Monday, March 28, 2016

my trip, part 1 // airplanes


So, about a year ago, my small group leader sat down with me in a Mexican restaurant, looked me straight in the eyes, and said "over March break next year, my husband and I are taking our kids on a vacation, and I just thought obviously Olivia should come with us when we go to Jordan and Israel."

(I'm not even joking. Life is just that crazy.)

So the place that I went (and where all of those mysterious pictures are from) is JORDAN AND ISRAEL!!

Feel free to scream in excitement!!! Or possibly disbelief! Or even a little bit of fear because hello, isn't that a scary place to visit? (or, as one of my coworkers so tactfully put it, "did you know there's a war going on over there?")

So, wow. That happened. 

I journaled a lot while I was gone, and I took around 800 pictures, so I've decided to dump ALL OF THE PICTURES on you and then maybe summarize a few of my journal entries in between. (when I showed the pictures to my family, it took almost an hour to talk about my trip and it was exhausting and wonderful but nontheless, I think we'll try to move things along a little more quickly here.)

 Guys I'm so excited I'm pretty sure you can feel it all the way from here in Canada. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED TO ME I AM SO HAPPY.

Okay. Pictures. Let's go.

pretty lights in the Toronto airport before getting on an airplane for the FIRST TIME EVER WOW
March 12/16  7:55pm in Canada

We're in the airport in Toronto! We had to wait in line for a super long time to check our bags, but now we're just hanging out and waiting for our flight. The airport has windows everywhere, and because it's dark outside, you can see the street lights of Toronto, all spread out and blinking below. I tried to take a picture, but my camera picked up on the reflection of the lights inside, instead. I'll just have to remember what they look like - mostly golden, but a bit red every now and then, or green. Maybe traffic lights? 

I am so thankful - God is so cool.

some of my friends made me a care package to open on the plane
I almost cried when they gave it to me and then they all panicked so I held it in and hugged them a lot instead
and then I opened it on the plane and laughed and almost cried and felt like exploding
I asked them last week why it is so hard to understand God's love for us... then I opened their notes and I sat there on the airplane and thought, "oh. I get it now."
this is an airport in GERMANY 
 
I like going up the best, when the force pushes you back into your seat and you feel the moment the wheels leave the ground
more Germany! look at the red roofs - I AM DYING

this is us flying above the clouds. LOOK AT THE CLOUDS.
March 13/16  around 10:30am in Germany (we had a two hour stop here between flights)
I've decided that I don't like sleeping on planes.
later
It's not as strange I would have expected to be in a new country - back in Canada you hear people speaking different languages all the time, so I'm a little bit disappointed to find that I'm used to it. The signs in German are throwing me off, though!! And trying to order McDonald's when the menu isn't in English is a unique sort of struggle.
later again
I swore to myself that I wouldn't fall asleep in the German airport, and then I laid down on the chairs in the waiting area and passed out for a solid half hour! But I feel SO much better now. We're in the air again - next stop, Jordan!

later yet again
We have arrived! First impressions of Jordan were from a plane over the water, looking down through the night sky at nothing but blackness, and then suddenly seeing a wall of light, tiny golden pinpricks speckled through the dark. 


city lights from an airplane are basically the prettiest thing ever
first glimpses of Amman, Jordan
my first morning in Jordan, being excited and taking pix of every single thing
this is just a normal street but at this point I'd been away from Canada for less than 48 hours so I thought it was pretty special
more normal streets that I found super exciting on day 1

March 14/16  8:58am Jordan time!

Even just looking out the window, you can tell you're not in Canada anymore. The buildings here are stone, and they're all earthy colours like brown and off-white. The family that we're staying with has a little brick courtyard out back; I've been frantically snapping pictures of everything. 
Even the air smells different here - Germany smelled a lot the same as Canada, but Jordan air is spicier. I keep breathing it in...

this cat's name is Snowflake, but the older boys call it "Pork Chop" and "Dead Meat." poor kitty.
this is the view of Jordan from a MOUNTAIN.
more Jordan as seen FROM A MOUNTAIN
we were on Mount Nebo, the place where God showed Moses all of Jordan (more on this in my next post)

So, wow. I know I keep saying that, but what else is there to say? Just wow. Life is crazy. I'm so excited to share more pictures of Jordan with you in my next post!! (Israel will be part 3).


Do you like airplanes? And seeing city lights? Wow. Wow all over again.
xx,
Olivia

13 comments:

  1. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    THIS IS SO INEXPLICABLY EXCITING JUST TO READ!!!!! SO HAPPY FOR YOU THIS IS AMAZING. (and that care package is the sweetest thing ever I'm crying) AND YOUR THOUGHTS ACTUALLY SOUND LIKE WHAT MINE WOULD BE XD Gorgeous pictures, too!!!!

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    1. RIGHT OLIVIA WOW OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I am so excited to show you guys Jordan next!! Squee!!

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  2. Oh my gosh THIS IS SO COOL!!!! I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. OLIVIAAAAAAAAAA YOUUUUU WENT TO ISRAEL AND JORDAN!?!? LIKE WHAT EVEN SAJFKSDNSAK DISFKJHKDA I'M SOOO EXCITED FOR YOU LIKE HOW WHAT AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!??! *hugs you, basically* THAT IS SO COOL. I'm so stoked that you got such an amazing experience!! Like that is truly special and something you'll remember forever.

    ALSO AIRPLANES. AAAAAAAH. ♥ i LOVE airplanes and flying with every atom in my body omg. I've never flown at night, but it looks SO MAGICAL -- especially flying over cities like shfksdljfslm CAAAAN'T. I also loooove take off when the force sends you back in your seat and you feel the wheels leave the ground!! it's like PERFECTION. Also when they have to maneuver the plane/turn before landing, and the wing dips down and you're looking straight down at the earth below...it's like gahhhhhhh again so much magic i cannot handle even.

    Can't wait to read more about your trip!! eeeeeep ♥
    abbiee @ the music blog

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    1. ABBIEE THAT IS LITERALLY MY EXACT THOUGHT PROCESS STILL EVEN AFTER BEING HOME FOR A WEEK LIKE WHAT EVEN IS MY LIFE

      Flying at night and daytime and flying anytime is so crazy and special and the BANKING is my favourite, when the wing dips down I just agdoiahg;ow;hgjonegoasnzoignag totally.

      More coming sooooon!!!

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  4. This is incredible! Wow! Such holy land and you are blessed to have gone! The care package is a cute idea, I now want to make make one but I have no friends flying anytime soon! So glad you shared

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    1. Vanessa I feel the same way! So BLESSED. God is crazy. (and yeah the care package made my trip so much more amazing than it already was! I hope you get the chance to make one soon!)

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  5. Sounds wonderful! I can't wait for more photos.

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  6. Basically what Olivia K said- just reading this honestly made my heart beat a little faster! I've been dreaming of going to the Holy Land the past few weeks esp. and this is just so neat! What an incredible blessing!!! can't wait for the rest! (BTW I'm not sure if I've ever commented on your blog, so hi if I haven't. I'm Nina:)

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    1. Nina, I hope you get the chance to go SOON!!! You will love it to bits I am sure! <3 (also, hi back!! so GREAT to meet you!!)

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  7. Your reaction to the plane is pretty much my reaction every single time I fly somewhere -- and I've been on a lot of planes since my first flight in 10th grade. Every flight probably looks like my first to the people around me, since I almost always get a window seat and always stare out the window for pretty much the entire trip. It just seems like such a miracle to be able to fly! And, of course, it's really exciting to travel, whether it's someplace new or just visiting family. :)

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Comments from you make my day! ♥ True story.