Jordan: Passport and visa, please
JORDAN: The Beginning
Flight 1712 to Amman was boarding at thirty past 11 p.m. in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. We were to leave at midnight, exactly as the 30 days allowed per my visa expired.
The flight boarded at the end of the hall, as I dragged my carry-on through the squeaky clean floors of the airport and carried my blue backpack on my back. My eyes were swollen from crying and saying goodbye to the small life and routine, my friends, and all the balloons flying every morning in Göreme, in the Capadoccia region. Nevertheless, I told myself over and over that I’d chosen this lifestyle and I was going to show up for it.
I boarded the shuttle to take us to the plane, eventually got my seat, and drifted off to sleep, tiredly. I half-listened to the instructions on the screen and in front of us, but truthfully that day had taken a lot of me and I quickly fell asleep.
At around 1:30 a.m., we were welcomed into Amman! Jordan’s capital slept soundly as did many people around me on the plane. The excited, giddy traveler inside me woke up, ready, with wide eyes to take it all in, even if just within the airport for now.
I passed security, got my passport stamped- this small, piece of paper where our story begins- and I waited out the morning to begin to explore. Safe to say I wasn’t the most perky or the cool traveler, I needed a bed and a shower but I managed and began my day.
I emerged only three days later when I was more or less rested and only because I met Haffi, a kind, 20-something Palestinian friend who gave me such a good feeling that I accepted the makeshift plans to the Dead Sea on the 27th of August.
The next morning I was back to explorer mode, regained a bit of myself, and ready for adventure. It dawned on me, only 30 min later after we had started our cab ride, that I jumped into the taxi with four complete strangers but I always told myself I’m surrounded by kind, good people and this was no exception. Josh, Haddi, Jas, and our new friend driving the car was to take us to Wadi Mujib and the Dead Sea for 11 JD each.
Queen Alia International Airport: Jordan Day 1
TO BE CONTINUED.
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