You never really realize how much you’ve missed the quiet — the type that comes only from being in nature — until you’re finally experiencing it again. After spending two weeks in the heart of San Francisco, flying to Morocco, and then spending two more weeks in some of the largest urban areas, it was …
Tag Archives: SIT Study Abroad
An Unexpected Start
After an exhausting travel day flying from San Francisco to Montreal to Morocco, our group spent the day battling to stay awake so we could explore Casablanca, catch up on school work, and hopefully fend off any lasting jet lag by getting to sleep at a reasonable time. When I finally went to bed that …
Let Go, Dive In
Anyone who really knows me could tell you about how I can be over the top with my organizational and planning systems (just ask me about how I organize my wardrobe). But no amount of list-making or journaling could have prepared me for the whirlwind change in my life since this semester began. With a …
Ma’a Salama
I was walking down a slope and thinking to myself: How do the narrators disagree over what light said about a stone? Is it from a dimly lit stone that wars flare up? Darwish, Mahmoud. “In Jerusalem.” Translated by Fady Joudah, The Butterfly’s Burden, Copper Canyon Press, 2008. Ma’a salama is a way of saying goodbye …
A Homebody’s Guide to Studying Abroad: Tips for Introverts
1. Expect to sometimes experience discomfort 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 …
Continue reading “A Homebody’s Guide to Studying Abroad: Tips for Introverts”
Thoughts on Failure
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 …
Cats, Hummus, and One Month Left
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 …
Safety in Jordan
Right after I arrived in Jordan, my host dad told me a story about some travelling he had done while visiting a friend in an unsafe area. “My friend had five locks on his door,” he said. “Five locks! He was afraid to be outside after dark. We could hear gunshots outside. He was afraid …
Ramadan
I walk from one epoch to another without a memory to guide me. The prophets over there are sharing the history of the holy … ascending to heaven and returning less discouraged and melancholy, because love and peace are holy and are coming to town. Darwish, Mahmoud. “In Jerusalem.” Translated by Fady Joudah, The Butterfly’s Burden, …
A Week in Istanbul
When I was learning about Constantinople in my tenth-grade world history class, I never in a million years thought that I would actually step foot in this incredibly historic city. And yet somehow I ended up there last week! I think it was only slightly less shocking than if I had landed in an actual …
You must be logged in to post a comment.