Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Never have I witnessed such sincere hospitality and the overwhelming spirit of true brotherhood as is practiced by people of all colors and races here in this ancient Holy Land, the home of Abraham, Muhammad, and all the other prophets of the Holy Scriptures. For the past week, I have been utterly speechless and spellbound by the graciousness I see displayed all around me by people of all colors.

Malcolm X

As we walked down the gangway of the MV World Odyssey to our final port terminal in Dubai, the tears began to flow. I will miss the crew. Pons, Bravo, Aris, Rod, Jun, Nina, Lito, Shruti, and Captain Petros will be the first folks I seek out if I am ever fortunate enough to return to Semester at Sea.

I will also miss the sea. I’ve never been much of a beachgoer or an ocean lover – I was more of a mountain girl; however, the sea has changed me. The idiom “sea change” (drawn from a phrase in Shakespeare’s The Tempest) implies a complete transformation or a radical change of direction in attitude, goals… self.

There is magic within the mighty blue waters.

After a few days in the United Arab Emirates and ten days in Israel, Sarah and I are preparing to get on a flight to New York City tomorrow morning. We are packing our suitcases but feel like we should be boarding the ship and returning to cabin 7016 for a jaunt to our next port. This isn’t so – not this time.

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“Be aware of your surroundings” is a common phrase I often hear from those who love me most. When traveling solo or to unfamiliar territories, I respect the apprehensions of others regarding my safety. I am typically aware of various circumstances in unfamiliar places. I do my research, travel to areas that interest me, and take the necessary steps to protect myself while seeking unique and personal opportunities. Not all my travels have been stress-free. Perhaps that is because I expect hiccups along the way – the misadventures do not slow me down and often add to the experience. Ultimately, traveling has increased my understanding of and love for others because I am quite aware of my surroundings.

Spending ten days in the Holy Land far exceeded my preconceived notions of what Israel would be like. In the midst of world news about the Middle East, I found Israel to be astonishing. “For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which you will not lack anything…” Deuteronomy 8:7-9

We’ve been touring ancient ruins all over the world in the past five months, so the impact of being in Israel may not have made a full imprint on my consciousness yet. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus has been a lot to comprehend. Surprisingly, I found the Holy Land to be fairly commercialized. Who would have thought there would be a fee to be baptized in the Jordan River? Gift shops surround the traditional sites. Western tourists interrupt sacred Jewish prayers at the Wailing Wall as they take selfies while placing pieces of paper wishes into the cracks of the rocks. Tour busses pile up at local parks and coffee shops to shuffle thousands of tourists to their designated excursions of the day.

I wasn’t necessarily moved by being in the holy places of scripture; rather, I was inspired by the way in which this country seems to be functioning at this moment in time. I don’t believe there is another place on earth where a Jewish tour guide gives Christian tours to Muslim-owned ancient sites in an area that is divided physically, militarily, politically, and spiritually. Yet, I felt safer walking through Old Jerusalem than I do teaching in a public school in the United States. On New Year’s Eve, Sarah and I walked nearly ten miles along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea from Tel Aviv to Jaffa and back. We observed sand volleyball tournaments, babies in strollers, picnics, street musicians, line dancing, joggers, and dogs. We listened to people speaking Hebrew, French, English, Arabic, and many other languages I couldn’t distinguish, as we sat in a gelato shop enjoying one of our many treats from the day.

Being aware of my surroundings should involve being cognizant of potential threats or issues, but it certainly should encompass a consciousness of experience. I have nearly 4000 photographs from the past five months, but there are certain surroundings that the camera can never capture.