Fire & Innocence A family of five explores the desert landscapes of Jordan by
SASHA BROWN-WORSHAM
“How can it be so brown?” my 12-year-old daughter asked as our plane descended from the clouds. In just six hours, we’d gone from lush, green Heathrow to this incredible bisque-colored expanse. “We are in the desert now, baby,” my husband explained, as our family of five – Mom and Dad, Samara (12), Alan (11), Adara (5) – touched down in sunbaked Amman, Jordan. Bilal, our guide for the next 10 days, met us at the gate, instantly charming Adara. “In Arabic, your name means innocence,” he told her. “In Hebrew, it means fire. Which one are you?” “Definitely fire,” Adara said. We all nodded in agreement. Definitely fire. For the next week, we explored ancient stadiums and the ruins of Jerash in Northern Jordan. Then famous Petra, where we walked 40,000 steps in a single
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ENSEMBLE ULTIMATE FAMILY VAC ATIONS I SUMMER 2022
day and marveled at the artistry of the Rose City. “This definitely isn’t overrated,” our oldest said. “This is the life,” Alan agreed when we arrived at our bubble hotel, where each air-conditioned bubble bedroom comes with an outdoor hot tub. Sitting in his own private bath overlooking the Petra Mountains, my son felt like a king. My husband and I would miss that hot tub on a three-hour (stirrup-less) camel trek in Wadi Rum the next day. “I can’t feel my legs,” we both said at one point, laughing so hard tears ran down our faces. Our kids laughed too, but their
