Essay Sample on Exploring The World: My Journey to Learn and Grow

Traveling offers many opportunities for people to learn about different cultures and take an interest in the history of the region. It is the exact case for me because I have been to many uncountable places that haves served as a way of gaining more knowledge and being exclusively involved with the social life. My overall journey has been the reason for the successful writing of non-fiction, travel stories and also the memoir. I grew up a man that always wanted the fine thing in life.

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As I planned my journey across Turkey, I decided to visit the big cities, like Ankara, Istanbul, and Antalya, but I felt that the modern-day cities would not compare to the small historical wonders that the country has to offer. For this reason, I booked an airplane ticket from Antalya to Urfa, which lies almost 30 miles north of ancient Harran mentioned in the Bible as Haran.

Having come to Urfa, I managed to find a local travel agency that loaded a bus of tourists to visit Haran every few days. The following morning I was ready to travel to this site. The transportation on the bus took us only about forty-five minutes that I spent enjoying the sunny views from the window.

For every future traveler, remember that Haran has changed under the pressure of centuries. Haran was an important city in Mesopotamia. However, now only the recently excavated remains satisfy the interest of tourists and believers who would like to touch the history in their travels.

Haran meant a caravan city that was a trading center well-known in the ancient world for the number of its donkey caravans. With the earliest mention of the city as of 3000 BCE and the latest mention as of the thirteenth century, Haran has served as a residence for people for many years.

This place has witnessed much history, including battles during the Crusades. Haran is mentioned several times in the Bible, as a place where Terah and his family resided for several decades and as a merchant town that it was in the historical interpretations as well. Those people coming to this area, as tourists, should re-read the story of Terah's family line in the Book of Genesis.

For Terah's son, Abram, this place was a resting point before his family could reach Canaan. Abram and his family found the area favorable, as they decided to settle in Haran. Therefore, the passage can have the following interpretation. The family realized that they could find what they sought for in the land that was not their destination.

Abram managed to make the right decisions that benefited his family because Haran was a lucrative land that provided people with what they needed. The intended audiences could use this information to contemplate the importance of changing decisions when a different route or option is unveiled. It follows that the passage about Haran can be viewed in a modern light. Modern audiences should consider the possibility that the journey matters rather than the destination.

People should pay attention to their surroundings to realize when they reach a point when they can live in happiness and service to God in compliance with their abilities. Haran is a reminder that an individual can come across the right decision before he or she reaches the envisioned destination.

Visiting the ruins and recalling the Book of Genesis, made me think about this application of the biblical text to modern-day situations. Modern people are often drawn into hectic lifestyles that champion their hoarding of things and luxuries, but sometimes it is important to stop and invest in the spiritual riches. Ultimately, the ruins of Haran are an incredible way to get an idea of the Ancient Near East with its historical places full of character

After my travels around Turkey, I set out to Israel to visit some important places that were mentioned in the Old Testament. Specifically, I was drawn to Megiddo that used to be an ancient city. A note to future travelers is that visiting this area is rather easy because Megiddo is part of a national park that ensures that the ruins are protected, while tourists can access the site with ease at any time of the year.

After Turkey, I traveled by plane right to Nazareth, from which I took the bus to see Megiddo. The entrance fee for an adult is 25 New Israeli Shekels (approximately 8 U.S. Dollars). The area is surrounded by green fields with some groves and lone trees. Travelers are likely to find the location a pleasant sight. The geographical location of the ancient city made it important in the past because Megiddo used to serve as a pass through the Carmel Ridge and was attached to the Jezreel Valley, which offered agricultural abundance.

This position on the map made Megiddo an important city-state and king's city in the past that lay in the path of a significant trade route. Understandably, the history of the site was rich with events because of the significance of Megiddo. The city witnessed several battles throughout history.

Linking Mesopotamia and Asia to Egypt, Megiddo was also ravaged by Egyptians at some point in its development. Historians report that Pharaoh Shoshenq I planned to conquer the city and transform it into an Egyptian stronghold that would expand the Egyptian presence in Asia, but his death averted this initiative because his predecessors were disinterested in maintaining the Egyptian grasp on Megiddo. Thus, the city was founded in 7000 BCE and abandoned in 586 BCE. Its millennia-spanning history certainly attracts many visitors today.

The biblical narrative holds several mentions of Megiddo. For people following Christianity and related religions, the city is often connected to Armageddon because Megiddo is prophesized to be the site of the final battle between Jesus Christ and those rulers who war against Israel. Since the passage about the connection of Megiddo with Armageddon comes from the Book of Revelation, which is part of the New Testament, I would suggest tourists recalling the textual evidence from the Old Testament.

