TAKE A HOLY LAND PILGRIMAGE
ISRAEL • BETHLEHEM • JORDAN
A travelogue of some of our amazing pilgrimage experiences in the Holy Land.
Join Us on Our Upcoming Holy Land Pilgrimage
Come with us to the Holy Land, where you’ll get to visit many of the places we include in The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land TV series and in our new series The Faithful Traveler: A Papal Pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
A Virtual Rosary Pilgrimage
Every October 7th, we Catholics celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and commemorate the 16th century victory at the Battle of Lepanto attributed to the intercession of Our Lady. This battle was so important and Our Lady’s intercession is so cherished, that the Church dedicated the entire month of October to the rosary.
Learning to pray the rosary can be tricky for newbies. Prayerfully reciting the prayers on your beads—Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be—while meditating on the mysteries of the rosary—Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious—can be challenging, sometimes feeling like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time!
This is where memory and imagination come in. In my experience, nothing enriches either than travel.
Anyone who has ever travelled to the Holy Land—the lands where the Bible took place—will tell you that walking those dusty streets is just like stepping inside of the Bible. A visit to the lands where the Word became Flesh, where Jesus, His Blessed Mother, and His Disciples walked changes your life—and your prayer life—in ways that any other trip on the planet never can.
The events associated with every single one of the Mysteries of the Rosary, save one (Mary’s Crowning), happened in a specific place, and all of those places can be visited.
Even then, we are blessed to be able to visit locations where the Queen of Heaven and Earth came down from Heaven to speak with all of us, like the little village of Fátima in Portugal.
This is what pilgrimage is all about.
For those who have been blessed to visit Bethlehem, Jordan, Israel, or Fátima on pilgrimage, praying the rosary is never the same afterward. Memories of those pilgrimages bring the rosary to life, and enrich our prayer life.
So I’d like to invite you to take a virtual pilgrimage with me, to the Holy Land and to Fátima, to see the places where the Mysteries of the Rosary took place, and where the heavens were opened to allow the Queen of Heaven passage.
For those of you who have been, be reminded.
For those of you who want to go, let me encourage you.
For those of you who cannot make the trip, come along for the virtual ride.
(To watch these videos full screen, click the four arrows on the lower right corner of each video.)
Joyful Mysteries
Luminous Mysteries
Sorrowful Mysteries
Glorious Mysteries
Buy The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land
NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD: The Faithful Traveler in Fátima
Take A Virtual Trip to Ein Karem for John the Baptist’s Birthday Today!
Today, we celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist, and what better way to do it than to visit–albeit virtually–his hometown and the church built over his birthplace?!
Go here to read the blog post I wrote over at SpiritualDirection.com,
Look at my photos from Ein Karem here and here,
Read Denise Bossert’s take on her visit here,
And watch our episode from The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land, in which we visit Ein Karem!
Happy birthday to you, St John the Baptist!
Meeting the Holy Family at The International Mary of Nazareth Center
The International Mary of Nazareth Center (Centre International Marie de Nazareth), sits quietly across the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation (and here on Facebook), and is–sadly–unknown to many pilgrims. I’d like to change that.
I was in Nazareth last week, and while this was my third visit to Nazareth, it was my first time exploring the Centre. I was so impressed, I decided I had to tell everyone I could:
The International Mary of Nazareth Center is a MUST SEE for any visitor to Nazareth.
Here’s why:
1. The Multimedia Exhibit
Here’s a quick peek:
While most videos you will encounter in the Holy Land tend to be badly produced or overly cheesy, this one is a masterpiece–and I am very critical!
Our group, about to enter the multimedia exhibit
It’s not just a video you watch, but a complete sensory experience! The music is amazing (I bought the CD!), the footage is well done and informative, and the presentation is awe-inspiring. I found myself, mouth agape, many times, as I marveled at the workmanship. And it’s available in 11 languages!
The video takes you through the centuries, from the creation to Mary’s childhood here in Nazareth, and helps visitors understand and enter into the lives of the Holy Family.
2. The Archaeological Finds
I was first introduced to this site last year by my friend, Habib, who lives in Nazareth and who has long known about this site’s amazing offerings. I met with Luc Lagabrielle and Beatrice Bourrat, who introduced me to the archaeological finds at the Centre of the ruins of a house from the 1st century. While the centre doesn’t say that this home belonged to the Holy Family, that doesn’t take away from the historical importance of the site. Plus, with Mary’s home–where the Annunciation took place–just across the street and St Joseph’s home–now the Church of St Joseph– right next to it, this home clearly belonged to one of their neighbors! They very well might have visited!
3. The Chapel & Rooftop Gardens
Upstairs is a beautiful chapel and rooftop garden that provides pilgrims and visitors with a quiet space to pray and meditate on God’s creation.
