I have attended my classes for about the entire semester, so I have fully adapted to the Italian breakfast lifestyle. Breakfast in Milan looks different than my typical breakfast in America. Every Monday and Wednesday, I have class at 9:00 am, and with the commute being so early, I typically don’t get a coffee or breakfast until after class; however, after class, I go to a cafe in-between my two classrooms called Crumb Cafe. This Cafe has wifi, so I can get work done while I eat breakfast. I do not order pancakes, eggs, bacon, etc., but I order a caffe Americano and a brioche (croissant). This is funny because in most of Italy, croissants are called cornetto, but in Milan, it is called a brioche. This breakfast, I have learned to love. Brioches are so good and can be filled with jam, chocolate, pistachio, and many other flavors. My personal favorite is apricot-flavored filling!
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go to my favorite cafe nearby. The people who work here are so kind and honestly have the absolute best brioches, sandwiches, coffee – you name it. Here I typically order a coffee and a chocolate Brioche. They value relationships, as they always greet me with a smile and are patient with me as I practice my Italian. As much as I miss a hardy breakfast, there is something special about starting the day with something sweet.
Studying abroad will, without a doubt, push you outside of your comfort zone. I’ve felt awkward or out of place so many times this semester: in the extended family gatherings at my homestay, when conversations in Arabic pile on top of each other and I can’t understand any of it. When I venture out in a large group (i.e. more than two people) with the other students in my program. Even when pushing my way through the downtown Amman crowds, with vendors yelling the names of their products and too many people spilling off of the sidewalk.
POV: When ancient Roman tunnels are the only good place to hide from people
In times of discomfort, I’ve found it helpful to remember that I was seeking to move out of my comfort zone when I decided to come here. When my social battery is running low and I’m feeling inadequate for living with a host family or unable to connect with my friends, I remind myself that this was my purpose in studying abroad. I expected to sometimes feel out of place and be pushed into discomfort. This is the only way to grow.
2. Fill your cup
While discomfort is important, it’s also important to take care of your mental health. You want to strike a balance between pushing yourself to grow and making sure to not burn out.
Before I left for the semester, I drafted a list of activities that fill my cup. Things like going on long walks, writing, and calling my family all help me to recharge my social battery so that I have the full capacity to enjoy trying new things and socializing in large groups.
Taking care of your mental health doesn’t have to mean that you stop engaging with the culture. Look for ways to learn more while also recharging. For me, I spent a lot of time this semester reading poetry by Arab and Muslim writers. Reading gives me life and is something I love to do. I was able to connect it to the place I am living so that I could learn more about the culture of this region, while at the same time letting myself be alone and recharge.
We will dance in the wreckage drink the coffee
our dead left brewing we will open our tombs
to windows for the sea in order
for the sea to remain besieged
Joudah, Fady. “Tell Life.” Poetry, November 2013.
3. Don’t compare
Everyone has a different experience with studying abroad. It is extremely unhelpful to compare yourself with other students in your program. Maybe they’ve made a bunch of local friends while you’ve only met a few people, or they spend their weekends going on day trips while you prefer to stick close to home.
Study abroad students all have different personalities, prior travel experiences, goals, and budgets. Moving out of the comfort zone looks different for everyone. Figure out what works best for you, and then stick to that. Don’t let comparisons get in the way—they’re never going to help you.
Take breaks when you need to!
4. Embrace exploring by yourself
It took me some time to become comfortable enough in Amman to walk around alone, but once I did, it turned into one of my favorite things to do. Make sure you know how to be safe in your location (especially important if you’re a female student)—but then go exploring! An incomplete list of my favorite places I’ve gone on my own:
Prince Hashem Bird Garden: in Shmeisani, the neighborhood next to mine, this was the first place I went by myself. It’s an adorable tiny zoo/park with birds, a playground, and benches that are great for picnicking.
