Kjersti Rae: Springtime in the Galilee!

With less than two weeks left here in Nazareth, I am savoring every minute, and I have to admit that I don’t plan to spend much of it by the computer. I will, however, give a quick recap of my recent travels and time here in the Galilee.

Where to begin?? I had a wonderful trip last week and spent a total of six and half days away from Nazareth. Two of my flat mates and I (hilarious lassies from the U.K. who have influenced me already with various catchy phrases and “flat” is one perfect example) headed to southern Israel. Our first stop was Jerusalem where we parted ways for a day as they headed to the West Bank (I’ve already been) and I enjoyed more time exploring and picking up a few souvenirs. After two days we made our way to Beer Sheva to see mutual medical student friends and enjoyed a very relaxing Shabatt in the warmer weather before heading even further south to Eilat. From Eilat we crossed the border and hopped in a cab straight away to Wadi Musa, the town outside of Petra. As you can tell from the itinerary, this trip was definitely “go go go.”

Although I absolutely loved seeing more of Jerusalem, my time in Jordan was by far the highlight of the excursion. Jordan’s landscape (the southern par that we saw) was breathtaking. Being in Jordan felt more like I was truly in the Middle East as the culture is much less diversified and it seems a lot less western. From the border, Petra is about a two hours’ drive away and we had plenty of time to see the vast desert before arriving in Wadi Musa. After a lovely picnic dinner on the roof of our hostel, we went to sleep excited about the next day’s exploration of one of the great wonders of the world. It’s usually not recommended to spend just one day at Petra, but we thought that getting there at 7am would make a bit of a difference. Despite spending over eight hours at the park, we could have easily filled two more days with exploring. Everything about Petra is HUGE. This ancient city was completely breathtaking and awe inspiring. Miles of cityscape has been preserved for thousands of years and it’s unreal to be able to walk through everything and imagine the history that has taken place in centuries past. Lucky for us, this time of year is the best time to travel to Petra because the weather is less intense and we were spared the hot heat of the desert. After our very full day of hiking, we made our way back to the border and spent a few hours in Eilat (a great town on the Red Sea) before catching a night bus back to the Galilee. Needless to say, by the end of this trip I was completely exhausted.

Since the trip I have continued working on loving every moment of my days left here in Nazareth. I moved out of the hospital last week and now I’m at my friend’s house in the Old City of Nazareth. It’s such a treat to stay with her and we’re both making the most of our time here in Israel before having to head back home (she leaves for Canada in May). My days are filled with hikes and spending time with friends all over the city. I am still volunteering and teaching English during the week but have cut back my hours considerably. I can’t believe how fast time has flown. This trip has had more of an impact on my life than I can even now begin to comprehend. I’m looking forward to some time at home in the northwest next month where I can talk more about the journey and describe in better detail some of the adventures from the last few months. It won’t be long before I move to South America and this reality has still yet to sink in. Looking forward to catching up with everyone! Thank you for your prayers of safety!