Aspire to Inspire.

The term "Travel Treasure" is a phrase that should not be used lightly. That is why I am going to give it to a place that left a very Heavy impression on my Travels.

Every year I make it a mission to visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Following my ambitious goals, this time I set course for the Ancient Rose city of Petra in Jordan. My Mother joined me on this journey, and It's probably worth mentioning that it was her birthday during that time.
For me though this was not just another trek, this was a home coming. Jordan is where I was raised. This is where my Child hood took form. So it was natural for my Wanderlust to thrive here.

As soon as I recovered from my jet lag and gathered all my bearings, me and my mother set course south from the Capital city of Amman towards The Petra. On the drive down to the ancient wonder, you go through a series of terrains. From large cities, to clusters of small towns, to a complete barren desert with large mountains scattered here and there.
It made me think to myself "Who the Heck would build a city out here?! And how the heck did we find it?"
The pilgrimage to the Petra can be a challenging one. You must first pass through the winding slot canyon called the "The Siq". It's just under a mile long and was formed by the Earth and it's elements, at the end of it lies the Hidden Gem we seek.
The Siq is a very humbling teacher. It respectfully forces you to walk in the foot steps of the ancients that once roamed these lands. It shows you the Archaic paintings and architectural aqueducts that once quenched this community. It teaches you that if a Civilization was keen on thriving and surviving, it will.

As you come close to the end of the Siq, you can just feel it. It's as if you have been picking the pedals off a Rose flower trying to reach it's alluring core. You are close.. You can FEEL it. You can faintly see the Treasury peeking at you through the narrow ravine. As you take your final steps towards it, there it is... One of the 7 Wonders of the World.

It is an indescribable feeling seeing The Petra for the first time.
It Just stands there.. Beautiful, delicate, elegant. It charms you with it's marvelous artistry.
You can't help but just stand there and bask in it's grace, so I did.
The best part of this journey was sharing it with my mother. Instead of giving her a dozen red roses for her birthday, I was blessed with the opportunity to give her the Rose City itself. And for that, she was forever grateful.