There are destinations that deposit gold and leave a mark. Places that transform, challenge and change you.
We knew we were meant to go BUT we almost didn’t.
In a year of decisions made at the last minute and often on the fly, Egypt was an abnormality. This entire year the most we ever planned ahead was by three months, but when I stumbled across an English family living in the Siwa Oasis I immediately knew we were to go. Five months out we booked non-refundable accommodation and then planned every part of our travel to get there.
Two weeks before we were to arrive in Egypt, war broke out in the Middle East. We watched as many travelling families cancelled their plans, and our friends and family nervously waited to see whether we would follow suit.
For about one week I was consumed by fear. In Istanbul at the time, I would wake with nightmares, struggling with anxiety and panic attacks. I was desperately unsure whether we should go and confused at the earlier unshakable peace I’d had when we booked Egypt months earlier.
This, we decided, was another opportunity to dig deep, close the shutters on any other voice, and listen to truth and not fear.
When God surrounds you with His peace, no other opinion matters. We were going to Egypt.
On the plane from Milan to Marsa Alam I wrote, ‘I don’t know what these next five weeks hold but it feels weighty and significant. I feel expectant that something profound is about to happen.’
I was right.
We fast travelled for two weeks through Egypt (you can read about that HERE), visiting all the tourist hot spots, before taking a ten hour overnight bus, through the Sahara, to the Siwa Oasis; an ancient town sitting 50km East of the Libyan border, where we stayed in a house made of salt and mud for three weeks.
The Siwa Oasis is unlike any other place we had been this year. It felt like a cocoon for transformation. A place that challenged our beliefs and opened our eyes to a radically different way of life. The land feels holy and sacred and we experienced the tender love of a Father who sees us, delights and adores us.
‘Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me’ Psalm 42:7
I wish I could say that Siwa completely healed us, but in many ways I think it did the opposite. It broke us open, more than what we had already been. It challenged core beliefs in a space that welcomed questions, deep thinking and purpose. The land of Siwa is mineral rich and healing but it’s the people that get under your skin.
The Siwa Oasis lives surrounded by countries at war. The impact of COVID has again impacted tourism after only just recovering from the effects of the Arab Spring a decade ago. This has created a people that know how quickly life can change and yet what we found surprised us. There is no desperation to hold tight to everything they have, instead a willingness to share with those around them. There is a deep belief that there is enough and there will continue to be plenty.
Perhaps one of the most impactful take aways from our adventure in Siwa was the concept of process and time. What would happen if we loosened control enough to really truly give process permission, space and access to our whole selves. It isn’t something to be rushed, nor is it possible. It takes as long as it takes.
Our dear friends invited us into their home and onto their farmland where we had the honour of being absorbed into a community that has been cultivated over many years. A profound lack of striving, open surrender and simply put, presence.
These sweet friends who once lived among the aristocracy of Europe but who decided on a simpler, far more meaningful life, found in a desert oasis. They are courageous, brave and incredibly at peace. They are messy and so very human and their outlook on life was like a breath of fresh air. Total confidence that everything works out ok. Their life’s reflection is a picture of wholeness.
To surround yourself with people who have gone before you and done the work gives you a great appreciation for the journey and fills you with hope. It also strips the high stakes nature off of the process. To hear stories of such deep pain and trauma, then see with your own eyes the peace they carry gives you confidence that it really does work out ok. It might take time, work, compassion and grace. It might be two steps forwards and one step back. But it will be ok.
Authenticity cannot be faked. Vulnerability and ownership cannot be forced. These two attributes in our dear friends are the catalyst to transformation and healing. Over cups of tea, in the back of a 4WD and as we sat soaking in hot springs, we heard the hearts behind the people. Privileged with their stories, challenged and changed, we sat in presence, listening to their journey.
When you get the chance to be with someone unburdened by status and materialistic things, unworried by life, it looks and feels so different. These aren’t people ‘talking the talk’ with an institutional background that gives them the right language and correct words. They are people who live and breathe the truth they speak and it is stunning.
I have never understood the concept of travellers falling in love with a place until we went to Siwa. It was a mix of the people, the place and my own personal experience.
I love who Siwa challenged me to become, while accepting and loving who I currently am. I love the way it opened our eyes to a different way of life. I love the way it created space for difficult conversations and out-of-the-box ideas. I even love the messiness it brought out in Tom and I as we fought and wrestled and dug deeper. We will forever love our time in the Siwa Oasis surrounded by friends that became like family, and long for the day we meet again.
The Whole of Us 
Leave a comment