STYLE
A love note to
Right: Cliff jumping into the beautiful blue Med.
Cyprus Sarah Funk boarded the flight, her mother’s warnings of imminent death ringing in her ears, and discovered instead a land of beauty, friendship, and cheese
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hen I boarded the flight from Lisbon to Cyprus, I was dreading what was to come. I knew nothing about the latter, except that it was close to Syria, and that my mother thought I might die if I went there. Yet to travel is to try new things, so reluctantly I continued my journey from dearest Portugal to mysterious Cyprus. What came next I never expected. Cyprus – with its crystal clear waters, world-class halloumi cheese, and lack of tourism – embraced me in a way I was not prepared for. Today, I can easily say that it is in my top three destinations, and I’ve been to over 30 countries. New Yorkers, I need you to imagine a place like the Greek Islands. Now, remove all the tourists; the lines for restaurants; the increasingly high prices; the overbooked hotels. Voila! You have Cyprus – an upgrade in many ways from the famous Ionians, yet a place that many Americans don’t consider a vacation destination (because they can’t identify it on a map). Between its savory, tasty cuisine and otherworldly geography, I was incredibly reluctant to leave. I was even offered a lovely place to stay by a new friend, in case I got cold feet while boarding the plane from the island. How could one walk away from aqua
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“How could one walk away from aqua blue lagoons with sandy bottoms? Morning swims in the Mediterranean Sea? And a red lake so hidden few locals even know it exists?” blue lagoons with sandy bottoms? Morning swims in the Mediterranean Sea? And a red lake so hidden few locals even know it exists? Well, I suppose that’s what exploring is all about – expanding the mind and changing perspectives. Oh, sweet Cyprus, how I long for you! Yet, I suppose that missing you will get easier, for every day I am away from your sandy soil, I am also one day closer to my return. Sarah left her Hell’s Kitchen home in January to travel the world, living in a different country for a month every month. To follow her adventures, visit sarahfunky.com.
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