My last few posts have been pretty serious and challenging, but I don’t want any of you to think that my whole time in the Middle East was all hard. I had a ton of fun in the Middle East. So, I’m excited to answer this question “Did you go on any fun adventures in the Middle East?” The answer is an absolute yes!
Exploring the Country
On some of our off days, we’d rent a car and drive. There’s so much to explore in the Middle East. I grew up in Denver and I took a Denver History class. We’d go on tours to see the “old” buildings made in 1860. But, in the Middle East we’d tour ancient cities and castles dating back to 300 BC! It was insane. Even scattered through cities you’d stumble across ancient ruins. Nobody knows what they are and nobody really cares because there’s so much everywhere. My favorite part about this is that because it’s all stone, nobody really cares if you climb on it!
We’d also go on hikes through forests, and canyons. Some of these canyons were like slits in the ground. Several had hot springs running through them, which made for some fun messy treks. The nice thing is that the water was often warm, or the weather was warm enough that tromping through the water with shoes on was actually really comfortable! Occasionally we’d find natural waterslides, or big pools that we could cliff-dive into. Additionally, if the water was deep enough, I’d just lay in the water and let it carry me downstream while my friends walked along the side.
And all throughout these trips, I’d wonder how many thousands of generations of people have been there enjoying the water and these canyons. How many people lived hidden away there? How many families lived in these cities? How many children climbed on these same structures? The history always brought such a magical element to each fun adventure.
Making my Own Fun Adventures in the City
I was never really afraid of anyone in the Middle East, which meant the whole city was available for exploration. I found some crazy things throughout the city. I discovered an old and abandoned amusement park. They had bumper cars, which, if a friend came with me, we could push each other around without anyone caring. We found an old abandoned gondola, a sketchy and abandoned shopping area, and ton of stray cats. We also found in this amusement park an underground haunted house. Fortunately, we could squeeze under the gate to find a super dark and scary underground haunted city. Random piles of light-bulbs or other miscellaneous items scattered the whole thing. It was terrifying, but sooooo cool! Oh, and we also found more cats.
I hate running on treadmills because it’s so boring. So, to get my energy out, I’d run through the city. I found an abundance of dead-ends, but I also found some crazy passage ways that wove between buildings and popped out somewhere I never knew existed before. Additionally, they could really do a better job of making paths more handicap friendly, because I’d be playing dodge-the-city (as I called it) while I ran. Often times I had to jump walls in the middle of the path, clear small bushes, or weave between trees. When it rained, this game got even more exciting as big rivers formed everywhere.
Exploring Forests
Oh, let me tell you. Forests were so fun, and so weird in the Middle East. I’d spot a forest on the satellite maps, and then taxi to them. Each forest was so unique and crazy. Some had massive cliffs and hidden caves. Some had gross rivers. One had a massive garden with gardeners, fresh fruits, and aqua-ducts (unfortunately, I found this one the week before I left). In one forest I even found a hidden zoo with lions and tigers, but that’s a different story (click here if you haven’t yet heard that crazy story). I’d explore every inch of these forests and discover some pretty remarkable things.
The creepiest thing I ever found was a whole ravine of disembodied manikin parts. I posted this on my snapchat and one of my Arab friends responded with, “I didn’t want you to know this, but this is where barbies go when they grow up and die.” One time I tracked down a peacock. That was fun. Another time I found a turtle. I typically found stray dogs. A few times I got chased by these dogs too, but usually I could just sit and watch them get in fights with other dogs or the stray cats. OH, and once I came across a bunch of adorable puppies!
I’d often camp in the forests in my hammock and make a fire. Or I’d just chill and read a book. Occasionally I could rope my team into coming with me and we’d have a picnic or play games like hide and seek.
Be God’s Child and Go on Fun Adventures with Him
All in all, I think it’s critical we just embrace the fact that we are all children. Laugh, dance, and play in God’s creation. My friends think it’s funny when I say “the world is my playground,” but it is! God gave it to us to enjoy! Everywhere is full of adventures. Sometimes it requires a bit of creativity, and other times we just need to get outside and walk before a fun adventure falls in our laps. But, I promise you that they are there! And if you are too afraid to go to the Middle East as a missionary, don’t you worry, I’m sure God has tons of adventure plans for you.
This is part of what I mean when I say that we need to live wilder!
If you enjoyed this post, you should check out my last post: What are Some Life-Changing Lessons You Learned from the Middle East?
If you are curious what I mean when I say that we should live wilder, you should check out my post What Does it Mean to Live Wilder?
