Life is Like a Jordanian Taxi Ride- You Never Know What You’re Going to Get

                                            [Amman, Jordan 2011]

One of the many things I have learned while in Jordan is that taxi riding is a microcosm of life. Crazy, I know. But it’s true. Like the wise fictional movie character, Forest Gump, once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates (or in this case, taxi rides), you never know what you’re going to get.”
Taxis are a common form of transportation here and I usually find myself taking at least two taxi rides a day. Yet each and every time it is a new experience. Some taxis are nicer than others, some drivers are funnier than others, some smell like smoke, etc… However you never know exactly what you have gotten yourself into until you slide into the back and kindly tell the driver where you want to go. But the fun doesn’t end there.
Sometimes music is playing. Thus far I have heard everything from classical Arab tunes and Euro dubstep to silence. There are “good” rides, and there are “bad” rides; sometimes you get ripped off, and other times you are pleasantly surprised by the price on the meter. Yet no matter what they always get you to where you need to be. This is where the real life lesson comes into play.
Throughout my life I have made decisions which probably weren’t the “best,” or maybe I just wasn’t doing everything I should have been doing at a given time. Yet no matter what I have somehow always been exactly where I needed to be. To this day I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Yes, life can be crazy, scary, exciting, and as unpredictable as a Jordanian taxi ride. But I can promise you that it is always an adventure well-worth taking, every second and every day of your life.
So drive on and enjoy the ride- it will get you to where you need to be.