I will
be leaving Jordan in exactly one week. I’m not quite sure how to feel; there
are so many emotions running through me as I think about leaving. I’m sad;
there are many people here I will miss. But something happened yesterday that
really highlighted why I am looking forward to going home.
I was
walking from the gym to the library to work on a paper. As I left the gym a
taxi driver honked at me, rolled down his window and then whistled. I thought
to myself, “Screw you! I just left the gym, I don’t even look good right now!”
It made me feel a little better. Not ten minutes later I saw another man
approaching me. This man however was clearly Western. Westerners are easier to
spot here than the sun on a cloudy day. He was wearing khaki pants, some sort
of hiking boot and the most obvious sign was a khaki safari-esque bucket hat.
When we were about to pass each other, he looked me in the eyes, gave a small
smile and nodded. I cannot remember the last time I felt respected like that
from a stranger who was a man who was not doing it because it was his job like
a waiter or taxi driver. It was incredible! Such a small thing but I was
walking on air…for about five minutes until I walked past a car and the man in
the passenger seat made a kissing noise as I walked by. But as I thought more
about the incident with the Western man it made me realize how excited I am to
get back to a place where that is an everyday occurrence.
That
being said there are things I’m going to miss about Jordan. Here’s a few:
1. My
Arabic professor Ghadeer: I’ve described her as ‘the most badass Muslim woman
I’ve ever met.’ I had class with her everyday and every day I looked forward to
it. She is married, has two children and is pregnant with the third (due in a
couple months). She used to race rally cars, has a slight obsession with Range
Rovers, has a gun collection and heads to the shooting range for fun. Oh, did I
mention she’s working on her Ph.D? She’s awesome and I’m really going to miss
her.
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My Arabic class.
Soren, Hannah, Jordan, Jasmine, Ghadeer, Christian, Hannah, me. |
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| Ghadeer and me. |
2. Cheap
falafel: Falafel Man. The man who owns a falafel restaurant across the street
from campus where you can get pretty much everything for less than 1JD
(basically equivalent to $1).
3. The
Yemeni restaurant: This place is delicious. I’ve never had an interest in going
to Yemen before but if this is the food I would eat while I’m there, put me on
a plane.
3. My
host parents: They haven’t been the ones who show me the nightlife in Amman
(maybe because it hardly exists?) but they have been so kind and warm and
welcoming that I know I could have been much more miserable had they been
different.
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| Nasser, me, Nuha |
4. And
obviously, new friends. I’ve gotten to know some pretty wonderful people here
that have taught me a lot and I am going to miss them all dearly.
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| Anna Mae, Becca, Hannah, me. |
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| Olivia, me. |
What am
I looking forward to most about coming home?
1.
Seeing my family!
2. Being
able to call a friend when I think of them, rather than waiting until I’m by a
computer that has internet so I can send them an email.
3.
Flushing toilet paper down the toilet!!! I know it sounds minor, but trust me.
And actually, I’m just excited to use toilets in general because I know they
will always be accessible and always be clean.
4. My
mom’s cooking.
5. Not
being harassed when I walk down the street!!!
6. To
wear shorts!
I leave
Jordan on May 13, then I’m heading to Israel with two friends until May 17. On
the 17th I’ll be flying from Tel Aviv to Munich and on the 18th
I’ll fly from Munich to Chicago. I can’t believe this adventure is almost over;
the time has flown. But before ya know it, they’ll be a new adventure.
Here are a few pictures from around campus:
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| The main entrance |
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| The library |
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| Cafeteria |
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| Track |
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| the tunnel! |