There are great views of the Basilica of the Annunciation from here
and the chapel is full of amazing art, as well (see more here).
The flora and fauna of the rooftop gardens include 7 species of Biblical plants, including dates, figs, olives, pomegranates, grapes, barley, and wheat, and more than 400 other species of plants.
4. The Restaurant & Shop
Downstairs, in a beautifully renovated Crusader-era building, visitors can enjoy yummy food to refresh their bodies and souls.
The gift shop provides a variety of gifts from the Holy Land, including olive wood crafts, Palestinian embroidery, and homemade sweets and jams!
5. The Knowledge You Gain
After watching the multimedia exhibit and exploring the Centre, I truly felt closer to the Holy Family, understanding a little better what life was like for them here in Nazareth.
Visiting the Holy Land is not only an exciting learning experience, but it helps you grow in faith because you step inside of the Gospels to see a 3D version of them!
Next time you’re in Nazareth, be sure to get in touch with the Centre and spend some time there. Every minute is worth it!
The Center is open everyday, except Sunday
Monday – Saturday: 9:30-12:00 AM and 2:30-5:00 PM
Private booking available at any time.
15A Casa Nova Street – POB 50199
16161 Nazareth – Israel
Tel/Fax: +972 (0)4 646 12 66
My Jordan Journey: Petra
Last year, when I travelled to Jordan to film part of my upcoming series, A Papal Pilgrimage in the Holy Land, I was not able to make it to Petra. We were only in Jordan for about 2 and a half days, really, with only evenings in Amman, and a few days trips to local sites.
But this year… this year was different. As part of the Jordan Tourism Board’s Religious Blogger Tour, we were taken to a good majority of the sacred sites in Jordan, as well as some of its biggest tourist offerings, and Petra was the highlight.
Just a week before I travelled to Jordan, I watched the Nova special, Petra: Lost City of Stone, in which people discussed who lived in Petra and how they built the many amazing tombs and sites they left behind. So I felt ready to explore on my own. While our expert guide, Ra’ed Haddad, had plenty to share with us about this amazing historic site, I was excited to catch some pick up footage for my production–and possible future productions.
We started the day early, walking from our beautiful hotel, the Mövenpick Resort Petra, to the entrance of the Petra compound.
We made our way along the long and dusty roads, horses and buggies passing us by, and guys calling out to us, “Donkey ride?” It was tempting, because, well, who doesn’t like a donkey ride?! But I was determined to experience Petra as much as I could, and if that meant blisters and failing lungs, so be it.
Eventually, we started to see some of the tombs left behind by the Nabateans
Connor Eberhart, the talented and amazing videographer hired by the JTB, and I stopped to film an ancient tribal dance
while our group went inside this gift shop to learn about myrrh (that’s Connor and his shemagh–the red scarf).
The owner of the store ran out and rubbed something fragrant on my arm, which intoxicated me all day long. I later returned to buy it and got the royal treatment (he drew kohl in my eyes and put that head thingie on me, making me look like a Bedouin).
We walked the long, dusty alleys of Petra,
half expecting Sand People to pop out and start gurgling at us.
I took a group photo, which is somewhat far away with my awesome wide-angle lens.
And Ra’ed told us amazing stories as we made our way.
One sticks out in my mind: he told the story of Lot’s wife, and asked a question I’d never considered, did Lot’s wife really turn to salt, or was the story a metaphor? A parable? Was it, instead, that Lot’s wife, because she refused to let go of the past, became hard as stone, and salty as tears? I’m sure I’m getting it wrong, because beyond being an amazingly knowledgable guide, Ra’ed is also a poet, and I am not. But the story stuck in my heart, and I hope it will never leave, reminding me always that to hold on to anger and grudges and the past is tantamount to being turned into a pillar of salt.
Then, we finally made our way to the treasury.
It really is amazing. People milled about everywhere, taking photos and riding camels. Here is the requisite selfie:
Our own Deacon Greg Kandra got into the fun and jumped on a dromedary himself!
These two gentlemen told me I looked like an Arab, which pleased me.
I always like looking like the locals. I guess I have that kind of “everything except Mexican” kind of face. LOL.
People love a girl with a camera, I must say.
After lunch, our group splintered off into groups going different ways. Some walked back to our hotel in a leisurely manner, shopping along the way. Others took a higher route, visiting some of the tombs we passed in the hills. But Frank Weathers and I decided to make the trek to the Monastery.
We began the 1,000+ stoney, steep steps. Frank had his backpack and I had my tripod, camera, and three lenses. I was not making this trek unprepared!
Frank, gentleman and naturally born Shepherd that he is, waited for me as I huffed and puffed all the way up the mountain.
It was a lot of steps.
But we eventually made it.
Totally worth it.
