• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
College Magazine logo

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
    • Find Your College
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
Home » Latest Posts » Lebanon, I Love Your Versatility
Life

Lebanon, I Love Your Versatility

Facebook Tweet
College Magazine   March 14, 2011

  By Nolan DiFrancesco > Junior > International Studies > Johns Hopkins University

 
Hailing from cold and bitter western Pennsylvania, I am one to appreciate good weather. Lebanon is the place to be. With spectacular weather year-round, it is a country that offers unmatched beauty and ample outdoor activities. On any given day, you could go snorkeling in the Mediterranean, hiking in the Cedar forests, biking in the Bekaa Valley or even on a winter adventure in the mountains.

Recently, my friend Kayla and I made it our goal to experience the fabled Lebanese ski slopes. It was a gorgeous day on the coast, but by all accounts, the Faraya Mountain resort (a mere 45-minute drive away) offered winter paradise. I was skeptical.
Adventure #1 of the day: getting there. While it is not too expensive to rent a car with a chauffer for a day, we decided to go for just the car. It was incredibly illegal. (Kayla did have an international license but she was still far below the minimum age to rent a car.) Luckily, the few rules that do exist in a place like Lebanon are not enforced. Whew.
 

trending

471

10 Student Organizations Breaking the Mold at Berkeley

188

Top 10 Spots Around Emerson College to Get Inspired

164

Top 10 Ways to Spot a UT Austin Alum


Driving is a chaotic experience and not one for the faint-of-heart. Lebanese rules of the road are nonexistent–it’s highway anarchy. Luckily, Kayla drove. (That is, until she was “too tired,” conveniently in the middle of Beirut rush hour. Fun.) But we made it while only having seven or eight near-death experiences on the way to the Mazaar ski resort in the Faraya Mountains. It turned out to be more of an hour-and-a-half drive from the coast, but only because we got incredibly lost on the way. Pulling over and asking for directions–in Arabic, mind you–worked only 50 percent of the time.
 
But it was worth it. Faraya was a beautiful place. The snowboarding was amazing. With empty slopes that stretched for miles over the mountains, I never experienced the same run twice. The views were breathtaking.  We did run into one problem at the end of the day.  The lifts apparently closed before 4 p.m., but they had forgotten to inform us of this fact. We were trapped a few miles away from the main lodge and our car. Unable to hitch a ride, we were prepared to make the trek. But who walks when you can just bribe a local snowmobiler?
 
All in all, it was a fine day. And with ample plans to explore the rest of Lebanon and the Middle East, including a hiking trip in Iraq, the adventures will most certainly continue.

 

About College Magazine

College Magazine Staff

The Art of the Hot Girl Walk

I Used to Outrun My Feet

What I Wish I Had Known About Mental Health So I Wouldn’t Have to Call Myself a College Dropout

Ant-Man Opens the Doors for Marvel’s New Phase

10 Boba Tea Spots for Houston College Students

10 Ways to Have Fun with Your Friends Indoors

Do You Actually Care, Or Do You Want to Look Like You Do?

unsplash.com

Top Ten Inspirational Quotes from Your Favorite Sports TV Shows

I lived with my three best friends. Here’s how it went.

Previous Post:I’m Supporting Myself Through College
Next Post:Heidecker & Wood: A New ’70s Show

colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

College Magazine logo

Copyright © 2023 Powered by BizBudding