Egypt!

Christa and I were fortunate to be able to travel to Egypt for spring break. We saw some amazing things and developed a great appreciation for the civilizations that thrived as far back as 3500 B.C. With the support of our amazing guide, Zeina, who has her doctorate in Egyptian studies, we learned about rulers and people who focused on our connection with the world around us. The hieroglyphics, paintings, and stories on papyrus that have survived for centuries give us great insight into the Egyptians' appreciation for birth and death, the cycles of the sun and moon, the changing of the seasons, the importance of family, and an appreciation for the present as well as the afterlife.

Our ten-day trip was separated into three parts, with time in Cairo, Luxor, and Hurghada. In Cairo, we visited the pyramids and the great sphinx, as well as museums, temples and churches (including the hanging church), and synagogues. In Luxor, we went to the Valley of the Kings, several temples, and the living quarters of builders and architects, all while staying in a beautiful hotel on the Nile. In Hurghada, we enjoyed time in the Red Sea before traveling back to Cairo for tours of the new museum near the Great Pyramids and a mosque overlooking the city.

It was an amazing trip that we will not forget.

Christa's insights: Egypt is one of those travel experiences that changes you, helps you see things you didn't before, especially when travelling back in time. Somehow, the ancient Egyptians seemed to have it all figured out: architecture, integration of astronomy, reverence for the sun, and a thirst and appreciation for knowledge, wisdom, and the afterlife. The symbols that decorate the tombs and inscriptions speak to their values and beliefs and the reverence they shared for gods and goddesses, not being one, but multiple deities that they prayed to. The other experiences that made it to our top 5 included swimming in the Red Sea (special minerals in that one), staying on the 24th floor of our hotel along the Nile, and our religious pilgrimage day, visiting the churches where the holy family lived. Egypt is a mystical land of our beginnings, We felt blessed and fortunate to have experienced it all.