Nice to meet you, Jordan

            Many, many people have asked my husband, Vaughn, and I about our trip to Jordan and Israel. Since I have also been wanting to write more, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, and blog about my experiences. This will probably be the first of three-ish posts to summarize the entire trip, including Israel/Palestine, holy sites, and places where a lot of important history was made.  If you don't feel like reading ahead, in a nutshell: it was wonderful. And life-changing. And opened my eyes to a lot of things I didn't expect. 
             If you do feel like reading the rest of this blog, I want to start with my first impressions of Jordan.  My husband was in Amman, Jordan for fall semester in a course of intensive Arabic study through his university.  I stayed in Provo to work, cuz I guess that's what adults have to do. But  I got to go see him for the last portion of his program, which happened to be two weeks in Israel. We spent a few days in Amman before crossing the border, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much those three days impacted my worldview. So without further adieu... Jordan. 

             After twenty hours of travel, you feel gross. Not sure entirely why, and I don’t want to think about why, because it’s probably even worse than I think. Let’s just say my general sentiment upon arrival in Amman, Jordan was “ick, blech, gugggg.” But it was such a relief to see my husband after 99 days apart, it didn’t matter too much. He still hugged me despite the stench of airline grime. A car had been arranged to pick us up and drive us to where we’d be staying for the night and my initial experience in Jordan traffic was jarring. It made me ask the deep questions. Like, what are lanes? What are turn signals? What are speed limits? Where are the road signs that warn you when the highway comes to a screeching halt with a cement blockade? I didn’t feel unsafe, really. The driver did not seem concerned, and everything felt very much in control. It was more like an elaborate ballet that I did not understand, but everyone else seemed have learned the choreography. Actually, this is a good metaphor for colliding with an unfamiliar culture in general. Everyone else was aware of when it was okay to honk, when it was okay to cut someone else off, and when it was okay to turn unexpectedly--but to me, it was confusing and nonsensical. The entire first night in Jordan was very surreal and abrupt. Like when you take a drink out of a glass you think is filled with water but is actually milk. 

                Fortunately, this initial shock was abated by the presence of my stalwart husband who had overcome this months before and seemed very at home with all the craziness that is Amman, Jordan. I was very grateful to see this beautiful place through his eyes as he led me around his stomping grounds and introduced me to “his people.” The truthfulness of this last phrase was poignant. I knew he loved these people he had talked so fondly about in our many emails and video calls, but seeing them adore him back so affectionately was truly heart-warming. It’s beautiful to see someone you love so much was so well taken care of this far from home.

Syrian ice cream.

                I got a quick overview of all that is Amman. We went to the citadel, which has lots of old Roman ruins. We saw what remained of the Temple of Hercules, and we stood in the almost intact Roman theatre, where at its center you can hear your own normal voice echo across the stands. While there, we witnessed a group of Jordanian University Students with bright shirts on, making public commitments to better the community in the future and throughout their lives. That was beautiful to see.  We also strolled around the markets in downtown Amman, called Wasit al-Balad, and a more European style neighborhood called Rainbow Street. Vaughn spoiled me with lots of food too:  Kanaffa, shewarma, Syrian ice cream, mansof, baklava, mint-lime drink, and most importantly, pita bread and hummus. Comparing the hummus in the Middle East to the hummus we have in the States is like comparing the 49ers to the Utah Jazz. Not only are they not in the same league, they don’t even play the same game. I loved the hummus and the pita bread. I could not get enough of its smooth, creamy goodness.

Roman amphitheater

Temple of Hercules

                My favorite part of the short Jordan leg was meeting Lara’s family.  They are a family who took Vaughn and his friend Morgan under their wing and gave them a very safe, welcoming place to practice their Arabic. They welcomed me in with just as much zeal. With open arms, treats, laughter, and even gifts, Lara’s family helped all three of us feel like family. It is obvious this family will miss Vaughn and Morgan terribly. They took us to a Christmas bazaar organized by several Christian churches in the area. Here, they excitedly introduced us to their friends and more family members. We were given lots of free food just for being American—which makes no sense whatsoever because we are the spoiled, affluent, fat ones from the United States. They took us to an area where some youth were practicing bagpipes for a march, and we were given a private mini-concert. We were treated like royalty.

Lara's sweet family.

Lara, me, Morgan, and Vaughn. 

                As Vaughn led me around as my personal tour guide, it was very easy to see why Vaughn loves Jordan. It is an amazing underdog of a country who has a shortage of water, yet still sustains its own people, plus nearly a million Syrian refugees. It is a nation struggling to make itself better, with amazing leaders like Queen Rania. It is a country fighting ISIS with even more fervor than America because it is their family, their own people who are being the most negatively impacted by radical terrorism. This is a country of game changers, and Americans would benefit greatly to take a page out of their book.  Jordan holds a lot of Christ-like love, nestled in the Middle East, amidst the stigma of violence and terror. There, you find the kind of charity and resolve rare in our privileged part of the world, but almost necessary to survive the conflicts and challenges being faced.  Jordan, you have my admiration. What an honor it was to be your guest, even if just for a short while.