I arrived in Amman somewhat late. Before that it was supposed to be September. Before September it was August. I am glad to finally be here! It surprised me. A voice in the back of my head tells me I should have felt more discomfort than I did.
From August until my arrival, I was in rural Illinois staying with my dad in a town of less than one hundred people. I would catch my supervisor and other colleagues as they wrapped up their day in Jordan, beginning mine in the cold and bleak Midwestern winter. All three very different places to have called home in the span of one year. I do not take for granted the sunshine in Amman.
It has given me quite a lot of new energy! And so I have been thinking but only occasionally. With my arrival, I must remind myself that I arrived in Jordan for a reason. What was that reason? Sometimes it is difficult to remember why you set out to do something. I can hardly remember what I ate for supper last night most of the time.
And so I ask myself, am I in Jordan for the right reasons? How do I know those reasons are right? Anxieties abound! I am thankful to have many new friends who are willing to have these conversations with me. I am thankful that many Jordanians are so kind and open and welcoming. I am here to see the ways I can make an impact on the community around me. I have to be dynamic. Upon moving to Amman eight months ago, I knew I wanted to start blogging, journaling, or documenting my experience in some way.
Despite previous failed attempts, I started bullet journaling writing down what I did each day in bullet-point format the week after my move to Amman. A few months after my arrival, I was reminded that MENAR has a partnership with Reach the World RTW , a global education non-profit organization that seeks to make the benefits of travel and study abroad accessible to K classrooms in the United States. With this opportunity, I could share my journey living in Jordan and inspire students to be curious about the world.
