the nectar: when life doesn't go as planned

I have just arrived in Dahab, an Egyptian city by the sea in South Sinai.  My journey took 8 hours longer than expected. 

I reached the port early to (supposedly) leave Jordan at 11pm and arrive on the east coast of Egypt at 1am.  I sat on the ferry while hundreds of mostly Egyptian and Jordanian men boarded.  We all waited for the boat to leave.

11pm past, then 12am, and suddenly I realized it was 2am and still no departure from Jordan.  I frustratedly tried to get some sleep.

So tired on the ferry to Egypt

I attempted to find comfort in my body and mind--but it was nearly impossible.  Men were speaking loudly in Arabic around me, apparently also confused about the delay.  If that wasn't enough to keep me up, a child continuously kicked my seat.  I turned around and saw a little girl about 4 years old smiling at me.  She was accompanied by the only two women I spotted on the ferry.  It's as if the women sat next to me due to an unspoken connection of sisterhood in a sea of male bodies.  They were in full burka, and although I could not see their faces, I made out an expression of a smile from both of them as we met eyes.  I said with a smile back, "Yalla?", "let's go?" to which one of the women lifted her arms and shoulders to express similar confusion as to why the boat wasn't moving.

Around 3am, one of the women left her seat to sit on the floor for a more comfortable sleeping position.  She poked me for my attention and pointed to a man who was laying on the floor using a life jacket as a pillow.  This man was sleeping soundly.  This man was a genius.

The woman and I laughed hard together and then both attempted to sleep.  Around 4am, I was so cold that I curled up into a small ball of human in my plastic covered seat.  I tossed and turned for hours and, still, no moving boat.

Suddenly, I felt the warm sensation of a wool blanket draped over my body.  Half asleep and without thinking I whispered, "thank you."  I uncurled my body and sat in a more comfortable position--feeling warm for the first time in hours.  Many minutes later I realized I had no idea where the blanket had come from.  I lifted my eye mask to look around.  A middle-aged man turned around from his seat in front of me and nodded with a slight smile.  He had warm, kind eyes.  I looked at him, smiled and repeatedly said with my hand to my heart, "Shukran", "Thank you."  And he shook his head as to say, "no problem at all."

I fell asleep quickly with the warmth of this blanket and slept until we reached Dahab.

I looked behind me to my female companions and made an expression as to say, "yes! we made it!." And I could see through their black veils they were smiling with relief as well.

I realized at this moment that love is everywhere, kindness is human, and a simple gesture can change someone's entire attitude.

I love the middle east.  

I arrived 8 hours late, paid for a room that I did not stay in, and only slept a few hours.  And yet, I wouldn't change my journey if I had the chance.  If everything would have gone to plan, I wouldn't have had a connection to women that, for so long, I was conditioned to be afraid of or feel sorry for in my home country.  I wouldn't have experienced the act of kindness from the man with the kind eyes.  And I for sure would not know a life jacket could be used as a pillow.

And maybe that's how we know we are living.  We think we have a plan, we calculate it perfectly, but when it doesn't turn out how we expected, we keep going, and, hopefully, we find light in even the darkest of disappointments.  The unexpected is the nectar, the sweetness of life.

Dahab, Egypt

I have compiled many stories from other travelers about the love they have experienced in their lives.  I am now settled in Dahab for a week or two to write their stories and some of my own.  Stay tuned everybody.

Have you experienced an act of kindness that completely changed your attitude about something?  Comment below with your thoughts!