Hi y'all! . . . (probably just my parents). It's the moment I've been holding my breath for for a year and a half now! Time to pack my backpack and put my traveling shoes back on. My blog is officially off it's (very long) hiatus. I'm leaving for Amman, Jordan today, which will be my home for the next seven months as I study Arabic at the University of Jordan. With my laptop and camera in tow, I'll be recounting every amusing bit of my stay . . . or at least posting some pretty pictures!
Wait . . . where's Jordan again ? . . . aren't they Muslim? . . . why on earth are you going there? . . . wouldn't England or like, Costa Rica be a better option? . . .
So, when I went backpacking solo the fall before last, people drove me up the wall with all their "are you sure that's safe??????" comments (condescending stare goes here). As you know, I returned in one piece. Without any bad experiences. Except Prague. However, that's more just because Prague sucks. But that's another story. Anyway, this time the comments have steered away from concern for my safety and more into the realm of just silence. The awkward kind. I usually assume it's because people's brains are racing to try to figure out if Jordan is in Africa or Asia. Or Europe if they're really bad at geography (read: dumb). Maybe it's because they think that Jordan is a country populated entirely by terrorists. Or maybe they had never even heard of Jordan and previously thought it was just the name of their child. I don't know what's going on, but it makes me uncomfortable, and the next person who asks, I'm telling them I'm studying in London. That way they can ask me to take a picture of Big Ben or some other bullshit and it will all be okay.
Jordan isn't in the news much - so I realize most people don't know much about this small, quiet country. I didn't know much about Jordan until recently. So here's a little bit about the place I'll be calling home for the next seven months. Jordan is in the Middle East. It borders Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria. Egypt is super close too. It is a democratic monarchy with a predominantly Muslim population. It is not teeming with terrorists. If you think that, then you need to stop watching Fox news. Nor has it been a player in the recent "Arab Spring". Jordan is a safe, stable country, with reputably warm and welcoming people. It isn't without its faults (largely influential tribal population, outdated interpretations of Islamic Law, etc.), but I shouldn't be in harms way studying there. Tourism is it's biggest source of revenue - you may have heard of a little place called Petra? Yeah, that's in Jordan. So are numerous opportunities for swimming, diving, hiking, rock climbing, and numerous other outdoorsy activities. Jordan is a huge draw for the adventuresome outdoorsman and thus perfect for me. Unfortunately, the country is a little light on the ancient ruins or fabulous Islamic architecture known to other parts of the region, but I'm sure it'll do.
So anyway, my flight leaves at 9pm tonight, and my stomach is in knots. Mostly for silly reasons, like being afraid my flight will be delayed or the airline will lose my luggage. I'm supposedly being picked up at the airport by a representative from my program, and I'll be pissed if something happens and I miss them and I have to take a $40 taxi at 10 pm to the hotel instead. Undoubtedly, things will go fine, but it doesn't stop me fretting.
I'm extremely proud of my packing abilities, especially since I was packing for seven months (no easy feat), so I'm going to leave you with a picture at my awesomely rolled and bagged suitcase.
Thank you, hefty.
