In August 2017, the summer after I graduated high school, I flew to Amman, Jordan to meet my brother Gabe where he had been studying Arabic for the summer. We wandered the streets of Amman, rode in the back of dusty trucks through the Wadi Rum desert, snorkeled in the Red Sea, and explored the ancient city of Petra - one of the 7 wonders of the world.
We crossed the border into Israel on foot after taking the bus. My brother was taken into a private interrogation room and received very thorough search and questioning since he had spent so much time in Jordan he developed a deep tan and long beard.
After we finally made it into Israel and bussed to Jerusalem, we spent the next 4 days experiencing the diverse history of the city before moving on to Tel Aviv for 3 days of beach walks, street art, and incredible food.
