My bachlorette solo trip to the Middle East

I’ve decided to come back from the blogging dead for a few reasons that hopefully will be apparent over the next few weeks. Although I’m crazy busy at the moment (I’m almost a month out from getting married!), I’ve been feeling a pull to write that I can no longer ignore. That, and the fact that I’ve met people that have motivated to continue this project, plus all the questions from friends about this particular topic, I’m back - although I won’t be as strict with the schedule and will let things flow as they want to.

When I got engaged earlier this year, I knew I had to go on one of my unique solo trips that I usually do every year. At the time, I didn’t want a bachlorette party, I wanted to celebrate my status and the freedom that my relationship has gifted me the best way I knew how – traveling alone. I struggled to figure out where I wanted to go (climbing a mountain like Kilimanjaro changes your priorities a whole lot), but I knew I wanted to do something different and see and share a part of the world that many of my friends haven’t explored yet.

I’ll admit first hand – taking a “long” trip so close to the wedding was probably not the wisest decision, but it paid dividends to my emotional balance and shook things up in a positive way. I hope that by sharing some of the things I learned while planning and then executing this trip, I'll help a fellow adventurer in his/her quest to explore this beautiful and mysterious part of the world.

Why the Middle East?

Waiting to check my bags in at the Washington Dulles Turkish Airlines desk on 11/8/18.

I found “cheap” flights.

I know what it is to long for a place you’ve never been to because I spent more than a decade dreaming of Pompeii, Macchu Pichu, and Mt. Kilimanjaro. I wish I had a cool story to go along with the decision to go on this trip to Israel and Jordan, but I don’t. I found 18-day round trip airfare for $650 precisely on the dates when I would use the least amount of vacation time, so I booked the flights and left the planning worry for later.

What was the plan?

Initially, I had none, and really didn’t try to come up with one until about a month before the trip. I’ve been doing so much traveling for pleasure/work (more on that in a few blog posts) and wedding planning is time intensive, so I considered not going. Wasting $650 is harsh, though, so I started to give the trip more thought. After writing down the MUST and WANTS for the trip and connecting the dots between each place, it came together pretty easily. This is basically what I ended up doing:

Basic trip outline between Israel and Jordan, total of 17 days.

It wasn’t by accident, but I came up with a pretty solid plan that allowed enough time in both countries to see a lot without feeling rushed. The itinerary was detailed enough for me to know where I needed to be every day and the MUSTS on each location, but also allowed a lot of flexibility for the schedule to be manipulated based on my preferences once I was there (and I did change it more than once during the trip).

More details to come!

How do you afford such a “long” vacation?

I save specifically for travel. Because of that, I didn’t have a budget, but was pretty mindful of my expenditures. The cost of the trip ended up being about $2200 for airfare, lodging, food, transportation, and other travel expenses (such as travel insurance, entrance to major attractions, visas, etc.), and I definitely treated myself every once in a while to unnecessary ice cream, baklava, or dinner at an actual restaurant. I could have easily made this trip cost less than $2000 without sacrificing any of the great experiences I had. I share this to show you that traveling, even internationally, doesn't have to break the bank.

I’m still tallying the numbers up but will provide more information in a later post.

Trip Recap

Some people think that I’m this crazy full time world traveler, but that is far from the truth and a myth I try to dispel every time I get. I work full-time (in the US) and have to meticulously plan my vacation schedule to maximize the amount of time off I get. I’ve built a system that helps me travel abroad at least once a year, but even with the international exposure I have, this trip had a lot of first time experiences.

Overall, it was AWESOME.

Israel and Jordan offered a lot to do and see, and even share some resources (like the Red Sea and the Dead Sea!). Regardless of their proximity, the countries’ ambiances were very different and I can see why some people would prefer to go to one or the other, and not both. As for me, I spent more time in Jordan than in Israel, and feel content with that choice. The Arab culture was extremely welcoming and loving, something I find hard to say about Israelis and Jews. The fact that they thought I looked Arab or Indian played both for and against me, although every time in either positive or neutral ways.

The ever impressive Treasury building in the ancient city of Petra, the mecca of Jordan tourism and one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

The weather was, for the most part, excellent. Going at the beginning of the wintertime offered the advantage of pleasurable temperatures, but the day (light) was short-lived and there were certain areas in Jordan that were closed or dangerous due to flash flooding. On both sides I was told that the best time to visit is March-May. Consider that if you are planning a trip out to the Middle East!

Obstacles and/or Lessons Learned

I will definitely be writing about my traveling mistakes in a future blog post, but here is the highlights of the lessons learned this trip:

Crossing the border | it can be difficult depending on who you are. This was my #1 worry before leaving for this trip and fortunately my experiences out and into Israel did not live up to my grim expectations, but not everyone is as lucky. Overall, American citizens are pretty safe from

Israeli security | to my above point, they can be HARSH. Even when leaving the country, their bag search, questioning, and added security measures are probably second to none in the world. I felt they are incredulous to the fact that many people that want to travel, visit countries, and experience cultures, at some point are curious of Israel.

Language barriers | This was my first time experiencing a significant language barrier. In Israel, even in the city or big touristy part of Jerusalem, most text was in Hebrew (menus, bus schedules, general information, prices…). A fair amount of people spoke English, but I still found myself completely clueless on what was going on. Then I crossed to Jordan and everything was in Arabic. There were less people fluent in English in Jordan. Sometimes, this was extremely frustrating.

Constant movement | I had enough time in my itinerary, so there was no reason to not schedule a “zero” day during my trip. But I didn’t, and after about 9 days and ever changing conditions (in my surroundings, the weather, the activities), I got sick. Although unverifiable, I believe that incorporating a day to just rest and relax would have helped my immune system catch up to all the changes around me. Being sick forced me to take it easy, and I noticed how much better I felt afterwards.

I’ll be posting a in-depth articles on both countries over the next several weeks, so keep your eyes out for that! If you have any specific questions about the trip that you’d like to get answered quick, feel free to send me an e-mail or find me on Instagram. Also, if you have generic questions on solo traveling, or have any suggestions on stuff you’'d like me to write about, I would love to hear from you.