|
Written by Keith Rhoades
|
|
Sunday, 05 November 2006 |
|
Well my friends and family...we are about to embark on our next journey! Welcome to the new people in this email group! It is 3 am and I am about to leave and catch the bus for LAX! I'm filled with excitement and a little bit of fear. This trip has been a bit overwhelming for me at times. I saw that I purchased my ticket last April. And with the war in Israel/Lebanon, ongoing sinus/dental infection, and other issues that happened this summer I was not sure I was even going to go on this journey. This is truly a new adventure...new language, religions, cultures, etc and will prove to be very interesting. As well as this will be a 3 week adventure (longer than my usual 2) As nerve wracking and overwhelming as it feels...I am so grateful to be going on this trip. There is always so much to learn and see, new people to meet, peoples paths that you cross never to see again, and of course all of the spiritual lessons I learn on these trips...like one day at a time, seeing the bigger picture of life, trusting in the universe, feelings of gratefulness and thanksgiving and feeling the interconnectedness of all people. This trip is especially meaningful, as I will be celebrating 10 years of sobriety on November 15th..What a way to celebrate. I am all packed (28 pounds in my backpack) and ready to live out of a backpack for 3 weeks. As most of you know I am a member of hospitality club http://hospitalityclub.org and will hopefully be relying on some of those people for accommodations and to meet for dinner or coffee. But it is all very tentative which adds to the thrill of it. As most of you know, I try to send out updates along the road with antidotes, historical notes, places I've visited and people I've encountered. This journey will go from LAX to New York to Rome and finally to Istanbul. After 2 days in Istanbul I will take a bus to Cannakale to see Gallipoli and Troy. From there I will push further down the Mediterranean coast to Izmir and Ephesus. I will then fly from Izmir to Amman, Jordan. The highlights of Jordan will be Petra and the Wadi Rum Desert/Bedouin experience. I will then head toward Israel (yes, by bus) stopping at Mt. Nebo where Moses is supposedly buried, Bethany where Jesus was baptized, and cross over the River Jordan and Dead Sea to Jerusalem. I will spend most of my last week in Jerusalem visiting the biblical sites before heading to Tel Aviv where I will begin my journey home. via Milan and Atlanta and finally back to LAX. So...until I get to Istanbul..take care.Peace,Keith
|
