Ishaan Myrie ’25, reflects on his experience in Petra.
Prior to coming to Jordan, we had a class presentation by Dr. Sara Karz-Reid in Ms. Rivellino-Lyons’s 3rd period Ancient Civilizations class about her work in Petra. Dr. Reid showed us pictures of different sites within the city where she worked, and even gave us pottery from the sites to observe. At the time, I didn’t really process the fact that I was going to Petra, but I was really excited.
Taking the first steps into Petra and seeing the thousands of years of history was a mind blowing experience. Physically seeing where the Nabataeans lived two thousand years ago and being able to walk up the rocks helped me process the fact that there were people living just as we did a long time ago. Oftentimes back at Deerfield or most places in America, I don’t really take the time to think about the history where I live, but having the time to embrace the history was a riveting experience. We were able to see the treasury in Petra, which was one of the most known parts of Petra and is probably the image that comes to mind when you think of Petra. Throughout the miles of walking, our group bonded and had a lot of fun, which was a positive addition to the trek. The funniest part of this walk was our tour guide, Iyad, sprinting ahead of us and us having to catch up. From the tiring walk to the pottery I found and carried home, Petra was an experience to remember.
