I have been thinking about what I would recommend as non-negotiable must-do’s and other recommendations; these are outlined below. 

Must-Do’s for Jordan:

• Beit Sitti cooking class and try as much local food as possible. An order of hummus is slightly different at each restaurant. 
• Citadel and Roam Theatre (Amman) 
• Petra 
• Dead Sea 
• Madaba 

Must Do’s for Jerusalem:

• Western Wall 
• Temple Mount
• Western Wall Tunnel Tour 
• Yad Vashem

Recommended for Jordan:

• Visit the souq in Amman
• Jerash 
• Karak 
• Mt. Nebo 
• Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan (Baptism Site)

Recommended for Jerusalem:

• I think the Church of the Holy Sepulchre should be on your list but be prepared for rude and aggressive tourists. 

I took a while after returning home to write about my experiences on this trip. It was important for me to be present and spend quality time with my friends so I didn’t spend evenings with my nose buried in my laptop. It was also a cathartic experience to sit down and reflect on my adventures once I returned home. I may be missing some detail in describing the experience but the memories are forever. I will always reminisce about my first time visiting my friends when they lived in Amman and hope to be able to visit them again during their post. 

This trip means a great deal to me for a few reasons. This was my first solo international trip with the time in London. This was my first time visiting the Middle East. This was my first time seeing my friends for more than a single evening in more than 3 years. I pushed well outside my comfort zone and experienced all the emotions that came with that (sad, anxious, happy, etc.). I experienced an unfamiliar culture and found the people to be incredibly welcoming. I spent time on myself, by myself, and for myself and returned home feeling like I had grown as a person, a friend, and a wife. This trip feels like a reset that I didn’t know, or maybe didn’t want to admit, I needed. I thoroughly enjoyed planning this adventure and everything went mostly to plan. There were a few instances when we amended the plan and it made the trip better. I’m incredibly grateful to be able to have experiences like this, to have a wonderful husband who supports me in my travel addiction, and to have amazing friends who invite me into their lives abroad.