"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
—Robert Frost
And here I am— back in Amman, Jordan.
The road less traveled is terrifying yet rewarding.
I keep coming back, I can't stay away.
Some days are difficult: I wonder what I am doing here and how it will fit into the rest of my life, but I keep taking a road less traveled, and it often brings me to the very edge of my comfort zone, overlooking a Middle Eastern city and reflecting on a day full of Arabic. I've always had a great fear of heights and failure.
Life is different here. Eyes stare, bread is cheap, and honking is a necessary cultural practice, as is smoking and drinking coffee. Lanes are optional, the speed limits nonexistent, yet the term "punctuality" fails to make it into anyone's repertoire.
The call to prayer calms my anxious mind five times a day, children playing soccer on my street cheerily greet me approximately two times a day, and I feel like a little girl in Disney Land every time I take a rickety 35-cent bus ride: something about the decorative tassels bouncing back and forth above my head as the driver's cigarette smoke dances in the cool desert breeze to classical Arab music strikes adventure into my heart and reminds me why I am on such a rich journey.
Yes— I feel quite like I'm where I'm supposed to be, and that's where multiple roads less traveled have led me.
I love how you describe your life. The whimsical way you write, so enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteTalking about Disneyland I remember the first time I took you there and we went to Bear Jamboree, as I thought you would enjoy the animals. Well how wrong I was you were sitting on my lap and absolutely shaking from head to toe with the singing moose and bear heads on the wall. You were so frightened you couldn't even cry. I felt like the worst aunt in the world.
Now look at you living in a foreign country with people much different from you, a very long way from the frightened little girl on my lap.
Enjoy your journey and those roads less traveled.
Love you,
Debbie