That grey band on my arm is a Bodymedia FIT armband, which measures my steps and caloric output. This is what it measured for that day:
When Frank saw this, he replied, “Moderate activity my butt!” (or something along those lines. I would have to agree with that assessment. There was nothing moderate about that climb. Or the view.
But, Frank being Frank, had to get the most out of the experience. So we went higher. (I’m not complaining. I love an adventurous travel partner!) So we climbed…
and climbed some more, until we found the “Best View”. Or, at least, that’s what the signs told us.
It wasn’t too bad.
I need to work with Frank on framing those shots…
On our way down, we prayed the rosary together, which was awesome. I even taught Frank how the Fatima kids would pray at the Cova da Iria, yelling out,
HAIL MARY!
Before we left the park, I met this Bedouin, who told me he was in a Lonely Planet book.
I’ll have to look him up…
For next time.
Coming Home from A Pilgrimage
I am home now, after having spent a whirlwind 16 days in the Holy Land, first in Jordan, then in Israel and Palestine.
My house looks, as my dear friend Denise Bossert so artfully put it on her Facebook page, like my suitcase vomited all over it.
I sit in front of my computer, sacred art surrounding me and the rosary I brought to the Holy Land–which touched the stone at Gethsemane and the stone on which Jesus’ dead body was placed in the tomb–is around my neck.
I swear, I can smell roses.
Thoughts and stories flood my mind. Where do I begin? How can I share what I’ve experienced?
I hope you all enjoyed following along on my social media pages.
Soon, I will upload my photos.
Soon, I will blog more stories.
Soon, I will share what is in my heart, not just what I saw with my eyes.
For now, I encourage you to read the stories my fellow Jordanian travelers have written. They have some amazing stories to tell, as well, and they show what we all want to show–that travel to the Holy Land, be it Jordan or Israel or Palestine–is SAFE. That these people need our tourism dollars to survive. And that all of our lives will be enriched by the experience.
Please be sure to read the blogs of
And of course, my blog is here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thefaithfultraveler/
And be sure to check out the amazing videos created by Connor Eberhart, a wonderful person as well as an amazing videographer and editor.
Jordan Journal: Wandering the Streets of Amman
It is currently 2:14 AM in Amman. I woke up completely refreshed and ready to start my day… at 1:30 AM after having gone to bed, exhausted, around 11:30.
Ah, travel.
Might as well take this opportunity to tell you about yesterday, a most amazing day, spent wandering the streets of Amman.
Yesterday, being Divine Mercy Sunday, we got up early to break our fast and head out to find a church. We had planned to visit a local Syrian Church, but, sadly, we were unable to find it. We ended up driving around Amman, looking at how amazingly crowded its famed seven hills have become. Our guide, Ra’ed, tells us that the hills of Jordan were, for the most part, undeveloped land until the persecuted Christians from Syria and the rest of the region began descending on Jordan. Now, the hills look like they are stacked with boxes upon boxes, all full of people who have been displaced from their homes.
I asked Ra’ed how Jordanians feel about all of these people, moving to their land and, I’m sure, taking up space, taking up jobs, taking up everything. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants in the U.S., I always find it interesting to know who the “Mexicans” (aka unwanted immigrants) are in other countries. While King Abdullah II has been more than generous and gracious with his land and his resources, you can’t help but understand how Jordanians might be frustrated by the situation.
At the same time, who can blame anyone who has to leave their home and most everything they have and know, fearing their lives and seeking peace?
Yesterday, in our search for Our Lord in a church, we instead found Him in one of His suffering loved ones. We met Zaid, an Iraqi Christian who recently left Mosul to escape ISIS and the nonsense they bring. He had left Mosul, and almost his entire life, just a few months ago. Fortunately, he was able to bring his newlywed wife along for the ride.
God is everywhere. We know this. He is in all of us–Catholic or Protestant, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, or Christian.
Meeting Zaid yesterday was a powerful reminder that He also wants us to pray, unceasingly, for those who suffer and for peace and unity. I have addd Zaid to my prayers. I will never forget him, or the hundreds of thousands of people, just like him, both here in Jordan and abroad.
Pray with me, won’t you?
(Max Lindenman wrote a lovely piece about this experience from his unique perspective. Read it here.)
******
So, Mass was a bust. Fortunately, we’d gone to the Easter Vigil the day before, so we were good. We went back to the hotel for, what I believe is called…
FREE TIME.
What? What is that?
Since we are on a tour of Jordan sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board, they were kind enough to allow us some free time to interview people or what have you.
But free time is not something I normally have.
EVER.
I never have it when I travel. Especially not for The Faithful Traveler. Look, Deacon Greg Kandra says so in his blog post about our Easter Vigil Mass:
So, when we were dropped off at the hotel around 10 am, I was asking everyone, “what’re you going to do?” because, I’m sorry. I’m a small woman with lots of camera equipment. Loaded down like this, I don’t even go out alone in the U.S.
