Looking at the calendar on my cell phone today, I had a very strange feeling as I realized that I have exactly a month left to go in my program. It is very weird to think that the next time the date will be the 10th of the month I will be flying from Amman back to New York. The time has gone by really quickly so far, which I guess is a good thing as it means that I am keeping busy and enjoying myself; however, this is also the first time that I realized my end in Jordan is near.
This realization though brings both happiness and sadness, and just like the whole study abroad experience, is a catch 22 as I am certainly very excited to see my friends and family once again but also am sad that I will not be able to experience life in the Arab World within a short period of time.
Due to the coming of this milestone, I have also evaluated how I have been approaching my experience thus and I can say that I am very happy with how I have dealt with being in Jordan up to this point. I am learning Arabic quite quickly (a cab driver refused to take my money two days ago because I spoke with him in only Arabic for our twenty minute ride). I feel that have been connecting with my host family in a good manner as I am more comfortable each day at the house. In addition, I feel that I am taking advantage opportunities that I would not otherwise have if I was not here in Amman.
For instance, I am going to headquarter of the Muslim Brotherhood tomorrow (don’t worry I will have a blog entry about that!). The end is an inevitable part of any study abroad experience; however, it is always good to have it in the back of your mind as it always motivates me to take advantage of the short time I have in this land that is feeling less foreign each day.