I felt fully prepared leaving for Jordan three weeks ago. Equipped with a 55ltr backpack laden with books, a compost thermometer, a dumpy level as hand luggage, and a few well-chosen words of advice from former patrons of the land: "Leave all expectations behind." Little did I know that amid my preparations and the excitement of the journey, I would also find myself pondering an entirely different kind of departure—how to extricate oneself from complex commitments, much like figuring out … [Read more...]