As I visited Megiddo as part of my mission to explore Israel as depicted in the Old Testament as a suitable selection to reflect on the importance of the site in the biblical narrative. For the ancient people, the Book of Judges demonstrates the avarice of kings who tore lands apart. Since Megiddo witnessed battles and even a failed Egyptian conquest, this passage is relevant to describe the rich history of the area.

At the same time, it is possible to produce an interpretation of the passage that applies to modern audiences. Thus, Christians should remember that people fighting might not even fight for the sake of gold and other riches because they might fight for power. Christians must remain tentative about those kings, or leaders, who lead meaningless wars. What remains to believers is to do what God would like them to do. Thinking about this and walking around Megiddo were interesting experiences that enriched my understanding of religion and my faith.

The following day I traveled from Nazareth to Capernaum by bus. Because of the importance of these sites, the authorities invested in a comfortable infrastructure that helps believers to visit many areas mentioned in the Bible. The remains of Capernaum sit at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a large freshwater lake. The journey to the site and the actual scenery of the lake make the two-hour bus ride worth the wait. Most importantly, it is incredible to visit an important area related to Jesus Christ.

Capernaum was a fishing village that existed from the second century BCE to the eleventh century AD. Unlike the previously visited location, Capernaum is not believed to serve as a setting to battles. Although some people believed that the fishing village witnessed the First Jewish-Roman War and Bar Kokhba's revolt at the beginning of the millennium, it appears that the fishing village was just a settlement that experienced few historical perturbations.

Nevertheless, the biblical meaning of this site is vast and impressive In particular, the biblical narrative is saturated with the mentions of Capernaum because Jesus Christ selected this fishing village as a settlement after he left Nazareth. Jesus brought light to the darkness that reigned near the Sea of Galilee in the land of Gentiles.

The area bears much significance in the holy texts because Jesus performed several miracles there, as well as began his role as a preacher. In other words, the fishermen in this place were the first to hear the wisdom that Jesus shared with generosity and kindness.

Capernaum was also hometown of several disciples. Unsurprisingly, this place of interest deserves attention from people reading the Bible. Visiting this site could be inspiring for Christians and other tourists who would like to set their feet in the land where Jesus walked, preached, and did his miracles. Naturally, there are many direct mentions of the settlement in the New Testament, including an exorcism at a synagogue. However, the passage that I would like to distinguish about this place is not about exorcism.

The tour guide said that the moral behind the story of Capernaum in the Book of Matthew is the people should appreciate godly wisdom; otherwise, they would be punished. For today's Christians who participate in Biblically themed tours, Capernaum serves as a reminder on the need to respect God and His design. For me, the place is a paradox.

This tourist site may be deemed as a holy place because Jesus spent time there but its residents rejected his teachings. Ultimately, Capernaum is a thought-provoking site to visit in the pursuit of knowledge about the New Testament and the places that it mentions.

Another stop in my travels around Turkey was the town of Laodicea. I visited it before traveling to Antalya. I first took a flight from Ankara to Denizli, a city near Laodicea. Then I commuted to Laodicea by bus for about twenty minutes. Laodicea is mentioned four times in the Book of Colossians.

The field of archaeology has discovered close to 20 ancient Christian chapels in the area with the largest being, the Church of Laodicea. This archeological site is equivalent to a city block. The area has always been prone to earthquakes. Roman records exist which shows that it has been destroyed and rebuilt because of massive earthquakes. But an earthquake in the seventh century caused so much destruction that it was finally abandoned.

The city of Laodicea flourished during the historical period when it was part of the Roman Empire. It was a prosperous trade center in Asia Minor. At some pointy, it even acquired the status of a free city within the Roman Empire. The town was home to a large Jewish community and it was through them that Christianity was exported in to the city. The city of Laodicea was an important Christian center in Asia Minor.

Despite this serious offense, the city still played a role in the shaping of the Christian lifestyle in the first-century Mediterranean world. Although some community members failed to lead Christian lives, the city played its role in the development of Christian values in the region. As a tourist site, Laodicea may be located in an Islamic country but, it is worth visiting for Christians. It is mentioned four times in the Book of Colossians. It's one of the seven churches that are destroyed in the Book of Revelation. It is a site that helps Christians reflect on the importance of adhering to the Biblical teachings of God.