the old city of jerusalem

Israel has to be one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been. Not only is the history incredible, but the country is beautiful, thriving, and full of innovation. While it’s maybe not the safest place in the world right now…and I didn’t love seeing machine guns out in public…it was like walking through the pages of a history book.

We took a day trip to Jerusalem from Amman, Jordan, which is a few hour drive away. That was an experience in itself! We spent several hours sitting in our car at the border, in neutral territory in between Jordan and Israel, while large semi trucks flew by. After a few hours, the guards decided to let us through, and we were on our way! The drive was exactly as I would have pictured it – the most beautiful desert I had ever seen. Every inch of this land looked sacred – and I could almost imagine what life was like for the key figures in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam thousands of years ago.

It was incredible to see the bedouin tribes along the highway and the commitment they have to their culture. I can’t imagine packing up my personal belongings every few weeks and moving somewhere new.

The city of Jerusalem is absolutely breathtaking. Something about the way the light hits the city makes it appear magical. The best view in town is on the hill across from the Temple Mount on the Mount of Olives.

From there, we narrowed in on the Old City with a walking tour through stalls and stalls of spices, food, shoes, metalwork – the list goes on and on. It was the Israeli version of Harrod’s in London – it had everything you could ever imagine!

For me, the Western Wall was the most powerful part of Jerusalem – and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. The courtyard was filled with so much love and faith that I felt lifted and inspired. I think it was the passion and patriotism for one’s country that touched me so deeply.

On a lighter note, in addition to being one of the most amazing places I’ve been to, Israel also had some of the best food I’ve ever had. Our lunch at Ramat Rachel, a Kibbutz (a socialist, utopian type community – that’s another story!), was a feast of homemade hummus, vegetables galore, lentils, breaded chicken, fresh fruit, fresh bread, and other healthy, but delicious, options. It was my dream meal – and the perfect way to get a taste – literally – of Israeli culture.