a postcard to marrakech

Dearest Marrakech,

It's been about a year since I last saw you. When the doors of the plane opened up and I tasted the dry dusty air, you didn't seem like much. But then I saw your bright and clear blue sky, and smelled the kebabs and tagines cooking in the depths of your city, and thought you might be all right.

You turned out to be so much more than that. Even with your terrible air-conditioning and the dust that seemed to coat my shoes at all times, you wove your way into my heart.

You, with your extensive history, your bright colors, your incredibly friendly citizens that would act as if we had known each other all our lives.

I want to thank you for your hospitality, for welcoming my family and I, and so many others like us onto your main roads packed with traffic, your tourist attractions, your quiet little restaurants, and your secluded alleyways.

I know it might be cliche to say, but I miss you. So very much. I miss your clean white walls and your exotic gardens and your leather goods deep in your enticing souks. I hope, that my eyes will be able to feast upon your beauty again one day soon.

Travels to Istanbul + Returning To The Blog

I believe this has been the longest I've been away from this blog, and I regret my decision to distance myself from Indigo Ink. So much so, in fact, that I am determined to start posting regularly, perhaps once every two weeks. I wanted to start off this (early) New Year's resolution with some of my photographs from my trip to Istanbul back in February that I never shared.
You can expect a few more traveling posts in the next few months (from my trip to Morocco in June and my travels to Iran in July/August, as well as my upcoming visit to California in December). I truly hope you will enjoy these little snapshots of my brief journey to a distant land.

The Hagia Safiya

Istanbul was crowded with stray dogs and cats, and although some were frightened of travelers, some were extraordinarily friendly (like this one) and even posed for a picture. 

On almost every street there were various stands, selling not only food, but little trinkets and souvenirs. There was a variety of fresh baked breads in the mornings, served with cream cheese or Nutella, roasted chestnuts and grilled corn, available morning, afternoon and night. 

The Basilica Cisterns

Also, Indigo Ink turned three in August! I can't believe I've come this far.

72 Hours In Athens

I returned from my most recent trip to Athens and Istanbul just a week ago and my experience there was so dream-like that I simply had to share it with all of you. The only negative thing about our visit was that we were only in each city for three days, but I think we made the most of our time there.

Our first day was the busiest; we took a walking tour of the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus, and many other ancient ruins.

The Temple of Zeus

Hadrian's Gate (The Arch of Hadrian)

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Theatre of Dionysus

The Parthenon

The view from atop the Acropolis was simply stunning; it took my breath away. The climb looked more difficult than it actually was, and the windswept hilltop was filled with lonely pillars and blocks of marble from ancient ruins that no longer survive. There is so much history in each carefully carved stone, it simply astounds me.

The next 48 hours in Athens were spent touring the streets and soaking up the Athenian culture. People there were incredibly friendly and helpful and had such a positive attitude. 

As we walked the streets of Plaka and Ermou, we got a little lost and happened to stumble across a small flea market that was several blocks long. Normally, I love visiting flea markets and going antiquing, but the fact that everything sold there not only had it's own story, but was from such a different place than what I'm used to made the experience so exotic. 

Athens + Istanbul Photo Checklist

via

As many of you know, I have a love of travel, and will be visiting a new country: Greece;  more specifically, Athens. Later on in the trip, I will also be visiting Istanbul, Turkey, but as this is not a new place for me I may not be spending as much time putting together lists of what I wish to see there.

Nevertheless, I am excited to travel to both places and have decided to put together a small photo checklist of moments I would like to capture with photographs while I enjoy my time there. In my past visits to different places, I have simply walked by gorgeous sights and have not spent time soaking up the culture of these far-off lands. However, I will now be on the lookout for sights rather than just blindly passing by. Hopefully, I will check off everything and will share the photos with all of you at the end of my trip. 

Here are 20 things I'll be on the lookout for: 

+ First glimpse

+ Something I don't see at home

+ Down the street

+ A beautiful sunset/sunrise

+ Dialouge

+ Something blue

+ (Temporary) home sweet home

+ Local fauna

+ Written

+ Delicious cuisine

+ Beautiful flooring

+ Currency

+ Lost

+ To the market we go

+ Like a local

+ Laughter

+ Looking up/looking down

+ Literature

+ Memento

+ Scenery 

+ Saying goodbye

What would you add to this list?

Wildflowers Photography

Recently inspired by my latest poem, Don't Tell Anyone (you can check it out here), my mom and I went out for a little drive looking for wildflowers alongside the road. Below are the results. I hope you enjoy! :)

One of my two favorites

My other favorite