But the response I got from all was either “sleep” or “write” or “sleep and then write”.
Boo.
I went back to my room and begrudgingly climbed into my bed. At 10 am. In a foreign country.
Boo.
Fortunately, Frank Weathers was awake–he’d wisely skipped the outward journey, and was now ready to go exploring. He found a willing partner in me, and fortunately, Denise Bossert changed her mind about staying in and was ready to go!
Woot! (as I only say in writing)
We embarked on what Frank later called “Lonely Planet Excursions, hosted by Joe Six-Pack, USMC”, and headed off to find a church that Frank saw from his window. We found the Church of Jesus Christ’s Entry into the Temple.
Of course, Frank led the way to the upper loft in the church.
Then to the bell tower.
HA.
Isn’t it AMAZING?!
God is so good.
Following Frank is an adventure. Not only does the man have the confidence of a… well, of a Marine, he’s brave and he loves exploring. And he has a shepherd’s spirit. He will never leave a man behind. And he’s so tall, he’ll know if you’re lagging. He’s a great guy to have around, and I am so happy he is on this trip.
Denise is newer to this whole travel thing, but she is learning fast, and is always willing to go outside of her comfort zone and explore. I love sharing these experiences with her, and am especially blessed to have such a dear and close friend on this trip.
When we left the hotel, it was raining off and on. By the time we got inside the church, it started to pour, and even started to SLEET! When we left the church, there wise crushed ice everywhere. It was crazy.
But it was a beautiful blessing to have found the church and to have made such wonderful friends in such wonderful people.
We made our way back to the hotel and got completely drenched. My pants, which are too long for me, were soaked, but my heart was full.
Then, we went to lunch at the hotel, where Greg Kandra almost was assaulted by psycho Easter Bunny.
Greg wrote a nice blog post about the food we’ve been eating here along with some of his many amazing photos.
Afterward, a small group of us headed out to the souk–basically, the market. We went shopping.
Frank was our intrepid leader again. He’s so great. Like a tall, skinny mama hen, looking after her little chicks.
I made another friend on this trip: Benjamin Corey, who I really like a lot. He came along on our merry adventures.
Denise also came, and blogged a beautiful piece about her experience.
Greg Kandra came, and also wrote about it here.
We were dropped off at the ruins of an amphitheater, set into the side of a mountain in the middle of downtown Amman. This beautiful reminder of Amman’s Roman history–it was the first Philadelphia, remember–dates back to 138-161 AD. It once sat 5000 people, and God knows what sort of things they watched.
Deacon Greg Kandra smiles for the camera
Today, it’s surrounded by shops that, honestly, reminded me of a regular street in Queens.
Our first stop: a patisserie! (Of course, says the chubby girl.)
The patisserie is called Al Sahel Al Akhdar, and it is awesome.
I asked the first gentleman I met if he spoke English (anta tatakellum Ingleesi, yeah saiid?), and he did of course. Very well. His name was Mahmoud, and he was a sweetheart.
He introduced me to the “sweet of Jordania”, as he called it, kanafeh. It was amazing.
Then we wandered up and down the street, looking at all of the pretty wares. These dresses are gorgeous, and in every shop you see. I would have loved to have bought one, but there’s no way I could pull that off.
Frank is strong!
This is a REAL monkey. Baby Jesus is crying about this, I tell you. Poor little guy.
A nearby and very pretty mosque.
Everyone was kind and happy when I greeted them with marhaba! Which means hello in Arabic.
Ahalan wahsahalan! They would say: welcome!
After peeking into many shops, we went back to Al Sahel Al Akhdar and bought some stuff to bring home.
“Will you come back to Jordan?” Mahmoud asked.
“Inshallah,” I said, which made him laugh.
“Your Arabic is very good!” he said. “Next time, you will know more!”
“Inshallah,” I said. And I meant it.
(And now, it is 3:51 AM. Sleepy time.)
To read Frank’s take on today, go here! He’s hilarious.
Celebrating Easter with Our Melkite Brothers and Sisters
Today was an awesome day in Jordan.
Deacon Greg Kandra did a masterful job illustrating the beginning of today’s adventures on his blog here, including photos of our hotel and of me getting some pick up footage of the Jabbok or Zarqa River.
It was a fun, albeit cold and rainy day, but the best part came at night, when I got to see one of my all-time favorite people, Abouna Nabil Haddad, a Melkite priest I met during my last trip to Jordan in May and who I was blessed to interview for my upcoming series, A Papal Pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
Father Nabil is more than just a priest. He is the is the founder and executive director of the Jordanian Interfaith Coexistence Research Center, and an amazing man. But I love him because he is good and humble and kind. He is salt of the earth, and I am blessed to know him.
