Silver lining to the cloud: 3 Sentence Story Contest

In the depths of despair after learning that I would need to seek other lodging upon my return to France, I logged into my email from our hostel in Prague, hoping for a response about a possible apartment in Metz.  I noticed an email from Go Ahead Tours in my inbox, the subject line announcing the winner of the travel story contest I had entered as a lark a few weeks prior. Half-heartedly, I clicked on it, expecting to read the name of a stranger.  Imagine my surprise to see my own name listed as the winner, that I had in fact won an all-inclusive trip for two to anywhere I desired! I started screaming in delight, nearly knocking Genna out of her chair in surprise. She looked at me incredulously, causing me to doubt my own eyes!

It seemed to ridiculous to be true, but after speaking with the marketing director on the phone, my doubts were put to rest.  My story was in fact chosen from thousands of entries, many of which are posted on the Go Ahead Tour blog as Honorable Mentions.  How my entry managed to beat theirs, I will never know, but god, has this ever made my year! When asked where I would like to go, the choice was obvious. "Greece!" I told her, "and my boyfriend Jim is coming with me!" 

Jim, who like me, had dealt with a week of disappointment of his own, could not contain his excitement upon learning that he would be my guest for not one, but TWO trips to Europe this year! We were already enormously excited for his upcoming visit to France, but now, a second trip? My spirits lifted immensely upon receiving this happy news, and the bitterness in my heart toward my impending homelessness in France was definitely softened.  If ever I needed something like this to happen, it was this week. Since this trip includes airfare, I can even finagle a flight home rather than purchasing one at the end of my teaching contract!

La vie est belle!

Here is a link to the announcement on the Go Ahead Tours website!

http://www.goaheadtours.com/content/whygoahead/winners.aspx

3 Sentence Story contest

To amuse myself, but also in the slim hope of winning a vacation abroad, I entered a story contest through a tour company.  The conditions: Your story should describe one of your favorite travel moments, cannot exceed three sentences, 75 words, and 450 characters. Simple, right? Au contraire!  What started as a lark became quickly agonizing as I brainstormed and realized that it was impossible to describe the wonders of Egypt in so few words.  Eventually, I arrived at a three sentence masterpiece... that was inconveniently nearly twice the character limit.  Back to the drawing board.  I managed to whittle it down to this more succinct version here.  74 words and 438 characters!  If nothing else, it was a nice creative exercise and fodder for my blog!

A childhood dream—unquenchable as thirst in the Sahara—led me to where minarets mingle with skyscrapers, where businessmen battle traffic while Bedouins in flowing robes navigate by the stars. I didn’t lose myself in the saffron perfume of spice markets, or between temple columns, but on a common Nile felucca, where I danced with Nubian sailors. In this singular moonlit moment, I was lost to the outside world, but I had found myself.