crusade/kruːˈseɪd

noun

1. each of a series of medieval military expeditions made by Europeans to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.”the fanaticism engendered by the Crusades”
2. a vigorous campaign for political, social, or religious change.”a crusade against crime”

verb

1. lead or take part in a vigorous campaign for social, political, or religious change.”a crusading stance on poverty” (Source: Google Dictionary)

There’s a major event unfolding at the moment that’s bringing a lot of uncertainty to our lives. The world has pretty much come to a halt, forcing us to ask ourselves some questions. First and foremost, are we taking care of our bodies? Are we enjoying the things we do on a daily basis? What do we want to spend more of our time doing? Who are we spending our time with? Are we calling our moms enough? Are we prepared for what’s coming next? So many questions.

Maybe we were coasting through a perpetual state of purgatory, not quite satisfied with where we were at, but knowing that there was something more out there if we just put in the effort.

In my case, I was on a personal crusade to travel and see the world. I wanted to see and do everything. Nothing was going to stop me. But, adventure after adventure, it was never enough. After traveling for more than a few months, being constantly on the move and being in new places became all too routine. Over time, my relationship with travel gradually started to resemble the very 9-5 existence that I had sought to escape in the first place. My eyes had seen more impressive castles, temples and beaches than the ones that were right in front of me. Regular contact with loved ones became more sparse as time passed. The Great Escape no longer felt like I had escaped anything. I had slipped into autopilot.

And then out of nowhere, a black swan appeared, derailing my travel plans. Without any notice, my lifestyle and state of being was turned completely onto its head. Once the initial fear and shock wore off, I was forced to re-examine the crux of my desire to travel. Although at the time, having to abandon my own plans (and not out of choice) was extremely inconvenient, in hindsight, I realize that it was out and my hands and couldn’t be fought.

Whether a trip is for a few weeks or a few years, I tend to find that the moments where I experience the height of enthusiasm, curiosity and excitement that fills my stomach with butterflies happens close to the beginning of a trip. Visiting Petra during my trip to the Middle East was one of those moments. As cliche as it sounds, it felt very Indiana Jones.

Before we crossed over the border from Eilat in Israel to Jordan, our Israeli cab driver who brought us to the border warned us that Jordan was not Israel, which we interpreted as having to put our guard up. As soon as we crossed over to show our passports to the Jordanian border guards, it felt like we had crossed into a different world and a different time. After getting ripped off by the taxi mafia (I was pissed), we arrived at our hotel in Aqaba. One thing we didn’t know about our hotel was that it was right next to a giant mosque, which meant that we were woken up in the wee hours of the morning to the blasting sound of a guy praying, which was amplified by the speakers. At least we had a nice view of the Red Sea.

Upon arriving in Wadi Musa, the town where Petra is located, we settled into our Airbnb and prepared to wake up bright and early for our first day exploring the ancient city of Petra.

Debris and sediment built up over centuries of flash floods left Petra hidden from the world and only remained known to the nomadic Bedouins who’ve inhabited the area since the time it was built. It was only until the early 1800s when the first European discovered the ancient city. Like Petra, what were once powerful and prosperous civilizations ultimately get conquered, decline and eventually disappear off the face of the earth. The same can be said about the human race.

In light of what’s happening in the world right now, perhaps there is a new crusade being awakened amongst ourselves, to reach a level of synchronicity where we are aware of a deeper connection with something greater than our individual self. After all, our survival and ability to thrive depends on it.