In only six hours, I officially depart for Jordan. I've finished my pre-travel to-do list, I'm finally packed, and my mood is fluctuating between excitement and panic. I've traveled before, and I know I'll be fine. I've got a place to live all set up and I know a few people there already. I just keep having random fears of finding myself alone in the desert with no water and plenty of scorpions. Hopefully this won't happen, but stay tuned...
My flight leaves Washington Dulles airport tonight at 10:30 pm, and I should land in London Heathrow tomorrow morning around 11 am GMT. Then I have a 12-hour layover in London, and if all goes well I plan to actually leave the airport and go exploring in the city for a little while before hopping on my next flight to Amman. I'll land in Amman at about 5:30 am local time on Sunday, take a taxi to the Ibis Hotel, and sleep for a few hours before going into the office. That evening, I've arranged to meet up with my colleague Noor's friend Dunia, who I'll be living with this summer. She has a two bedroom, two bath apartment in Amman, and she'll be renting out the second bedroom and bath to me for the two months I'll be there.
I've been reading my Jordan travel guide and have a long list of places I want to visit on weekends this summer: all the sites in Amman, the Dead Sea, Jerash, Wadi Rum, Ramallah, Bethlehem...the list goes on. In late July, my Aunt Michele and friends Becca and Mike are coming to visit, and we'll be going down to Petra and then over to Israel to see Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I'm so excited for them to come because I've wanted to go to Israel for years.
Anyways, I'll be updating this blog regularly all summer, so stay tuned for my adventures. Keep your fingers crossed that all my flights go smoothly and that I'll have enough time in London tomorrow to do some sightseeing.
Much love to everybody who's reading this. I'll talk to you all soon!
Sarah
