About Me

Sarah photography Tel Zippori Israel archaeology

About Sarah

Above: Photographing an excavation at Tel Zippori in Israel in the Arches Reservoir.

Hi! I’m Sarah, a photographer, but much more than that, too! I love travel, learning and creativity, which has led me to:

Photographing National Parks Sites for archaeological conservation in Israel (Check out my photography portfolio by clicking this link)
Experience working in a Tel Aviv hostel and as a professional academic editor for Tel Aviv University’s archaeology department
Video, photography and media for archaeological excavations
Masters degrees in Biblical Studies and Archaeology
Professional and freelance work as a photographer/videographer, most of which included US and International travel
Graduate-level film courses and PA work in New Orleans
Freelance SEO copywriting & content writing for various companies and startups, including this blog

Solo travels in over 10 countries (so far) – some of these included group tours and travels with family and friends, but most included some solo travels if not entirely solo!

🇮🇱 Israel:

Haifa (lived there): Yafo, Holon, Ramat Gan
Tel Aviv (lived there)
Jerusalem
Northern District: Tzfat, Kinneret/Galilee (Tiberias, Capernaum and more sites), Yizre’el/Jezreel (Bet She’an, Yokneam, Nazareth, and photographed: Kochav Hayarden/Belvoir Fortress, Tel Zippori/Sepphoris (also dug there), Bet Shearim, Korazim), Akko (Acre), Caesarea
Golan Heights: Dug at Tel Dan
Central District: Peta Tikvah, Ramla, Modi’in, Rehovot
Southern District: Ashkelon, dug at Tel Azekah, Be’er Sheva, Dead Sea, dug at Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran, Negev

I’ve also been to Bethlehem (West Bank)

🇩🇰 Denmark: Copenhagen

🇸🇪 Sweden: Gothenburg

🇳🇴 Norway: Oslo

🇹🇷 Turkey: Istanbul

🇪🇬 Egypt: Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania: Bucharest, Castle Peles, Castle Bran and more sites

🇬🇷 Greece: Athens, Crete (Kournas, Chania), Aegina, Kalamata

🇮🇹 Italy: Trezzo Sul’Adda, Milan, Florence, Naples, Pompeii, Rome

🇯🇴 Jordan: Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea and more sites

🇨🇾 Cyprus: Limassol

🇩🇲 Dominica (the only country where I wasn’t solo at all on my trip!)

Brief stopovers where I saw things on a layover:

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: London

🇫🇷 France: Paris (not solo, but also only took a bus to the Eiffel tower!)

🇺🇸 USA (some of these were solo, some with family and friends):

Alabama
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Delaware
Florida (worked a summer in Panama City beach)
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas (lived there and flew there regularly growing up to see family)
Kentucky
Louisiana (I currently live in New Orleans when not traveling)
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Jersey
New York (lived in NYC)
North Carolina (lived in the Raleigh area, Asheville, Charlotte area, Winston-Salem and Boone)
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina (worked a summer in Charleston)
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming

About Mukikapup

(Pronounced Muck-ee-kuh-pup)

When I was growing up, my grandfather would tell my sister and me bedtime stories about a character named Mukikapup. A vagabond, Mukikapup would travel around and look for places to offer him room and board in exchange for work. Muki would always try to get out of work and move on quickly; many times, though, he would get stuck doing some of the work.

Somehow, Mukikapup’s adventures always corresponded with what we had done that day. My grandparents lived in Hampton, VA and we would explore Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, picnic along the shoreline, eat seafood, go swimming, and play make-believe at my grandparents house. Somehow, Muki was always hanging out at the same places we were!

The name “Mukikapup” sounds like “making it up”, which is how my grandfather coined this original name!

I thought for years about building a blog to honor my grandfather through this beloved character. I decided that the best way to do that is to tell my travel stories here!

Canon DSLR Camera Jordan Wadi Rum Desert Sunset

About YOU

I want Mukikapup’s Travels to be a place where travelers, and aspiring travelers, can come to find information on:

📸 How to take better travel photos through information on places to photograph, photography gear tips and information, and inspiration

✈️ How to travel more and longer, and sharing overall travel tips to help in any way I can so you can have smoother and easier planning + trips

My goal is to help people take better travel photos while having the confidence to travel more, travel solo or with a group, and to be able to travel on a budget. If you want to know more or have questions, send me a message!

Places I’ve been featured

GoBankingRates: How To Make Every Trip You Take the Greatest, Even on a Budget

Yahoo.com: The 12 Most Beautiful Libraries in the U.S.

Super Simple Salty Life: Family-Friendly Things To Do In New Orleans

Mike and Laura Travel: Does It Snow In Israel? (Weather, Destinations, + More!)

BestLifeOnline.com: The 8 Most Charming Towns in the U.S. for a Fall Getaway

Bobo & ChiChi: 25 Most Underrated Cities In The US (Picked By Travel Experts)

PlaidShirtYogaPants.com: Where to Spend a Long Weekend in the USA

Gastro Travelogue: Europe’s Best Castles And Fairytale Places

Wandering Welsh Girl: The Best Cities In Turkey To Visit

My Path In The World: Best Hidden Gems In Northern Italy: 20 Non-Touristy Places To Visit

May Cause Wanderlust: 22 Unusual & Unique Things To Do In NYC

Wanderlog: How long is the drive from Chicago to Charleston? (+ more posts)

Travel Resources

I’ve compiled my favorite travel resources from years of traveling, from photo gear to packing essentials, travel credit card that gets me free flights, resources for meeting people, finding flights and more!

Here are all my favorite travel resources in one place

Flying Hacks & Step-by-Step Checklist

Whether you’re a first-time or seasoned traveler, having a checklist of everything you need to think of, and hacks to help you travel lighter and smarter, is always helpful when you’re preparing for a trip!

Here’s my checklist with travel hacks for flying overseas