Suq al Jum’ah/Friday Market: this is a huge outdoor market that takes place on Thursday nights and Fridays. It sells mostly secondhand clothes for very low prices. It can be a little overwhelming, but I love going here when I have some extra time on the weekends.
Jellyfish Boba: as I’m writing this, it’s been two days since my last visit. I need to go back soon, I think I’m starting to have withdrawal…
Geocaching: such a great way to explore! I love going geocaching when I’m at home, but geocaching in a foreign country is a whole new level of fun.
I love boba, and boba loves me back
I saw this cool mural while I was geocaching!
Ostrich at the bird garden!
If you’re an introvert thinking about studying abroad, I hope these tips will be helpful for you! Studying abroad doesn’t have to force you to pretend to be an extrovert or change your personality. It can actually help you to gain more appreciation for your own unique strengths.
Each happiness of yesterday is a memory for tomorrow.
Unknown
Life is about adventures, both the small ones that take no courage at all, and big ones that take all the courage you can muster. Denver has been one of the biggest adventures I have ever taken on. From being 18 hours away from home, living in a big city for the first time, to having an incredible internship, nothing could have prepared me for this! This is a combination of all of my favorite memories and experiences throughout the semester!
Skiing was something that I had never done before coming to Denver. But it was one of my favorite things that I did. Learning something new is so much fun and there is nothing better than failing and getting right back up to do it all over again. The improvement that I made throughout the three times I went was not what I was expecting. I am so incredibly grateful for Jolie who taught me all of her tricks, even though I am still not great. Learning is a process, and you will never know if you can do something until you try. The three times I went were so special to me and I would not have wished for anything different.
Rocky Mountain National Park was another highlight of my semester! And it was even more fun to go with my housemates and enjoy the beautiful views. I do not think that is something you can see anywhere else in the world. And although it was cloudy and snowing it was worth the trip and worth the time spent with friends!
One of the most challenging things that I did this semester that was 100% worth it was the Manitou Incline. It has the prettiest views and takes a lot of motivation, but it truly is like nothing else you could ever do. And the hike down is just as worth it! I am very grateful that I got to do this with Bri and spend Easter weekend with her doing fun popular Denver things.
There were so many things that I did this semester that truly made it incredible. But the last thing that I am going to mention is the time spent with Jolie, Alex, and Maria. Jolie and Alex were two of the other people in the program, and we spent the most time together. And Maria was our residential coordinator (or RA). Denver would not have been the same without these three. They have pushed me to become a better person in so many ways. We had so many fun adventures together including hiking, Red Rocks sunrises, going to the zoo, skiing, Rocky Mountain National Park, and so many more. This semester would not have been the same without them, and I am very thankful for all of them!
Thank you for following all of my adventures throughout the semester! I have really enjoyed sharing my adventures and having a creative outlet to share more than pictures!
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
Francis of Assisi
If someone would have told me four months ago how hard it would be to leave my internship, I would not have believed them. As a lot of things do, my internship started off rocky. I was very unsure of myself and was convinced that as an intern, there was not much I could contribute to Denver Rescue Mission. There were times I felt that my work was sub-par and that I would never be able to write three blog posts that were good enough to post for a large organization. It was different than writing for the Hope College Off-Campus Study Blog. So many more people were going to see it, and there were a lot more design pieces to it than I thought I would ever know how to do. I felt so small in an organization that has hundreds of employees and is considered one of the largest rescue missions in the United States. That alone was intimidating.
Throughout my internship, I had the chance to learn from people all throughout the development team and so many more. From working with the CEO Brad Meuli to film his retirement video, to simply keeping track of important numbers on social media, each piece is crucial to ensuring that the Mission is thriving. I learned so much about the amount of work that goes into the newsletters by transcribing them and even having the chance to help write one of the smaller sections for one that will come out in July. There is so much more to each piece than you think, both in the newsletters that are published and with each position that someone holds. Each one is important in its own way. Without each person doing their job to the best of their ability, nothing would ever be achieved, which is why it is important to always show appreciation.
