This is Jordan

I imagine myself waking up under the stars of the desert sky—sand between my toes and in my hair. The feeling that you get when you go to the beach as a child, and know that there is no way you’ll ever be free from all this sand again. The darkness pours over the desert, and all you hear is the sounds of the local guides helping prepare meals, and the sound of our camp camels making goofy noises in the distance. This is what peace feels like, the reason I travel, the moment where you’re so utterly happy you feel an ache of joy in your heart. This is Jordan.

I envision being so excited when we finally make it to the Dead Sea. Although the whole trip would be filled with experiences I will never get to have in my day-to-day life back home, this is one of those experiences that leave you struck with gratefulness for the pure beauty that only nature has a way of creating. As I approach this body of water, I just take a moment to breathe in the sandy, dry air, trying to soak up every single thing around me in hopes I never forget this moment of sheer joy and appreciation for nature and its miracles. This is Jordan.

I walk through the older streets of Amman, the capital city of Jordan, and with every corner I turn, I discover something that is historically magical. The little boxed buildings and houses that line the streets, all of different shapes and sizes but all as strangely similar and familiar as the next. The colour of beige like sand washes over the entire city, and I think to myself how strange it is for a city to be so alive and vibrant with colour, but so subtle and simple from the exterior. As I pass through the streets I stumble upon historical sites that make you praise the artwork of restoration and preservation. This, this is Jordan.

I arrive in Petra, a centerpiece of Jordan, and when you visit it, you don’t even have to question why. With its UNESCO World Heritage title, I’m thankful for the discovery of this majestic place in 1812, decades after its birth. I couldn’t imagine not knowing of the existence of this place, and I really can’t imagine what the discovery of a city like this would have been like. With wide eyes, and my horse in tow, I enter Petra. With each monument I come across, I’m in awe at the sandstone carvings that formed buildings, tombs, and temples. It was one of those feelings that make you pinch yourself, because you can’t believe a place like this exists in this now modern world. This is Jordan.

I float above the horizon, waiting for the warm desert sun to rise with me. Wadi Rum, a place that also holds a UNESCO World Heritage name but stands out in its own unique way. I’m floating above this desert in a hot air balloon, with the heat of the sun that has risen with us, and although the site from above leaves me speechless, I’m eager to explore the land. I walk amongst the temples and formations with the others, searching for inscriptions and paintings. I wonder what each means, what the story is that each of them tells. This history, this is Jordan.

I imagine myself experiencing the pink city of Petra, the ancient graffiti in Wadi Rum, and the culture of the Middle Eastern people of Jordan. I want to feel the desert heat and the cool, blue waters of the Dead Sea, I want to learn about an ancient and historical country that for many travelers is so mysterious and unknown.

Jordan is calling for me, Jordan wants to teach me so much about itself and allow me to lose and find myself in its magic. Is it calling for you too?

Other Jordan Content You May Like:

• Jordan Food Highlights
• How to Spend One Week in Jordan
• The Wadi Rum Desert
• A Cooking Class with Beit Sitti

Note: This post is done for submission in a contest with Jordan’s Tourism Board and Bestway Tours. Want to help me win a trip to Jordan and have the opportunity to share my real experience in this country? Share this article, click here to learn more about this country, or interact with this post on my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Thank you in advance!