I can’t sleep. I had dinner with a friend tonight and we shared our travel stories. She went to Israel for two weeks with a quick stop to Petra. Knowing that I was going to Petra in October, my friend handed me a travel binder of Jordan, and I couldn’t wait to come home to look at it. As I flipped through the brochures, I came across the pages describing the Wadi Rum. Also known as the Valley of the Moon, the Wadi Rum is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in Jordan. I became extremely excited when I discovered that I can rock climb as well as go on a hot air balloon ride! The balloon ride is on my bucket list, and I hope to be successful this time as I was scheduled for this a few years ago, only to be disappointed as the weather was bad and the balloon ride was cancelled. The rock climbing levels require at least a Grade 3 in difficulty, and I’m not sure if I have enough time to train by October. I have rock climbed indoors a few times over a year ago (perhaps 2 years ago), and I’m kicking myself now for not continuing. I was discouraged because most of my girlfriends at the time were not adventurous, and you kind of have to go with a partner. Why I didn’t ask a guy friend was beyond me. I will find someone, a guy, to do this with so I can train for the Wadi Rum!
Because my friend and I talked about travel tonight, I felt sad when I came home. I missed Turkey as well as all the sensory experiences of traveling. My mind traveled ahead toward my next trip to Petra. Who will I sit next to on the plane? What breathtaking experiences will I have? What will astound me? What new friends will I meet? Will I experience awe as I did in Turkey? Knowing that all these questions will be answered in time, I became despondent at the thought of waiting three whole months before traveling to Petra. What WILL I do? I feel like a caged animal right now waiting to escape free. I want to be free to roam, wander, discover, and explore the greatest of life’s pleasures. Yes, to travel…