Appreciation for learning and helping others leads you to learning what your passions are. Because I had the opportunity to work in so many different areas of public relations teams, it gave me time to learn what I did and did not enjoy doing. I learned how much I enjoy photography and being able to tell people’s stories through pictures. Getting to work at the Easter Banquet at the 48th Avenue Center was one of the best experiences I had while I was here. Because I interned in public relations, I do not have the opportunity to have much, if any, contact with guests at different facilities or participants in the programs, but for Easter I did. There were two banquets at two locations at the same time. So Linneya, the content specialist, went to one to do pictures, and I was tasked with doing the other. At first I was intimidated, as I had never picked up a good camera before this semester, and it is a slow learning process. But from the beginning, Linneya worked with me to teach me the basics.
Working at the banquet allowed me to not only learn more and improve my photography skills, but also to actually interact with guests. It was intimidating at first because it requires having people sign a photo release form. But when I thought about it more, it was not about simply getting the picture for the Mission to use. It was about sitting down and talking to people, learning about them and their hobbies, and then if they were willing to get a picture. Not everyone wants that, which is completely fine. But those that I got to sit and talk with were what made the experience so much better. They had happiness for where they were at the moment. So often in the United States especially, we take for granted the things that we have, places we live, and accessibility of everything. But if that is all taken away, people have to focus on something else. The Mission is here to provide hope – to provide a safe space where people can come and work on improving their life if they want to. I got to be a part of something so special and truly make an impact on someone’s day. Even if it was the only positive thing that happened to them, it was something. And that small something can turn into so much more without us even realizing it.
This internship has been one of the best experiences of my life. Everyone at the Mission is so kind and only want to help the guests, as well as the interns. I am going to miss all of the people more than I ever could have expected. I am glad I get to walk away with so many great connections, friends, and family. Denver Rescue Mission will always hold a special place in my heart.
The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you are the pilot.
Michael Altshuler
These past couple of weeks have been crazy trying to get homework assignments finished and turned in while still trying to make the most out of Denver. Last weekend was filled with sitting in coffee shops for hours on end finishing papers and presentations that were due last week and this week (after all homework is important).
One of the things I had to do this semester was get “cultural hours” – exploring new cultures through museums, restaurants, and events in Denver. I only needed a couple more hours, so I decided to go to the Colorado History Center. The Colorado History Center is a museum that is pretty close to where our housing is, and it was raining on Friday a few weeks ago so it was not possible to do anything outside for a long period of time. I definitely could have spent more time looking at the exhibits and reading the information about the different cultures and history of Denver, but I also needed to finish some homework, so I only stayed for about three hours. That gave me enough time to walk through all of the exhibits and really read into about two of them. The one that stood out to me the most was their Sand Creek Massacre exhibit. If you have never heard about the Sand Creek Massacre, it happened in 1864 and centered around the Cheyenne and Arapaho Native American tribes. The US government sent troops in at dawn and killed 230 men, women, and children. This exhibit showed the reality by telling the stories of people from the US army as well as people who experienced the massacre and what they experienced. There were original handwritten letters from US soldiers writing back to command saying they would not participate in the horrific actions they were being told to perform, and stories from Arapaho and Cheyenne chiefs, very few of which survived.
These types of stories are not told in history books very often, and when they are, rarely does it ever show the full story or damage of what occurred. It is important to go to museums like this to truly understand what the United States has done to acquire the land we have today and to recognize all the people who were killed simply because of the land they lived on.
On a more positive note, the weather was really nice for a couple weeks which meant it was perfect to go to the park and hang out, have a picnic, or go for a walk. Denver is a huge city with so many parks and I am grateful to live really close to one of them that has a trail around the outside and plenty of grass area to sit and people watch. Last Sunday a few of my housemates and I went and had a picnic dinner at the park and hung out for a while before the start of the week to enjoy the weather because the next day it snowed. We got to see a ton of dogs, and I am not a dog person, but some of them were super sweet. That is the one thing I actually enjoy about Denver – the dogs here are very well trained and rarely, if ever, do they jump on you or bark. Props to all of the dog owners in Denver who know how to train their dogs well!
