Day 21 Flying home

This morning we woke up, had breakfast and made our way to the airport. We were originally dropped off at the wrong terminal and had to flag down our driver and go to another terminal, which took another 20 minutes or so. I’m very glad he didn’t leave us.

I’m sitting on the plane right now typing up this last blog. We have about 5 more hours of the 11-hour flight. Flight and weather patterns make the return flight home one hour longer. Bummer.

Traveling is not always glamorous but it is always interesting. We have generally had a very good time on this trip. Scott and I were both very interested in the history of Egypt and had done some reading before we got here so we were pretty excited to see the sites and learn more of the history. We did have some logistical problems with our schedule and some of our guides but in the end, everything worked out pretty much the way we wanted. We definitely would have changed a few things if we could go back and start again.

Neither one of us knew much about the country of Jordan but it ended up being a wonderful surprise. We definitely liked the country of Jordan better than Egypt. A lot of that had to do with our driver because he was so friendly and really talked a lot to us about his country, his religion and his government. He is a true ambassador for the country and we wouldn’t hesitate to come back and do a more relaxing vacation in Jordan.

There are a few things that I try to remember when I’m traveling outside the United States. First and foremost, always carry toilet paper and be prepared to squat if necessary. If you find a real toilet, sometimes there isn’t a seat. The second, and equally as important, is to remember that you are in another country. Traditions and customs are different than what you are used to. Do not expect the people to conform to your way of thinking. Part of the travel experience is to go with their flow and do things like they do, even if it’s uncomfortable. Try to learn a few words in their language. Most people around the world speak English but we find that people are much more friendly and helpful when you try to speak their language.

Doing the blogs and taking the videos has been a lot of fun. I really hope you all learned things that you might not have learned from a textbook. We hope to meet you all in December.