Wendy was originally from Texas. She visited Jordan in 1992 as a backpacking tourist and became enchanted with Petra and Jordan so much that she decided to settle down in Petra for the rest of her life. Despite having a very successful career in the USA, she decided to take off to travel the world, especially the Middle East.

She apparently went to Egypt where she spent around a year before coming to Jordan. When she first came to Petra, she fell in love with Petra and its people at the very first sight. At the beginning, her plan was to stay in Petra until she could finish the writing of her book about her travels. However, her aptitude in business and rich experience in the tourism sector, made her change her mind and so she worked in Petra operating a basic hotel owned by local people.

After a while, she had the urge to do more so that the rest of the world can hear about Jordan and discover its beauty. Joining Petra Moon for Tourism Services was her first and best choice, which is a company founded by the Al- Nawafleh family in Wadi Musa. The resources at that time were limited and did not allow her to promote Jordan properly, as she had only a fax and a telephone number to work on! However, she worked tirelessly as our General Manager from 1992 until her untimely death in 2014. She had a remarkable impact to put Petra Moon among the first tourism companies in Jordan to focus on adventure travel and cultural ecotourism. She was so precise about every single detail serving guests, and she always tried to be creative by offering exceptional services and itineraries for our clients, which then generated a great feedback from the clients of their experience with Petra Moon Tourism Services.

Wendy also served on the board of the directors of the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association “JITOA”. Wendy’s guidance and advice helped us and Jordan in general to be more aware of what clients needed to enjoy their experiences in a different culture and environment. Wendy penned an article to The Jordan Times in 2010 “Having Petra as a magnet for tourists is a great gift for Jordan. Like any precious thing, Petra must be properly polished, cared for and safeguarded” which is true evidence that Wendy was the vocal supporter of Petra and the communities that live around it.

Wendy was a creative and successful businesswoman who founded the popular Petra Kitchen in Petra. This cooking school helps tourists learn how to cook traditional Jordanian and Levantine cuisines. Wendy also founded the “Made in Jordan” boutique, which hosts a nice collection of items such as cosmetics, silverwork, traditional embroidery, soaps and textiles produced in Jordan by women’s cooperatives for handicrafts from all across the country. Wendy was also part of the initiatives to establish the renowned “Petra By Night Excursion” a two-hour night walk with a candle-lit visit to the Rose-Red City of Petra through the Siq up to the Treasury and back.

There is no word to describe how much we miss Wendy and her presence at the office and how much she meant to us! She used to bring her pet dog, a Miniature Chihuahua named Chiquita, to the office daily. Her voice when she was playing with Chiquita and calling her “My sweet little potato” is still looming in the office. She was very famous, and everyone liked her in the town, and she was very much missed.

It is often said that something may survive a person after their death if that person was an artist and put a little of himself into his work, but Wendy’s legacy lives on until today for the impact she left in the Jordanian tourism sector as well as for us as well. We appreciate her knowledge and understanding of the western and eastern worlds, which have guided our business. She was a blessing on earth that touched hundreds of hearts on her way. We will all miss her, and she will remain in our thoughts until the last day of our lives. May God rest her soul in eternal peace.