For our last weekend in Denver, we went to Rocky Mountain National Park. This has been on my bucket list of things to do since the beginning of the semester, and I was told many times by people at my internship that I had to go. We had waited until the end of the semester hoping that the weather would be nice and we would have clear skies to see all of the mountains. Well, that was not the case. It was snowing and about 30 degrees outside. But it was still very worth it, and unbeknownst to us, Saturday April 22 was free admission day because it was the start of National Park week. It was also Earth Day, although that was not the reason it was free, but that made it even nicer! We decided to do the Emerald lake trail because that had been the most recommended by all of my co-workers and other people I had talked to. We did not bring a map with us which was fine until we started doing the Haihaha overpass, which is a trail that goes over the mountain. Thankfully someone turned us back the other direction, so we did not hike the entire trail thinking it was short. Emerald lake would be a gorgeous place to be, especially in the summer when you can actually see the lake! Not to say it was not pretty with the snow, but it was covered in snow so there was really no way of knowing that it was the lake other than the fact that everyone said it was.
You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.
Yet you are not evil when you go thither limping.
Even those who limp go not backward.
Gibran, Khalil. “On Good and Evil” from The Prophet. Albatross Publishers, 2015.
Time in Jordan seems to be speeding up as I enter the last few weeks of my time here.
I’ve been thinking about my goals from back when I started the program and whether or not I have achieved them. And, to be honest, there are a lot that I haven’t achieved.
Here’s a sample of some things I did NOT do:
Learn to speak Arabic fluently or read Arabic poetry
Achieve a complete understanding of the geopolitics of the Middle East. I still can’t name all the parties currently fighting in Syria or explain the factors contributing to Jordan’s high rate of youth unemployment.
Learn to cook Jordanian food without my host mom’s help
Get a gym membership or exercise consistently
POV: Me when I should be studying Arabic
To be honest, this can be a bit of a downer. It’s easy to blame myself for what I didn’t do while I was here.
But when I reframe these thoughts, I also need to remember everything I DID do that is worthy of celebration:
Traveled outside of the U.S. for the first time in my life
Rode a camel
Took a bus to Irbid, in northern Jordan, all by myself to visit a new friend at her university
Found the best bubble tea shop in Amman and singlehandedly kept it in business for three months (this is only a slight exaggeration)
Wrote a 35+ page research paper about refugee identity (*technically not yet, but it will be done next week)
Learned enough Arabic to read street signs, communicate with taxi drivers, and ask about prices in stores. And, along the way, made friends and cemented my determination to keep studying Arabic after I get home.
Camel!
Jordan University of Science and Technology
Learning to cook
Jellyfish, my love
No two people experience studying abroad the same way, and it’s not fair to compare yourself to others. For me, some days it was an achievement just to get out of bed and make it to class. Sometimes practicing Arabic just meant using Arabic to ask my host mom how her day was, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone meant walking to a new park after school instead of staying in my room all afternoon.
Studying abroad is hard, and it’s okay if you don’t accomplish everything you wanted to achieve. In the end, simply making it out of the U.S. was an achievement in and of itself. Regardless of what happened or did not happen during my time here, I’m proud that I made it through a whole semester in a new country.
I want to talk about something that I feel like isn’t normally touched on when people talk about going abroad: Setting goals. Actually more importantly, “doing” goals. It is easy to go abroad with the goal being, well, going abroad. However, having goals to achieve while you are abroad is what grounds you where you’re at.
