Leaving Amman!

This is the last blog post I'll write, probably ever, because I may not ever have anything interesting to say. Not that I currently do, but you know.

I had an amazing semester. It wasn't always easy, and at times I wanted to scream and probably (definitely) burst into tears out of frustration and anger. Other times, I didn't want to leave. I'd plan how I was going to move here, and I even asked my study abroad adviser if I could extend my stay for another semester. My time here was so successful because of this-- it wasn't always good, and it wasn't always bad. I had extreme ups and extreme downs, which made me appreciate every minute even more. The cultural differences were extraordinary, and the things that were no different from home were refreshing. I learned a lot more than I think I would have if I had spent my semester in France, and I definitely did not have as much fun, but I'm very grateful that I decided to spend 4 months in the Middle East.. because it was weird, and I'm better off becuase of it.

The annoying part is that now I know what I want to do (sort of), and it absolutely involves coming back here for some of my life, most likely to Lebanon. I only want to be here for a few years after college, but still. Now I have to figure out how I'm going to learn Arabic, find a program/scholarship that lets me live in a country that's on the State Department travel advisory list, and convince everyone who knows me that it is a good idea, because I really won't find myself caught in Hezbollah-IDF crossfire (probably). It would be a bit easier if I was passionate about going into dentistry school.

Here's a pile of photos of the city I lived in for the past 4 months, because I never really showed you (mom and dad) Amman.

Downtown Amman, Jordan

Downtown again

MY NEIGHBORHOOD, Shmeisani

My gym's building.. fascinating

Entrance gate to the University of Jordan

University of Jordan

Educational Sciences, where all my classes were. Grossest building ever.

Decrepit interior of my class building

THIS IS REAL. THIS IS THE UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN BATHROOM.

University of Jordan

Student government campaign poster- NOT A JOKE.

Jordanian Foyer had a surprise Christmas tree in it.

My apartment building- mine is the one on the right, with the tree in front of it.

My street. Dumpster cat. Trash truck.

My own version of Thanksgiving spirit, taped to the outside of my apartment door.

The end. I completed all my finals- 2 Arabic final exams, a 35-page research paper on Syria, a 20-page paper about my internship organization, and 2 econ essays.

I am leaving Jordan on Thursday and counting down the minutes, because I really need some Christmas cheer. (and some corn soup)