Pre-Departure

This Tuesday, I will embark on yet another study abroad experience, this time in Irbid, Jordan.  I spent my first semester of my freshman year of college in Florence, Italy and I can honestly say that it was the best experience of my life, thus far. However, this time around I want to take even more out of living and studying in a foreign country.

While my primary goal this coming semester is to learn and become fluent in the Arabic language, I also want to live and breathe the culture. I want to become totally immersed in this vibrant and lively culture and learn how to 'live like a Jordanian'. In addition to this, I want to bring my encounters and experiences to the people around me and break the stereotypes and misconceptions that we (the American public and other Western countries) often have about the peoples and cultures of the Middle East.

I want to give the readers of my blog a view of Jordan and the Middle East that is totally void of media influence. Rather, my blog will consist entirely of what my eyes see and what my ears hear.  My posts will show the true Jordan and Middle East without all the media fluff. If I can teach the people who read this blog at least one thing about this country and region, I will consider my study abroad experience a success.

Now that you know what I would like to have come out of all of this, let me tell you how excited I am! I have literally been waiting to go abroad to the Middle East since I got back from Italy.  I've known since high school that I want to learn Arabic, so this is definitely getting me closer and closer to my dream.

In the past month, I have been Skyping with my mentor for the program, Haya.  She has been fantastic in preparing me and making me feel welcome in this new and foreign country.  I have also met her father and mother and they are excited to meet me in person and have already invited me to their home to have dinner when I arrive in Jordan.  Feeling as though I am welcome and that I already have a friend, makes me even more excited and releases a great amount of stress and anxiety of living in a foreign country.

While I am not very informative of Jordan yet, let me share some info and facts that I already know:

1.
Jordan is a Muslim country, but is NOT entirely Muslim.  The majority of the country is Muslim, however, there is also a presence of Christians and other religions.

2.
While it is a Muslim country, I will NOT have to wear a headscarf (hijab).  I have been asked numerous times if I will have to cover my head, and the answer is no.  Many Jordanian women do wear the hijab out of modesty, but it is not required of me or any woman to wear it.

3.
The Queen is beautiful!

Queen Rania of Jordan

Queen Rania of Jordan

4.
Irbid, Jordan (where I will be) has four seasons and it even snows there! Here are some picture that my mentor, Haya, sent me of the recent snow storm:

5.

There is so much to see! Like the Dead Sea, Roman ruins, and, of course, the Petra.

That is just a taste of Jordan before I go. Please, please, please stay tuned throughout the semester to get even more of a taste of this country and the Middle East! I'm ready for all the adventures that are about to come my way. ;)