18 September 2011
Arjan
10:42 PM
(I'm sure that the following experience is also covered in the PLNU Study Abroad handbook. Whatever. Also, no picture on this one. Its past my bed time.)
Today after class I did some studying, and then walked to Abdoun circle, about 20 minutes from SIT, to meet Alexandra and catch a cab home. I’ve always liked walking, and I’ve always liked walking by myself, because it gives me time to think.
It was just about 7:00 and the temperature was just perfect for an evening walk. It was twilight, but I was wearing my favorite white scarf and could walk from SIT to Abdoun Circle if I was blindfolded, so I wasn’t over worried about traffic and such. I walked past the British Embassy which is across the street from a bank that gives a great view of west Amman. The sun was setting behind the hills and I found myself thinking “I love it here.”
I realize that this is a shocker coming from Miss hard-time-adjusting Gausewitz.
In an unusually chipper mood I walked along thinking about all the things I like. I like the landscape, the geography of the city, the fact that I can give my cab drivers directions (in Arabic none the less!). I like traveling to little towns like As-Salt (look for a post soon about those adventures). I like learning Arabic- watching those weird squiggles turn into words and communicating with locals. I like eating meals with my hands and treating myself to the best falafel sandwich (Al-Qudes Sandwich Stand- I could eat it every day) for just .60JD.
Life here isn’t the dream escape I thought it would be. Turns out you can’t take a plane and escape reality, because it turns out reality has a nasty habit of following you wherever you go. You can, however, learn to adapt. You can learn to do without some of the things you are used to, and to incorporate others into your life. Its different, its messy; its thrilling, scary, confusing, and exhilarating. I love it.
Now, before you get too excited, I can almost promise you that in a week or two there will be another “I hate the world and I hate school and I hate Arabic and I want to go back to San Diego and my shiny white private school on a hill overlooking the pacific ocean” post, but what I’ve come to realize is that you have to put yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want an education and experience that is anything richer than words on the glossy page of an overpriced text book. It took me a while to adjust, but what I’ve realized is that there are good things and bad things everywhere. The secret is to learn where to look for the good, and to keep moving past the bad.
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