Applications for Destination Jordan, 2011 are now available.

Requirements include:

• Having continuous enrollment in a Global Educational Excellence High School since 9^th grade and currently enrolled in 11^th grade
• Grade Point Average of 3.0
• Completion of the Application – Deadline for Submission December 31, 2010

Click the link below to print your application.

Global Passage Application

We woke up in the desert, and we headed to the Red Sea. While there, some of us had the opportunity to go scuba diving. It was an amazing encounter with all the marine life of one of the most diverse communities of life on the planet. Spending 30 minutes at a depth of 6 meters (around 18 feet) underwater was an experience we definitely will not forget. Afterwards, we spent a lot of time just swimming in the Red Sea, as well as the pools at the hotel.

Once we got all that swimming out of our system, we headed to a restaurant and ate BBQ and seafood. Not too far from the Red Sea, we went to the city of Aqaba. There were a lot of special things about Aqaba, including the fact that no taxes are charged there, as well as its reputation for being much more friendlier to pedestrians than we’ve experienced in Amman.

Finally, we began the long bus ride back to Darna Hotel in Amman. On the way, we got to practice our Arabic by describing our experiences and feelings throughout the trip. All of us exclaimed our feelings of how we became much closer through the trials and tribulations we experienced, but at last, we were ready to head home to do what we came here to do in the first place: learn Modern Standard Arabic.

We woke up extra early today for the drive to Petra, as well as to beat the heat there. The walking was easy at first, but it got harder as we climbed the 900 steps to reach some of the carvings. Many of us rode mules and horses for the first time to make the climbing easier. Throughout all of the climbing and walking, the wondrous blend of colors we observed on the stones showed us why Petra is currently one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

For most of us, the day seemed long enough; however, after our tour of Petra, we started our trek towards Wadi Rum. Once we arrived there, we took a tour of the desert with pick-up trucks and got to see the mountainsides, as well as the red sand dunes. Once the tour ended, we arrived at our sleeping quarters for the night, pitched tents.

Once it was time to go to sleep, many of us chose to take our mattresses outside and sleep while gazing at the stars. It was definitely a new experience for all of us, and we gained an appreciation for all the simple things we have that we take for granted.

Today was the first day of our 3-day trip. We started by visiting Sleeper’s Cave (al-Kahf), which has historical, as well as religious significance. Shortly after, we took a tour of Karak Castle, and learned how Saladin al-Ayubi used it as a fortress.

After a long drive, we arrived at our TaybatZaman, our unique hotel. What was special about it was that the hotel was actually an old village that was refurbished for use by tourists. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner there, as well as some fun in the swimming pool.

Today was our last day of classes for the week, since we were about to start a 3-day trip tomorrow. After classes, we headed to a mazra’a (country house) at the invitation of Dr. Ahmad Daood. We hiked a mountain there, and got to see a beautiful panoramic view of the countryside. Afterwards, we ate BBQ for dinner while watching the Germany vs. Spain game of the World Cup.

Today, after our lessons, we headed to al-Sweffiyeh, which was a cross between an outlet mall and a marketplace. It seems like shopping has become one of our ideal activities. While we don’t excessively shop, we get a chance to listen to different accents, as well as practice what we’re learning in class.

Some of us got to visit al-Sufara’ bakery and saw breads and cakes of various shapes, sizes, and designs. After al-Sweffiyeh, we went to watch a masrahhiya (Arabic for: play). It was difficult for many of us to understand everything fully, but Dr. Shalabi explained it to us on the bus ride back home.

We arrived at the hotel just in time to catch the second half of the first game of the semi-finals of the World Cup to see the Netherlands defeat Uruguay 3-2.

We’re starting to get used to having classes in the summer. Even though, it’s still fun, and we’re definitely learning a lot. After school and some down time at the hotel, we all headed to al-Madaris al-Mutahhida (the United Schools), a sports club, where the girls cheered on the boys as they competed with the National U18 Jordanian Basketball Team. While the boys were obviously out of shape, and ultimately lost the game, they still put up a good fight. The final score was 64-60.

Today was our first day of classes at the University of Amman. Some of us claimed that we had learned more in this one single day of Arabic than we ever did in our high school experiences. Our teachers are great, even funny, but are sometimes hard to understand, since they only speak in absolute Modern Standard Arabic.

Afterwards, we walked to a nearby mall called Majdi Mall (what a surprise). However, this mall differed from the previous two in that there weren’t as many American franchises. While there, we got to practice the Arabic we had learned while speaking to native Jordanians.

We had more sightseeing to do on Day 4. We visited the city of Madaba and Mt. Nebo, where we learned a lot about the history of Jordan. We also got to see the remains of some of the oldest maps of the Middle East, created by a Greek artist. Afterwards, we visited a place we had been anxious to get to for a long time: the Dead Sea. Here, we got to experience floating on our backs no matter what depth the water beneath us was, as well as putting on the famous Dead Sea mud all over our bodies.

We had another exhausting day on our third day in. The first thing in the morning, we got onto a bus and took a tour of Amman. We visited an ancient Roman Theatre and got to climb to the top. There was also a museum there with traditional Jordanian artifacts. Afterwards, we visited a museum that contained all of the King Hussein and Abdallah II’s cars. We also got to visit Jabil al-Qala, a mountainside with an amazing view of the city of Amman. While there, we saw the ruins of palaces and mosques from the Ummayad Empire.