This might disappoint you, but it is for your own good! I have heard many stories and seen many people around me who go abroad, spend most of their time in their room, and then go back to their home country filled with copious amounts of regret. Now, this wouldn’t be a problem if the time they spent inside felt meaningful to them (and therefore would leave no regretful feelings behind). However, most of these stories I’ve heard seem like the “victims” entered this sort of limbo space, not quite sure what to do with themselves in this new country.
The feeling of not knowing what to do with oneself
I want to iterate that I am by no means saying that these people are failures or that they did something wrong. Everyone reacts to new environments differently and there is nothing wrong with recognizing that you feel uncomfortable with the sudden changes in your life. In fact, I have experienced that very feeling! If you go abroad for an extended period of time, you are likely to experience it too, and I’m going to tell you how I have, over time, been learning to deal with it.
Exploring everyday is exhausting. Once you’ve tried every KitKat flavor, and had a convenience store machine make your coffee enough times, you don’t care for the shiny stuff so much. Human beings at our core are pretty greedy, and we get used to new shiny things pretty fast (and then want more). Your new friends you made are busy, or you’ve got a bunch of school work that prevents you from hopping on a shinkansen to a new place of wonder, and man you’re tired of not knowing what to do with yourself. This is where I think setting goals and working towards them is really beneficial while you’re abroad, or even when you feel your life stalling period.
So many KitKat flavors
Studying abroad is just living in a new place. No matter where you go, life follows. If you were back in your hometown, you probably aren’t going on crazy adventures everyday or meeting strangers in cinematic ways. What makes living our day to day lives exciting is having something we are working towards. Not only will these goals give you a sense of meaning amidst a time where you feel out of a place, but it will also give you more confidence within that place as you accomplish more.
Let me give you an example. Recently I decided I wanted to add weight lifting and running at least two times a week to my routine. While I can weight lift in my room (I have my ways), if I want to run, I have to run outside. The first time I ran outside I felt weird, but because I had this goal, I knew what I had to do! I had a purpose behind my action which triumphed over any hesitation leaving my room. With time, I have gotten really comfortable running outside, and now feel really comfortable with the area I live in. Even have had some nice interactions with locals because of it (dropped my keys haha!)
Looking at the next goal ahead
You can make your goals anything. Whether it is working towards a new skill, expanding your social life, or even doing things that only real locals would do, like going to a part-time job interview (blog post on that soon!). You will regret sitting in your room doing nothing, but you won’t regret sitting in your room doing something that matters to you. If you really want to LIVE in a new country, you can’t leave yourself behind!
I’ve had a fantastic week travelling Spain with Megan Barta, a fellow Hope study-abroader wrapping up her semester in Barcelona. We shared many memorable experiences as we explored the stunning Andalusia region of southern Spain during Semana Santa. From exploring the Sacromonte district in Granada, to visiting La Mezquita in Córdaba, to realising we accidentally hiked a segment of El Camino, to marvelling at the tiled rooms of Real Alcázar in Sevilla, to using carrots to make PB&Js on a park bench when lacking a kitchen and the proper utensils, we had a lovely trip. Trains? Planes? Buses? Check.
The topography of Spain was unlike anything I’ve seen before. Megan said it reminded her of California, but for me, everywhere I looked was bejeweled with new sights and smells. I’ll remember Spain as a palate of warm tones: creamy stucco houses, orange groves, sage green palm trees, beige cathedrals, sweet sangria, marble columns, rust-coloured tiles, and boughs laden with blossoms. And always, the fragrance of orange blossoms, wisteria, and the faint, earthy swirl of incense.
Escaping the Cities
Hiking in Spain was nothing like the hikes I’d experienced in the UK. Megan and I ate yet another PB&J seated on a rock beside a dusty trail in Ermita de la Virgen. As we sat overlooking a green valley with distant mountain tops faintly visible against the bright blue sky, I found myself reflecting on my memories of England.
