inside this “West Bank” wall… and only 5% of them are allowed to pass through it.]

ISRAEL'S TOP 10 PHOTOS

Sunrise over The Sea of Galilee. I stood on nearly every side of this lake, I ate it’s St. Peter fish, and I floated on an old boat in the middle of it… and felt as though I was transported back in time a couple thousand years. [In case you’re wondering how I was up so early, it’s because we (my tour group) had already been awake for hours worrying that our hotel was going to burn down after a small fire broke out in the basement.]

Living Water. These hands belong to one of the sweetest men I’ve ever met—a good mate from down under, with whom I had the pleasure of touring the Holy Land and re-affirming my Baptism… in this water: the Jordan River.

Out of Darkness. A view from the stairs leading down to “the sacred pit” where Jesus was held while He waited to be killed. Look closely out the window… You’ll see the city of Jerusalem, complete with the golden “Dome of the Rock” in the Temple Mount (which is off-limits to Christians and Jews).

White Dove of Peace. Positioned above mourners on the Wailing Wall. Irony. And here you can view my favorite and even more ironic dove in Israel. It’s possibly the loudest bird in the world, yet it doesn’t make a sound. To solve the riddle, read the article… For an even greater understanding, I challenge you to spend this Christmas in ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem.’

Mary of Nazareth. This statue stands tall outside of the church that sits above Mary’s home (that she grew up in)… where (from the outside) one is able to view the old remains underneath the relatively new cathedral that sits atop. While I like this photo, this was not my favorite Mary… for some reason, my favorites were always the sad Mary’s… they just evoke such strong feeling.

Jerusalem Glass. Every chapel and cathedral had gorgeous stained glass windows. I loved this one because it was one of the more abstract ones… and it features the Jerusalem Cross, which you will only find in the Holy Land.

Jesus’ Donkey. The poor thing is still waiting for Him to come back.

Sheryl’s View. “Stacy is walking where Jesus walked!” My cool roommate played video commentator as I wandered down the only area around the City Walls where one is able to view/ stroll down original (structural) remains from the time of Jesus [because Jerusalem just kept being rebuilt on top of past ruins]… made of very impressive limestone boulders.

Place of the Story of The Good Samaritan. Unfortunately, this guy represents a different character in the story. Imagine being left out there. (It’s much bigger in person.)

Windows to the Soul. The eyes of my Palestinian Christian friend—likely the most well-informed, just, and unbiased person I’ve ever met… and possibly ever will meet. These eyes have seen quite a bit. Just look in them.

A New Approach

March 16th will mark 6 months of world travel. [Since I'll be forging the Antarctic seas at that time, I'll go ahead and do this now.] Time has definitely crept up on me... which could also be observed in my last post entitled "quarterly"... where I didn't realize that I was actually already 1/3 of the way through my trip! I have done just about as much as a human could possibly do during this time-- which is why it has gone SO fast. Though there have been ups and downs (and craziness all in between), I really do not think I would have changed a single thing so far.

So you're probably wondering, "Why the new approach?" Well... While my experiences have been amazing, my journaling has definitely been lacking! My camera bag has not left my side, but I have (unfortunately) rarely picked up a pen or pencil. The primary reason for this is that I am never willing to sacrifice experience for documentation. [This means I only do it when there is nothing better going on... which isn't often.] A secondary reason for this is that I didn't want to post my private journals-- I wanted to have 2 separate ones... a private journal and a public blog... PLUS, I wanted to make videos of each country I visited. [And did I mention I'm working on a book, too!?] Needless to say, that was so overwhelming that I haven't managed to do well at any one part of it!

On the other hand, some of you did not expect to hear from me at all, because I said that I was wanting to fall off the radar... and that you might not hear from me online or otherwise for a year. Not only was that disappointing for people who care about me and want to "track" my adventures, but I was also cheating myself out of quick and easy ways to record my experiences.

So here is my solution:

A few short and sweet summaries in a few different places...

1. THE BLOG [http://stacybeery.blogspot.com]

I'll be posting my TOP TEN PHOTOS from each country to this blogspot.

-Hard to narrow down-- but much easier and faster than short films... which I still hope to make (but might not be until my traveling is done).

-These are just my fave pictures (from a photography & content standpoint)-- not necessarily the best summation of the country... I'll leave that for the videos.

I'll be posting a TOP TEN THINGS (11 minus 1) about each country to this blogspot.

-This will be the good, the bad, and the ugly about each country (based on my encounters).

-May or may not have accompanying photos.

I'll be posting some SELF-PORTRAITS from each country to this blogspot.

-I really hate this part, but all I hear are requests for more photos of myself... so here ya go!

2. THE TWITTER [http://twitter.com/StacyLeighBeery]

I'll be posting 1-or 2-liner UPDATES on random every-day experiences to twitter.

-Won't be able to 'tweet' every day, but I'll do my best! And yes, it will be random... very random.

3. THE FACEBOOK [http://www.facebook.com/StacyBeery]

I will use my facebook as a NOTIFICATION of when I have updated my blogspot.

-Other than that, most of the content on my facebook is just what other people post. [In fact, nearly all of my photos were posted by other people.]

-I basically just use it right now to get in touch with people/ make new friends around the world.

-Oh, and I try to keep my "current city" current... In case you're wondering where I am.

COMING SOON TO A COMPUTER NEAR YOU!

[We'll see how I do with the second half of this trip... I may have to come up with yet another approach...]