We were blessed to celebrate Easter Vigil Mass with Father Nabil and his flock and it was just amazing.
But the funny thing is, first, we went to the wrong church. Instead of going to the Melkite Catholic Church, we went to a regular Catholic Church, where we heard them celebrate Easter Vigil as we do, with the Latin Rite, just in Arabic.
Hearing the Exultet of the Easter Vigil Mass sung in Arabic was amazing. It really hammered home the universality of the Catholic Church–we are brothers and sisters with these strangers! It was awesome.
Then, we figured out were were at the wrong church and headed over to Father Nabil’s where we celebrated Mass with our Melkite brothers and sisters. It was awesome.
I’d say more, but I’m exhausted. Suffice it to say, today really hammered home the fact that God wants us to pray for one another–no matter who we are or where we are. He wants us to love one another. And by praying for unity and peace, we change our hearts and minds to help make that happen.
Keep praying. These people are awesome and I love them.
Happy Easter to all of my Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ! And happy Easter to the rest of you, too!
Hallelujah! He is Risen!
*******
Be sure to check out what some of my traveling companions are writing about their stay.
Frank Weathers wrote a little blog post about a movie he saw on Jordan on the flight out.
Denise Bossert tells about her second day’s experiences here.
Anna Carroll is one of my new friends, and she’s writing about her Jordan Journey here.
Marge Fenelon tells about her travel woes amidst tornadoes.
*****
UPDATE: Deacon Greg just posted this: Journey to Jordan: The most amazing Easter of my life
Sounds like he had an awesome night, too. 🙂
You guys. COME TO JORDAN. It is amazing.
Traveling to Jordan, Day 1
Yesterday, I took a shuttle bus to JFK to board a Royal Jordanian flight to Amman, Jordan. At the airport, I met the first two of my intrepid fellow travelers, Frank Weathers and Deacon Greg Kandra. (First selfie of the trip, courtesy of Greg Kandra)
We had a lovely meal before we met some more of our fellow travellers:
And I got to see a dear friend (Denise Bossert):
We boarded our flight. I got an unexpected blessing:
Bypassed dinner and woke up quite refreshed!
We were met by Bilal and another guide whose name I’ve forgotten, but who kept practicing his Spanish on me as I kept trying to practice my Arabic! Ah, languages!
Then we me out guide for the trip, Raed, who has a wealth of knowledge of Holy Jordan and who has the patience of a saint for tolerating me always asking him, “How do you say that in Arabic?” (yes, I am annoying)
We drove past some beautiful sacred sites (this is a mosque I thought was very pretty)
Checked in to the Sheraton, Amman
And went to dinner at Whispers, down the street, where the waiters were all very nice.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Umm Qais, Jerash, and I get to see Father Nabil Haddad again, when we celebrate Orthodox Easter with him and his congregation!
HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!
For now, I’m exhausted and going to sleep.
Keep up with my minute-to-minute social media posts here, where you can see my Tweets, Instagrams, and Facebook posts, even if you don’t have any of the above.
And pleas keep us all in your prayers! We have an amazing group of people. I am blessed to be among them.
Thank you to the Jordanian Tourism Board for organizing such an exciting and informative trip! I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Learning Languages for Travel
“Arabic language” in Arabic
Whenever I travel abroad, I always try to find the time to learn as much of the language of the country I am visiting as I can. I think doing so is important on so many levels.
First of all, it shows the locals that you care enough about them to learn a little of how to speak to them in their native language. Only on rare occasions have I met people who aren’t thrilled by my efforts to communicate with them in their language.
Second, I think learning a new language is invigorating for the mind and the mouth. Twisting your lips and tongue into the various ways required by foreign languages is exciting for me, and I love to do my best to try to imitate the native pronunciations as best I can. And memorizing things can never be bad for the brain! It’s mental exercise!
Learning a new language requires time and tenacity. It also requires a good ear. I think my training in music helped me tremendously on this level, and I believe those with a facility with foreign languages share this trait. But I also know plenty of people who butcher foreign pronunciations, and you know what? I don’t think it matters! I’ve never been upset with a foreigner speaking English to me with an accent. In fact, I’ve always found it exciting to meet people from other countries who speak my language better than I could ever speak theirs, despite their imperfect and/or accented pronunciation. If anything, I think their accent adds character to the conversation! So I can only imagine that most people in other countries feel the same about our attempts at speaking their language. (There is always an exception, I know, and I have encountered some people in other countries who seem annoyed by my attempts to speak their language. I do my best to ignore their ingratitude and rudeness.)