Familiarising myself with a new city was both challenging and exciting, but discovering and exploring the English countryside was one of my favourite parts about being in Liverpool. Before I went to England, I knew that living in a city, I would miss the open spaces, the beauty, and the solitude of the country. There’s something sacred and quieting and freeing about exploring God’s creation. Given the choice between a day in the city or a day in the country, I choose the country every time. I’ve read the works of the Brontë sisters, Austen, Wordsworth, James Herriot, Eliot…the list goes on. I knew the English countryside had inspired many writers and poets with its naturalistic beauty and I intended to discover it for myself. In a last minute packing reshuffle, I discarded a few sweaters and squeezed my hiking boots into my suitcase, which proved to be an excellent tradeoff. Not every Saturday, but more often than not, I would pick a new town or village or hike that I wanted to discover. Thanks to public transit, I found it was usually accessible and fairly inexpensive to take a day trip from Liverpool by train to the countryside. Reflecting back on the semester, I want to share some of my favourite places I visited.
1. Peak District (£20 train, roundtrip)
I blogged about this trip earlier, but it was my first excursion into the countryside, and I fell in love. I spent a blissful day hiking in the hills above the charming village of Edale. As I stopped on a rocky outcropping overlooking the panoramic hillsides, I felt like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. The alternative rain, snow, and sunshine reminded me to always pack an extra layer on future hikes. As I continued hiking, the rugged heath reminded me of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.
2. Formby (£5.50 train, roundtrip)
Formby is a beautiful stretch of coastline just 45-60 minutes north of Liverpool. The beach is accessible through a stretch of pine-scented woodlands crisscrossed by countless trails. Romane and I went on a rainy January afternoon, but even then the trails were busy with families out to enjoy the beach and woods. I loved watched the tide come in when the waves were swept along by the brisk wind and the air was laced with salt and moisture.
3. Conwy, Wales (£20 train, roundtrip)
After the school sponsored trip to Wales, I knew I wanted to return and explore more of the national parks. In late February, I booked train tickets to Conwy with my friend Romane. Conwy has the flair of an ancient seaside town with a cute harbor and Medieval castle, but it’s nestled between the rugged Welsh mountains and the Irish Sea. Romane and I spent the day hiking the cliffs overlooking the sea before following footpaths further inland. We had no real agenda or destination, just to get back to Conwy in time to catch the last train back to Liverpool that night. The sun was brilliant, the sky crystal clear. We spotted handfuls of Welsh ponies from the wild Carneddau herd grazing on the cliffs overlooking the sea. They gazed back at us, unafraid of the human intruders. We ran into a local couple from one of the villages at the base of the mountains as they were lunching with their dog atop one of the wind-swept hills. They pointed out the path to an old stone quarry and we eagerly followed their directions to explore the remains of the cave. This adventure in Wales ended with a dead phone, getting a little bit lost, and climbing over a fence, but we made in back to Conwy with plenty of time for a tea cake and hot chocolate at a local cafe, a brisk walk along the harbor, and one final farewell to the rugged coastline of Wales.
4. Wirral Peninsula (£5.50, roundtrip)
The Wirral Peninsula, surrounded by the River Mersey, the River Dee, and the Irish Sea, is just a short train ride under the Mersey from Liverpool. I got off the train in West Kirby and walked across the beach to the Hilbre Island, which is accessible when the tide rolls out. Although a small, unassuming island, it has beautiful rocks, tide pools, and the unique ruins of an old lifeboat station. It also boasts fascinating history because of its use as a decoy site during World War II. After exploring the island, I hiked further along the coast to Wirral Country Park and then followed the Wirral Way to Dungeon woods and back through the town of Thurstaston. In typical English fashion, the weather changed from bright and sunny to gusty and rainy. The setting sun barely broke through the thick mist and that shrouded the Welsh mountains across the estuary. When I got back on the train, I was drenched and coated in mud, but opened my book, The Overstory, oblivious to the bemused looks I received.
