Jordan Déjà Vu

Remember that feeling when you wake up the first morning of a long awaited trip to that place you've always wanted to go? Well I can't exactly say Jordan was "like nowhere else on earth". I had the distinct feeling that I had been there before. I had been to Israel for a spring break in 1995, but although I remember feeling cold in what I thought would be a warm climate, I don't remember it being like what I saw on our first day on the road in Jordan.
This was reminiscent of another spring break trip with our one-year-old son to western Turkey. We have great pictures of our son climbing on the

old Roman ruins at Ephesus, and picnicking in the wild flowers. It was a memorable trip despite the difficulty we had in finding accommodation with decent heat. I had packed tea bags and molasses cookies, while Jon brought along his camp stove and sleeping bag.  We ended up using them all on several occasions.
As we met a road block that sent us off-road down country lanes I was reminded of something similar happening to the three of us traveling back to Bulgaria from Greece. Even today, border crossing there are anything but guaranteed.  My write up of that trip ended up in the local newspaper back home and Jon will describe the whole event as something out of a movie.
Just last spring break we traveled as a family of three through northern Greece to the Albanian coast. I was enchanted by the flowering banks and the pastoral scenes of shepherds with their flocks in the fields. The Jordanian shepherds were dressed differently, but also seemed to be there merely to inspire poetry.
I  enjoyed the same tastes this trip as Greece and Turkey: the fresh olives, yogurt and cheese drizzled with honey.  And for some reason, cucumbers and tomatoes will always be a breakfast staple.

I never before saw the connection between these trips. They are all unique places with separate cultures, languages and sites. But one place brought back happy memories of the others. Beauty reminds you of more beauty....happiness of past happiness.  This is a benefit of traveling and new experiences.
I can be equally moved by others' travels. When viewing a colleague's video of a Rome trip I was reminded of all the things I loved about Rome.  It not only inspires gratitude for the experiences I have been fortunate to have, but helps me appreciate my life that much more.

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." -John Milton

On the way home I asked my youngest son his thoughts on the trip to Jordan. He immediately compared it favorably to another trip to Sri Lanka and some of the odder moments he experienced there: like when a waiter dressed him in a borrowed suit and tie before he could dine at the  Gentleman's Club.  We laughed together remembering...

A friend told me after viewing my photos on Facebook, that I could have been traveling in Utah. That led her to describe all the beauty of her home state and invite me to experience it too. 

One memory leads to another, makes us smile... and want to go out and experience more.