On my last trip to the Holy Land in May, I learned as much as I could from our local guides. I learned how to inshallah (God willing), saba hal hair (good morning), and abouna (Father) in Arabic, while my Jewish guides taught me todah (thank you), boker tov (good morning) and bevakasha (please) in Hebrew. This time around, since I would be spending quite some time in Jordan, an Arabic-speaking country, I wanted to try my hand at learning a little more Arabic. I used two methods: Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur.
Rosetta Stone offers 3 levels of Arabic, using their fancy computer-based software. We own a few of Rosetta Stone CDs in different languages–French, Italian, Spanish, and German. While David bought German to work on his native skills in that language, I’ve focused on the romance languages, making it really more of a review lesson for me. When David tried his hand at Spanish–a language in which he has no skill–he complained that the application was confusing and difficult. Nonsense! I said. It’s easy! Ha. Little did I realize I was coming at it from the perspective of someone who speaks some of the languages. When I started to Arabic lessons, I came at it from David’s perspective–completely green–and felt the same thing.
The app starts out the same in every language I’ve tried–they teach you how to say man, woman, boy, girl, drink, eat, run, read. Interesting, but a random vocab lesson that can be frustratingly useless if you’re learning a language for a trip. (I don’t know when I’ll ever say, “the boy runs” to anyone. I don’t know the last time I said that in English…)
That’s where Pimsleur comes in.
Before my trip to Portugal last October, I bought my first Pimsleur MP3s. I chose Pimsleur because, for some bizarre reason, Rosetta Stone only offers Brazillian Portuguese and not European Portuguese. Weird. My online research indicated that the languages were different enough to merit buying the language I would be speaking, so I went to Pimsleur because they do have European Portuguese. For a mere $42 I got 10 lessons in Portuguese–compared to the high prices of Rosetta Stone, this was awesome. Then I listened to them all and learned how to say useful things like, “I only speak a little Portuguese”, “Do you speak English?” “I would like something to eat, please” and “How much does that cost?” Granted, my Spanish background made it easier for me because a lot of the language is similar, but I was able to learn enough Portuguese to make complete strangers think I was a native! I was so proud of that!
In Fatima, I walked into a store and picked out some books–in English, of course. I wanted to ask the shopkeeper about something in a cabinet, and she and I got to talking about it. Nothing complicated, but simple things. Then, I handed her my books to check out. She looked at them quizzically and said, “But these are in English!” I got to use the phrase taught to me by my Pimsleur course: “I only speak a little Portuguese!” to which she replied, “I thought you were Portuguese!”
Ah, she made my life.
One of the guides who travelled with us would warn others when we’d meet them, “Be careful what you say in Portuguese! This one will understand you!” HAHAHA. I loved it. And I did understand a lot.
This time around, since I had limited time, I bought the first 5 lessons of Modern Standard Arabic (they also have Eastern and Egyptian!). Granted, learning this language is much harder than learning a language that uses our alphabet. For instance, I can’t just read a word and figure out how to say it. It’s all memorization for me on Arabic. And let me tell you, they have some FUN words!
Some of my favorites:
- speak: tatakelamo/tatakelamina/atakelmao (male/female/self)
- how are you? kay fal hal? This always reminds me of Caiphas bc it sounds like his name.
- station: mahatut
- ok: tamam
- please: min fad lick
- drink: ashuraba
- no: la
David made the joke that singing Deck the Halls must seem very negative to someone who speaks Arabic. Fa la la la la la la la la translates to Fa no no no no no no no no! Not very merry! (Fa very well might mean something too, I just don’t know it yet!)
I have to say, of the two language learning methods, I prefer Pimsleur for travel, but I think Rosetta Stone will come in handy later when I try to learn the basics.
I really love Arabic. I think it is both a mellifluous and staccato language that sounds amazing when spoken. And I love how much they throw God into the conversation! Instead of saying, “maybe” or “we’ll see!” they say inshallah, if God wills it. And aint that the truth?! I love saying al ham dulelah, which means thanks be to God.
I look forward to trying out my Arabic skills in Jordan and with my Arabic-speaking friends. I’m sure I’ll be butchering the accent, but I’m sure they’ll all be thrilled that I’ve done my best to show that their language is worth learning.
In shallah.
Al ham dulelah.
Preparing for the Holy Land
This week, I find myself yet again embarking on a trip/pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This trip is unexpected, I’ll be honest. While I have been planning a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for quite some time, I was a little worried that the trip would be cancelled, due to the fact that many people are afraid to travel to the Holy Land right now. I don’t blame them–the news makes it seem like a scary place, and without any other information, it’s easy to trust what we’re shown on TV. But I have been in constant contact with friends who have recently made the trip, as well as with friends who live out there, and all of them tell me that I–and other wanna-be pilgrims–should pack away our fear and brave the journey.