5. North York Moors National Park (£15 train from York, roundtrip)
The last hike I took in the British countryside was combined with an overnight trip to the fascinating city of York. Following my day in York, I spent the night in the town of Thirsk, home of the country vet, James Herriot, a favorite childhood author who recently became re-popular in my family because of the PBS adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small. I wanted to hike in North York Moors National Park and planned to spend a peaceful day exploring the countryside where the real-life James Herriot practiced as a vet. Due to some erroneous planning, I ended up walking along a highway for a few hours (it’s a long story, if you see me, ask me, and I’ll happily tell it all to you). However, when I finally arrived at the National Park, it was well worth the difficulty. As I gazed out over the rolling countryside from the slopes of Sutton Bank, I was inclined to agree with Herriot that it was indeed one of the “finest” views in all of England.
The wind whipped across the hills over the Vale of York but it was gloriously sunny and I couldn’t stop smiling as I hiked along the ridge. I saw the Yorkshire Gliders and then the Kilburn White Horse which is the largest chalk figure in England. The helpful employees at the National Park informed me of a “more sensible” route back to Thirsk than the way I had come. Following their guidance, I descended from the White Horse and strolled through Kilburn Woods and into the village of Kilburn where I stopped at the local pub for a traditional English scone with cream and jam. The rest of the walk back to Thirsk wound along quiet country roads and dirt footpaths. The fresh air smelled faintly of livestock but mostly the earthy smell of spring. The occasional flowering tree answered the call of the breeze by scattering creamy petals like snow. I imagined how stunning the Dales would be in late spring when the hedges were in full blossom and the fields ripe with the green of summer. I’d barely touched the surface of the dales or the National Park, and looking back at where Sutton’s Bank swelled out of the hills behind me, I felt a deep desire to return there someday.
While Liverpool pulses with the excitement of urban life, my cup was filled by the panoramic slopes of the Midlands, my soul sang in the rugged Welsh mountains, and my spirit was thrilled by the windswept ridges of Yorkshire.
New Scouse/UK Word/Phrase: When I was hiking in Scotland a few weeks ago, the bus driver dropped the coins and exclaimed, “Oh Sugar!” I’m running out of new words haha.
Kodak Moment: Wow. There have been so so many! If I could capture the smell of orange blossoms and wisteria in a photograph that would be it.
Someone new I met this week: In Granada, waiting on a hillside for a Semana Santa procession that we thought would be at 11pm but found out would actually not reach us until 2am, a very friendly group of locals befriend Megan and I. “Somos amigos ahora!” Antonio exclaimed as they settled down around where we were huddled against a stone wall. They gave us candy, shared their dinner, offered us drinks, and insisted we use their scarf and sweater to stay warm while we waited for the procession to reach us. I’ve always been told not to take food from strangers, but these group of people showed us what it means to live out Matthew 25.
I have just about a month left in Jordan, and return has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m looking forward to going home, seeing my family, and catching up with my friends. But I’m also already missing so many aspects of Jordan that I won’t get to experience in the states. Here’s a quick list of what’s on my mind right now and what I’m going to miss the most:
1. My host family
These are some of the kindest, most welcoming people I have ever met. I’m going to miss sitting in the living room with them sipping tea and watching Turkish dramas. I’m going to miss the large family gatherings, with kids running around, the smell of shisha smoke heavy in the air, and too many conversations going on at once. This family has taught me more than I can put into words.
2. The constant possibility of sheep
Let me explain: in Jordan, you never know when you will open a door whether or not a flock of sheep will be outside of it. It’s always a nice little surprise, one that will sadly be missing when I return to the U.S.
3. The food
Uggh, this one I’m really sad about. Jordanian food is so good. How am I ever going to go back to grocery store hummus in the U.S.? To tell you the truth, I may never eat hummus again.
Fun fact: Jordan’s national dish, mansaf, is mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis 18, Abraham cooks a calf together with milk and bread, similar to the way mansaf is prepared to this day! You know the food is good when God thinks it’s important enough to write down the recipe.
