A new year begins in Amman's pre-dawn quiet

It's 5:00 AM on the first day of 2026, and I'm sitting by the window of my hotel room in Amman. The city is still asleep, with only a few distant lights breaking the darkness. I woke up about an hour ago, my mind buzzing with thoughts that wouldn't let me fall back asleep.

Day 128 of 500. Only 372 days left before I'm back in Kristiansand. The numbers feel significant somehow as we cross into a new calendar year.

I've been watching the sky gradually lighten from pitch black to a deep blue. The temperature outside is around 9°C according to my phone – quite chilly for what many imagine the Middle East to be. The forecast shows rain coming later today, with winds picking up. I'll need to plan accordingly.

Midnight reflections

Last night, I joined the small gathering in the hotel lounge for their New Year's celebration. It was nothing extravagant – some fruit juice, small pastries, and about fifteen other guests watching a countdown on a television. At midnight, we exchanged polite nods and handshakes. A few people clinked glasses of juice together.

I found myself in conversation with an American couple who had just arrived from Egypt. They were heading to Petra tomorrow, so I shared some tips about visiting in winter – dress in layers, start early, watch for slippery sections if it rains. The wife seemed particularly concerned about the 800 steps to the Monastery I'd mentioned. "It's worth it," I assured her. "Take your time and you'll make it."

I was back in my room by 12:30, oddly not tired despite the hour. I sat at the small desk and wrote in my journal, trying to capture something meaningful about crossing from 2025 into 2026. The words didn't flow easily. How do you summarize a year that began in Norway and is ending in Jordan, with dozens of places in between?

Taking stock

I've been traveling for 128 days now. When I left home, autumn was just beginning to touch the trees in Kristiansand. I've passed through winter in Europe and now winter again in the Middle East. By the time I return home, I'll have seen another full cycle of seasons.

I'm almost exactly one quarter through this journey. In nine days, I'll turn 50. The symmetry feels meaningful – a quarter of my journey complete as I enter my second half-century.

What have I learned so far? That I'm more adaptable than I thought. That loneliness comes in waves, not as a constant state. That the world is simultaneously much larger and much smaller than I imagined.

Plans for today

The city will be waking up soon. I've read that most businesses operate normally on January 1st here, unlike the holiday shutdown I'm accustomed to. According to local news I found online, the Amman Customs House will even be extending its hours starting today – not that I need customs services, but it's interesting to see life continuing without pause for the new year.

I'd like to walk Rainbow Street today, which I haven't had a chance to explore properly yet. I've heard it's one of the more vibrant areas of the city with interesting cafés and shops. I should go early though, before the afternoon rain that's forecast.

I also need to prepare for tomorrow's departure. I've booked transportation to Aqaba, where I'll get to experience the Red Sea. My bag needs reorganizing – it's amazing how quickly my carefully planned packing system falls into disarray.

The quiet before the day

There's something special about being awake before a city. The streets below are empty now, but in a few hours they'll fill with people going about their first day of 2026. Shopkeepers will raise their shutters, cafés will brew their first batches of coffee, taxi drivers will begin their rounds.

I wonder how many others are awake right now, sitting in quiet contemplation of the year ahead. I wonder what changes this year will bring to this city, to the people I'll meet, to myself.

The sky is definitely brighter now. I can make out the shapes of buildings more clearly, the minarets of nearby mosques standing tall against the lightening sky. A new day in a new year is beginning.

And I'm here to witness it, 3,521 kilometers from home, with 372 days of unknown experiences still ahead of me.