If you’re thinking about traveling to the Holy Land, read some of the interviews I did recently with my friend Denise Bossert, who was out there in November (and who is coming to Jordan with me! woo hoo!); with Ikey Korin, who lives there; with Saliba Danho, who organizers pilgrimages to the Holy Land through his company Voice of Faith Tours; with Ceci Triska, who travels to the Holy Land often and who was there in November, as well; with my friend, Habib Karam, who lives in Nazareth and who I look forward to seeing on my trip; and with Carolina Hodali DiMarco, who lives in Bethlehem.
Me and Habib
Fortunately for me, a few brave souls signed up for my pilgrimage, and I can’t wait to share with them the amazing land! These pilgrims sound excited and up for whatever we have in store for them. I really look forward to meeting them and to sharing the wonderful experience. As I mentioned in my recent blog post, I was recently invited to join a press tour of Jordan, during which we will be visiting some of the amazing places I got to visit last May, as well as seeing some of the other wonderful places that Jordan has to offer, like Petra, Mukawir (where John the Baptist was martyred), Jerash, and more.
So, how am I preparing for this trip? Let’s examine the aspects: Practical, Spiritual, and Emotional
Practicalities
The first and last thing I always think about when planning a trip is PACKING. I love it and hate it. I love the excitement of travel, but hate thinking I’m packing too much or too little. There’s always something. This is the first time I will be in the Holy Land and not be on camera (at least, not for a production of The Faithful Traveler), so I don’t have to bring a different outfit for each day. It might sound gross, but I am looking forward to wearing the same four pairs of pants during the 18-day trip! HAHA. (I will be washing them at some point…) I don’t have to worry about my hair or my make-up, and I don’t have to memorize anything. This trip is a learning, experiencing trip, and I can’t wait. That said, here some of the things I’m bringing on this trip.
Bags
No matter where you go, in the U.S. or overseas, theft is always a possibility. I remember reading recently about Drew Mariani and Dr. Matthew Bunsen having their bags stolen during a recent trip to Tanzania. I felt horribly for them, not only because their laptops and cell phones were taken, but because they lost their passports, as well! Horrible! (BTW, read this page for info on what to do if your passport is ever stolen while you’re traveling.)
I won’t presume to know what Drew and Matthew did or did not do when their stuff was taken, but I can tell you what I do when I travel, and what bags I use to make me feel a little safer.
I absolutely love PacSafe bags (they’re having a 30% off sale this April!), and I always travel with at least one, as well as using their camera straps.
Me, my PacSafe bag, and Cardinal Rigali
Their bags are light and stylish, and carrying them is always comfortable. Plus, they are reinforced with eXomesh Shalshguard–basically a flexible stainless steel mesh that is hidden among the layers of material that thwarts people who slash at bags with knives or box cutters to get at your precious things. Their straps are also safeguarded from slashers with stainless steel wire that is integrated into the straps. Also, their newer bags have RFIDsafe Pockets and material, preventing thieves from stealing your identity through your bag. Their bags also have little locks that enable you to lock them to a leg of a table or something, if you’re sitting down. You can read all about how PacSafe secures their bags here.
Shoes
When I travelled to the Holy Land in May 2014 to film A Papal Pilgrimage in the Holy Land, I bought my first pair of Oboz shoes. These are the shoes I bought, the Sawtooth Low in Clover: 
They were cute and they looked rugged. After walking around in them for days and not having my feet hurt at all, I came home and promptly bought another pair in red. (I love red.) I wore both pairs in Portugal and not only did they keep my feet happy, but they kept them warm and dry, especially during the rain we caught in Fatima. I’m bringing both on this trip. I don’t think I’ll ever travel with another shoe. After I spoke about these shoes on EWTN’s Life on the Rock, I got a bunch of emails from people telling me they bought the shoes and love them, too!
(And no, I am not a spokesperson for Oboz or PacSafe, although I’d be happy to be one! Hello, Oboz and PacSafe!)
Me and my red Oboz in Fatima
Clothes
Clothes is always tough for me, especially since I always seem to be in between sizes… But, like I said before, since this time I’m not traveling for a shoot but for fun, I thought I’d try to pack light. Here are some of the things I’m trying to keep in mind:
- Packing light means I can bring back more presents. ‘Cause it’s all about the presents.
- It’s not a fashion show. Dress comfortably. Rewear clothes. Most hotels have ways you can wash clothes. Find out before you go.
- LAYERS. No matter where you go or what time of year you travel, dressing in layers is always a good idea. You’ll be walking around a lot, and that raises your body temp. You’ll be walking into air conditioned places or out into the heat. Get ready for nonstop temperature changes.
- Dress for your itinerary. Are you going clubbing? Attending fancy dinners? Then, by all means, bring clothes that suits those occasions. But if you’re going on pilgrimage, remember that most sacred sites like you to be covered up. That means no shorts or sleeveless shirts. I don’t remember the last time I wore shorts or a sleeveless shirt, but if you’re in the habit of doing either, consider getting something that zips off. Nowadays, there are loads of awesome pants and shirts that have legs and arms you can roll up or zip off. Bring those.