4. New friends
Who else would be willing to do a three person Titanic reenactment on the Bosphorus Sea?
5.The cats
This one is really just an excuse to show off all of the cat pictures I’ve taken. Look at Basbousa staring at her reflection. Isn’t she cute?
6. Everything else
At this point I’m realizing one blog post isn’t nearly enough to cover everything that I’m going to miss about Jordan. So I’ll end with a final quote and gratitude for the wise words of Mahmoud Darwish, a Palestinian poet I’ve been reading a lot of during my time here.
If I were another on the road, I would not have looked back,
I would have said what one traveler said
to another: stranger! awaken
the guitar more! Delay our tomorrow so our road
may extend and space may widen for us, and we may get rescued
from our story together
Darwish, Mahmoud. “If I Were Another.” Poetry, December 2005.
Here’s to savoring every moment and delaying tomorrow just a little bit longer.
“Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”
Unknown
This last weekend was the first Easter in my life that I have spent away from home in my entire life. It was weird to not have anything to do or family to spend the day with. But being at an internship with other interns who are also a long way from home can make for some really fun times.
While most Easter weekends are spent with family, I spent this past weekend with Bri who is another intern at Denver Rescue Mission. We decided to make the most of the weekend and do both the Manitou Incline and go to a Rockies game. These were both really fun and very “Denver” things to do.
The Manitou Incline is a staircase that goes up the side of the mountain and consists of 2,768 steps and goes up about 2,000 feet in elevation. This was not an easy thing to do by any stretch of the imagination. In order to prevent over usage and too many people going up at one time, they require reservations. It is important to do this in advance a little bit, especially if there is a specific time you would like to start climbing. One of the biggest things to overcome with this hike is the initial view of the incline. Driving to the incline you can see the path on the mountain and it is extremely intimidating from a distance – let alone when you get closer and are looking straight up all of the steps.
At the beginning it seemed like it was going to be pretty easy. But that assumption was very wrong. Once we got to about step 2,000, the elevation really started to have an impact. From this point on every 100 steps we would stop for 30 seconds to a minute to catch our breath and turn around to see the view. That was a big motivator of the whole thing. While it is a really difficult climb to do, it is very worth it. Once you get to the top and see the stairs from the top, it is incredible. It is also nice to think about how many steps you just went up.
When I was looking into the Manitou Incline when we first decided to do it, I learned that someone ran up the whole thing in around 17 minutes and holds the record for the fastest climb. That alone is crazy. It took us a little over an hour to get to the top, but once we made it the view was gorgeous and it was worth it! And the 3.5 mile hike on Barr trail that brings you back down to the bottom (because it is not safe to go back down the stairs even though people do it) was beautiful! And one cool thing about the Barr trail is that it connects at one point to a 14er. Which is one of the things that I just will not have time to do in the time that is left. Just in case you do not know what a 14er is, it is a mountain that is 14,000 feet or taller.
After going to church on Sunday and celebrating Easter, Bri and I went to the Rockies game. Neither of our families typically watch sports, especially on holidays, but we decided to go. Even though the Denver Rockies are not a great team, everyone I have talked to has said that going to these games is a staple to most people’s spring and summer when they live in Denver.
After taking the bus to the stadium and meeting up with Bri, we walked around the whole thing to see what all was there before the game started. I think it surprised me at how many concession stations and restaurants there were. In all honesty though, the game was really fun and I am glad that I know baseball well enough to understand what is going on. Although I have to admit there were a few calls and things that happened that I had zero clue what was going on.
Overall, Easter weekend was good, and I enjoyed hanging out with Bri and coming up with things to do. I would highly recommend doing the Manitou Incline at some point in your life. It is hard and there were times when I wanted to quit and take the bailout points that are throughout the climb, but the motivation comes from what you know is at the end! A gorgeous view and a beautiful hike down the mountain.
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