Traveler Profile: YoLeven

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Screen name:

YoLeven

Age:

Gender:

Male

Travel status:

Traveling soon

Hometown:

Chicago

Currently in:

Afghanistan

Traveling Next:

New York CIty

Favorite places I've been:

Seattle, Oregon, New York, California, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Arizona, Atlanta, Mexico

Places I want to go to:

Africa, Thailand, Argentina, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, Kenya, Red Sea...pretty much everywhere.

Profile URL:

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/yoleven

Read more about YoLeven

I'm fired up on:

Simply experiencing how the rest of the world lives (and having some fun along the way).

Tunes I rock out to:

Completely depends on the mood. My iPod contains everything from just about everywhere, although I am always on the hunt for cool, 'indigenous' music.

Travel style:

I like traveling with an open mind, a healthy (well...sometimes dark) sense of humor, a MINIMAL dose of planning (unless I'm about to lead an expedition) and a minimal amount of expectation. I feel at home sleeping on sidewalks or in 4-star hotels.

Quote:

"Those whom the gods love grow young"
-- back of a Rolling Stones album

Sports I do:

Hiking, triathalon, scuba diving, paragliding(soon, I hope!)

Favorite books:

Fahrenhet 451, Kite Runner, National Geographic (I know it's not a book, but I am a NG series junkie)

Who I'd like to meet on my travels:

Adventurers at heart

I want to make a difference by:

Enjoying this planet and helping others do the same without destroying it in the process.

Languages spoken, other than English:

German (intermediate), Arabic (so-so)

I felt the most immersed in a foreign culture when:

Having to pay grease-money to local authorities in order to get through the airport terminal more 'efficiently'.

Why I travel:

Maintain perspective.

Ideal place to watch the sunrise:

Coming up over the Cascade Mountains and Mt. Rainier in Washington State

Ideal place to watch the sunset:

Highway 1, Big Sur, California

Before I die I'd like to:

Complete an Ironman Triathalon, compete in PrimalQuest, scuba dive in every ocean, actually master a foreign language, hike the Pacific Crest trail, live (and I mean really, live) in a foreign country/culture for several years. There's a lot more...I'll add them as they come along.

My links:

www.kexp.org (For music lovers)
www.virtualtourist.com

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by jgbrandt | 2008/04/05

Thanks for the comments on the story.

by Ross | 2008/04/04

Wow, cool story about your first real travel experience. Very articulate. Looking forward to reading about Afghanistan and what the future brings as you get all those pges filled with stamps. Welcome!

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The Chai Chronicles - Part I

By YoLeven | Location: Afghanistan | 05/19/08 | Pics: 1

About the title: Chai is a staple of daily life in Afghanistan. It is considered to be rather impolite to launch straight into politics, business dealings, or anything “heavy” prior to chai being served. Otherwise, most everything is discussed over chai, from local gossip, to personal business...

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Scuba Diving (and some hiking) in the UAE

By YoLeven | Location: United Arab Emirates | 04/03/08 | Pics: 14

OK, granted, the first thing that comes to mind when someone brings up "scuba diving in the Middle East" is a spot like the Blue Hole or Sharm al-Sheikh in the Red Sea. However, I had the opportunity recently to experience a somewhat less visited dive spot in the United Arab Emirates. Most...

1 comment | Send to Friend |

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The Chai Chronicles - Part I

Scuba Diving (and some hiking) in the UAE