-Buy a really good Arabic-English dictionary. How have I made it through two years of Arabic study without one?
-Buy lonely planet guide to Egypt, and probably Israel, and Jordan...and everywhere else I think I might be able to convince my parents to let me go.
-Get really fat so I'll have lots of extra weight to shed as I waste away at the mercy of the heat and my digestive system.
-Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. Kidding. But seriously. I need to indulge in every vice I have before I have to go behave for two years.
-Eat lots of Los Calientes.
-Buy a new pair of Rainbows.
-Re-read Tales of a Female Nomad for inspiration.
-Drive. Alot.
-Take a walk around campus and say goodbye to everything I know about the college experience in America.
-Study Arabic. No, seriously. Study Arabic until my epiglottis hurts.
-Try to be fearless.
41 days!
It's been a while, blog!
In fact, it's been nearly a year! It's just been a regular year here in Tuscaloosa; I've been enjoying America and missing Morocco terribly. Since I've been back, I've seen Michael and Jennifer twice, Brigid once, I'm seeing Autumn this Friday, and I talk to Ben on the phone once a week like clockwork. Alabama is home sweet home, but it's time to move on. Seeing as UA doesn't offer my desired major, I made the difficult decision to transfer elsewhere to finish school. The first week of June, I got the most exciting news of my life: I've been accepted to the American University in Cairo...that's right- Cairo, Egypt! So on August 27, I'll be hoppin on a flight from Atlanta, to DC, to London, to Cairo, all by myself. Funny to think I didnt come to college a few states away without my parents, and now I'm moving to an entirely different continent completely alone with a one way ticket and two suitcases.
Anyway, since I'm heading back to al-alum al-arabiyya, I'm starting my blog up again to chronicle this exciting new adventure I'm about to go on, to document getting settled and building a new life in a different country just like I did in Morocco last summer. Only this time, it's for real. I will be in Egypt for at least two years, however, knowing me, it will be a long time before I come back to America to live fulltime. The things I am going to see and do and the people I'm going to meet are incredible, I just know it. I really feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing at this point in my life. I'm less afraid than I was before I left for Morocco; I feel more prepared. My Arabic is better [two high A's in my advanced arabic language courses this year!], I know more about the culture and religion, plus I am proficient in Spanish, Hebrew, and Turkish...there's bound to be SOMEONE I can communicate with in SOME way no matter where I am. This is my dream come true and I hope you are all as excited as I am about it!
41 days and counting!
Salaam wa hubb,
Danielle
In fact, it's been nearly a year! It's just been a regular year here in Tuscaloosa; I've been enjoying America and missing Morocco terribly. Since I've been back, I've seen Michael and Jennifer twice, Brigid once, I'm seeing Autumn this Friday, and I talk to Ben on the phone once a week like clockwork. Alabama is home sweet home, but it's time to move on. Seeing as UA doesn't offer my desired major, I made the difficult decision to transfer elsewhere to finish school. The first week of June, I got the most exciting news of my life: I've been accepted to the American University in Cairo...that's right- Cairo, Egypt! So on August 27, I'll be hoppin on a flight from Atlanta, to DC, to London, to Cairo, all by myself. Funny to think I didnt come to college a few states away without my parents, and now I'm moving to an entirely different continent completely alone with a one way ticket and two suitcases.
Anyway, since I'm heading back to al-alum al-arabiyya, I'm starting my blog up again to chronicle this exciting new adventure I'm about to go on, to document getting settled and building a new life in a different country just like I did in Morocco last summer. Only this time, it's for real. I will be in Egypt for at least two years, however, knowing me, it will be a long time before I come back to America to live fulltime. The things I am going to see and do and the people I'm going to meet are incredible, I just know it. I really feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing at this point in my life. I'm less afraid than I was before I left for Morocco; I feel more prepared. My Arabic is better [two high A's in my advanced arabic language courses this year!], I know more about the culture and religion, plus I am proficient in Spanish, Hebrew, and Turkish...there's bound to be SOMEONE I can communicate with in SOME way no matter where I am. This is my dream come true and I hope you are all as excited as I am about it!
41 days and counting!
Salaam wa hubb,
Danielle
