"I see a lot of brown!"

We made it! So much to tell in so little time. We had center seats on the Royal Jordanian flight, with limited views of the windows. After 12 hours in the air, enough time for Shrek 3, an inspirational movie about an Oklahoma girls' basketball coach, and Shooter, we started to descend to Amman. Even 7 minutes before we touched down, children and adults were standing in the aisles, some trying to catch a glimpse of Amman. My friend Kevin was one of them, proclaiming, "I see a lot of brown!"

Yes, I actually felt a chill of excitement. We are here, and like I enthused last night at a Lebanese dinner, "I LOVE Jordan!"

King's Academy is an oasis of white sandstone buildings with polished wood interiors.

Our luggage hasn't arrived yet, so I'm thankful I carried on an extra set of clothes. Let's just say the others in the group aren't as "fresh-faced" this morning.