The End of One Adventure, The Start of Another

adventure, n.

a. That which comes to us, or happens without design; chance, hap, fortune, luck.

adventure, v.

I. To commit to chance.

1. trans. To take the chance of; to commit to fortune; to undertake a thing of doubtful issue; to try, to chance, to venture upon. (Oxford English Dictionary Online)

Tomorrow is my last full day in Jordan. By Monday afternoon I will be gazing upon the Bosporus in Istanbul, and I will meet my dear friends Dave and Matt for an unforgettable journey across Europe. There is not much that I can post about our travel itinerary as we have agreed to not agree on a travel plan. One could say that Dave, Matt, and I love the unknown. However, I can report that I will l be flying home to beautiful Seattle, Washington from London on the 14th of June. After a semester bopping around the Eastern Mediterranean and since I already have a rail pass (a thousand thank you's Aunty Bernie) I am remarkable unconcerned about not having firm plans. It shall be a truly incredible adventure.

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In light of the fore-mentioned travels, it has been difficult for me to feel like I am reaching a significant bookend. However, since getting out of my last exam on Wednesday I have been saying a lot of goodbyes to very good friends. It has been a strange process to say goodbye to folks without any guarantee that our paths will cross again. I can't wait to return to my friends and family in the Pacific Northwest, yet I have met some amazing people here and it is a little odd to leave folks with whom I shared so many unique experiences over the last 4 months. Thus, in an attempt to leave no friend unhugged (except for my Jordanian friends I am not allowed to hug because of my Y chromosome), the last few days have been filled with a flurry of meals out, last minute traveling around Jordan, and hours spent wandering the now very hot streets of downtown Amman. Not to mention catching my last couple episodes of my favorite Turkish soap opera with my host mom and Thursday WWE wrestling with my host dad. So yeah, what I am trying to say is that it is a little weird to leave.

Overall, studying abroad in Jordan has been a great experience. I have been frustrated at times, but generally I have found Jordan's abundant idiosyncrasies immensely humorous. I have learned a great deal both inside and outside the classroom. I liked a great number of my peers and I was continually impressed by the hospitality and kindness of Jordanians. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study here.

To close let me share an excerpt from my gournal from my second day in Amman: "Oh man this is strange. I could so easily be sitting in a pub in Scotland, Ireland, or New Zealand... Fucking Hubris!"

Well, it may have been hubris that brought me to Jordan, and I did choose the Middle East because I was more scared of it than anywhere else in the world, but I am immensely happy with my experience. I feel liberated from the inherited fear which is so well-documented in my early gournal entries and if I could go back in time I would definitely pick Jordan again.