Filming in Jaffa shortly after arriving in TelAviv. I’m wearing yoga pants, a Lucy jacket, and Oboz.
Communicating with Home
When you travel abroad, there are usually people you leave behind. This time around, I’ll be traveling without my husband David, and as much as I will miss him, I plan to speak with him every night. Here are some ways you can communicate with friends when you’re abroad:
- Skype is the best, easiest way to chat with people anywhere, and it’s free. Use the wifi in your hotel and access Skype on your cell phone or computer.
- SIM Cards: some people get SIM cards to use their cell phones abroad. I’ll admit, I tried doing it this time, but couldn’t figure it out and ended up just adding international features to my phone from my cell phone provider. It’s not that expensive nowadays. But if you want to do the SIM card thing, here’s a good article on it.
- WhatsApp is another way to communicate with people without having to pay for it.
Airline Travel
Airline travel can be extremely stressful these days. The best thing to do is get ready for it beforehand, both practically and emotionally. Whether you’re going on pilgrimage or not, it’s always good practice to prepare yourself for the worst. Delays, layovers, lost luggage, crazy passengers–it’s all possible. If you prepare for it mentally, you won’t flip out when it happens. Because, really, what does flipping out do anyway? It just makes you annoying. Plus, when you’re nice, sometimes good things happen to you. My mom recently got a nice fat voucher when her airplane was delayed due to mechanical issues. While everyone around her was freaking out and being a jerk to the poor airline people, my mom was nice and said please and thank you. And that got noticed. Anyway, at the end of the day, God sees how you behave and you have to live with yourself. Would you rather be calm and nice or crazy and agitated? I pick option A.
When I was younger, I used to be able to sleep anywhere, but when I flew to the Holy Land in 2011, I experienced an inability to sleep on the plane for the first time ever. I was exhausted (and sick) when we landed, and it took me some days to recover because I hadn’t expected it to happen. Now, I prepare myself for a sleepless journey.
While we got to fly Business Class on TAP to Portugal, normally it’s coach for us
Here’s what I do:
- Bring something to read: an entertaining audiobook, a prayerbook
- Bring something to watch: the movies on the plane might stink, or you might not even get any! Bring your own.
- Bring snacks. The food on the flight might stink, or you might not even get any. (Yes, I placate myself with food…)
- Bring stuff to make yourself as comfy as possible. I have a neck pillow, blanket, foot rest, earplugs, eye mask, nose spray (it gets dry in the plane), noise canceling earphones, and something smelly that makes me happy. (I love Narayan gel, which not only smells amazing, but which feels great when I rub it on sore muscles.)
- Brink a rosary.
- Buy a big ol’ bottle of water to take on the plane. Flying is dehydrating. I can never get enough water.
Spiritual and Emotional Preparation
Preparing spiritually and emotionally for any trip, whether it be a pilgrimage or not, is a must. And look, don’t see this as my telling you I am always a happy, kind, and peaceful person. ‘Cause I’m not. I get cranky and moody like everyone else. That’s why I try really hard to get ready for a trip before I go, and do my best to prepare for every day whilst I’m there. My husband and anyone else who has travelled with me can easily tell you many times when I blew my cool and freaked out.
But! I start every trip hopeful that I won’t. A girl can pray, right?
Prayer
Before every trip, I pray like crazy. I ask God to allow me to approach the trip with trust in Him, and to help me to not be a bother to my travel companions. (Cabin fever is real, people!)
On my trip, I try to start each day with prayer. I try to pray the rosary, and I dedicate my day to God. I try to end each day with prayer and I try to examine my behavior during that day and envision how I could be better the next day.
Meditation/Preparation
I try to imagine what could go wrong in every possible situation, and I try to imagine the best way I could handle that situation.
I try to remember that I am not always in control of what happens to me or around me, but I am in control over how I respond to those circumstances. My goal is to be relaxed, calm, and kind.
I try to read as much as I can about wherever I am going, so I get the most out of my trip. (If you’re going to the Holy Land, our series, The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land is a great resource to prepare you for and help you remember your trip! You can watch it online here or buy a DVD here.
Does that sound like a lot, or does it sound simple? I think it’s both easy and complicated, but I think that’s what makes travel interesting and exhilarating. You never know what God has in store for you, who you might meet, or what yummy food you get to eat. I hope you find some of these suggestions useful.
Keep up with my travels online, at this page I created to share my experiences with you, or follow me on social media. I will be taking pictures and videos like a madwoman, so if you want to see what it’s like out there now, be sure to follow along.
And please keep us all in your prayers!