Between February 25th and March 6th, I and 12 of my fellow Delbarton brothers, accompanied by three chaperones, Mr. Tabor, Mr. Theroux, and Mr. Dimeo, departed on a trip across the world to the country of Jordan. During these 8 days, we all experienced a place and culture that we could not have imagined. 

On the first day of the trip after our arrival, we visited the Citadel Amaan, which is one of the seven original hills that originally made up the city of Amaan, and has been the central protection and fortress location for many ancient civilizations who have occupied the area. We then walked into an ancient Roman Amphitheatre which sits at the bottom of the hill. Lastly, we all were able to enter one of the many mosques in the city and take in all of its beautiful architecture and design. During the second day, we toured an ancient fortress known as the Ajloun Castle, as well as walked around the ancient Roman city of Jerash. Then, during the next day, we traveled outside of Amaan, and visited the Jordan River, and were able to view the baptismal site of Christ. We also then continued on to the Dead Sea, where we were able to relax and float in the water, and see out across this great sea into other parts and nations of the Middle East. Following that adventure, the group continued on to the Church of the Mosaic Map, which houses the original map of the Levant region of the Middle East, a mosaic map that was created around the 6th Century A.D. It was remarkable to see such an important piece of the country’s history so up close in the church. Later that day, we traveled the long and winding King’s Highway, on our way to the Ancient City of Petra. When we arrived at Petra the next morning, we were able to walk through and tour the Ancient City of Petra, which was established as one of the 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. We hiked 14 miles through this ancient city and civilization, taking in all the history that surrounded us with every turn we took. For added benefit, movies such as Indiana Jones, and Star Wars, have been filmed in those ruins. The following day, we relaxed in the city of Aqaba, going snorkeling in the Gulf of Aqaba during the day, as well as touring one of the major street-markets in Jordan. The following day, was hands down my favorite part of the trip. We spent 24 hours touring and living in the Wadi Rum desert, living with a group of traditional Bedouins. Becoming engulfed in their way of life, we learned all about how they live, what they do, how long they have lived there and many more details of their existence. We even got to go on a half hour camel ride with them. It was a super-cool experience and I had a blast. On the final day, we returned to Amaan to relax and enjoy our final night in the country, before returning home the following day.

All in all, this trip was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to experience a culture that I otherwise would not have interacted with, if it were not for Delbarton and the Arabic Program. I hope more of my fellow Delbarton brothers would look into this trip, as I know you will not regret it. Best part is, you do not have to be a member of the Arabic Program here at school.

I hope you all consider going on the next trip, or another travel experience, as you will get to experience something that cannot be compared.