obviously the was the best day of my life. the most unforgettable and epic!
it started with waking up at 2 am and eating hot chocolate and rolls for breakfast. (my fav by the way) i actually loved waking up this early because it meant i could start the brithday celebrations early haha. after breakfast we hopped on the bus to drive to the base of the highest peak of Mount Sinai. (well i hopped, everyone else trudged groggily. i also discovered this egypt trip that along with my high tolerance of heat, i can be quite the morning person)
we started out and it was still pitch dark excpet for brillant stars above us. it was so riduculous because i would be walking and suddenly almost run into a camel. and it wouldn't even phase me. it seemed like a given- "oh a camel. and another guide asking me for the zillionth time if i want a ride to the top." just normal. haha but that's crazy because if i was hiking back home and saw just one camel i would flip a lid. its insane how you quickly you adapt here. the climb to the top had 2 parts- a steep switchback then 750 stone steps to the summit. the steps are said to be made by a monk as part of his repentance process. that is intense.
on the hike up i thought of how i was hiking to the place to meet God. it was symbolic of my life and how i have to struggle, climb, and work my way back to Heavenly Father. it wasn't easy. and i thought that in life when i fall down or can't quite reach the top, the Atonement will come in and take the last part of the way i can't take myself. i was determined to walk every single step and not give into riding a camel. i toiled and sweated my way all the up to the tippy top. and it was unbelievable and indescripable how i felt.
at the top i was met by some of my friends who started before me. and i could start to see different layers of ridges in colors of violet, navy and black. we settled in and watched the sunrise. we began to sing lovely hymns and the spirit was so sweet. i cuddled up in my pink cupcake blanket (yes i did haul that all the way up mount sinai. a camelbak is a magical, magical thing), pulled out my bar of pop rock choc (chocolate with poprocks in it) and savored the moment and sunrise. what a perfect way to celebrate 2 decades of my wonderful life so far.
we had a devotional with Dr. Muhelstein which was perfect. took some pictures and started the way back down. Rachel and i stayed behind to take some jumping pictures of course and we found a donkey. we just had to stop and have a mini phoot shot with it. we looked around and we were the last ones at the top. so we decide to do something genius: TRAIL RUNNING. never done it before but heck, its my birthday on sinai so why not. we blazed down and past everyone and many camels. it was thrilling and slightly terrifying. we giggled all the way down and made it on the first bus back to the hotel. beat that.
also i passed Moses. check it! is it or is it not Moses?!
back at the hotel we had time to swim. which was a birthday first for me, it always too cold in september in Utah. then we packed up and drove home to Jerusalem. (isn't that fun to call Israel home?)
at the border crossing they checked my bags AND took my passport for special testings. they didn't know it was my birthday so i forgive them. and on the bus at 10:30 pm (it was a long drive on which i got the best seat with the most AC) we overtook the sterio system and HAD A MASSIVE DANCE PARTY! aka everyone in the aisle of the bus dancing wild to whatever song i wanted. best. thing. ever.and thus concludes my outrageous trip to Egypt. the end.
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