End of the Fall Semester

It's a beautiful thing when the end is in sight and I can see the end of my fall semester right now.

It's sort of sad in a lot of ways, I have met a lot of fantastic people who helped me make it through this semester and took many steps that got me to where I am today.

• I saw two of my friends finish off their undergraduate degree. (Oh how I love the History department of WJU)
• I saw my team kick butt at our Cal Pac cross-country conference meet.
• I met freshmen who are jut starting on their journey as adults and beginning to see what adventures lie ahead.
• I evaluated my priorities and made adjustments to how I was living my life for the better.
• I made the decision to study abroad.
• I discovered that the simple things in life are the most important things in life.

I have 13 hours until my last final, three days until I go home, 26 days until I leave the United States, and 100 days until I place my feet on California soil. It is exciting.

So, for those of you who have been keeping track of this blog so far, I just wanted to let you in on some super exciting news. In my last blog (which I have now edited.) I had stated that I was going to be short a significant amount of money. I had asked for prayers and donations to help me be able to go to the Middle East. I went back and recalculated, and with the confirmation of the office, I have found out that I am not short at all. In fact, I am in the green. I have to tell you, for those of you who have been praying, thank you so much. This was most definitely a miracle and you helped by praying (or sending good vibes.)

I am pretty sure this will be my last blog for a couple of weeks. Once I get any new information in regards to my trip I will be sure to post it.

I hope that everything is going well to you in the season of giving and joy.

Peace and Love.

Kylie

Historical Context

I tutor my peers in history courses, everything from western civilization to American History, I can talk about. This sharing of knowledge in my opinion is one of the gifts that I have been given. I do my best to be a good teacher, especially in a subject that most people dislike greatly.

As most of you know, this blog is meant as a medium to share my journey to Jerusalem with you, to chronicle the knowledge that I gain and provide a small and (to my hope, unbiased) look into the Middle East and the people I encounter.

While in Jerusalem I will be taking Arabic, doing community service within the community that I will be living in, (teaching English, rebuilding community centers, I am not sure exactly what yet I will find out when I get there) I will be visiting historical places and increasing my cultural efficacy for four months. Let me be able to continue my education so that I can share my experiences and knowledge with those around me, (that includes you!)

Thank you so much for supporting me in every way that you can. I appreciate it greatly and I hope that you know it I will be taking everything I can from my experiences.

Joy and Peace to you.

People

I kind of love people.

Their personalities, their opinions, and their culture.

Don't get me wrong sometimes I dislike people greatly as well for the first two reasons but for the most part if you can have an intelligent conversation with me I think you are fantastic.

Now I get to learn a new language that is nothing at all like the ones I have studied. English, French, the little Spanish that I have picked up over the years and the even smaller amount of German from my lovely pen-pal.

Language allows for the communication that I love between people. This language, Arabic, will open up a door to a new group of people that I did not think I would ever have the opportunity to speak to in their own language.

Before I leave the states the program I am studying through expects us to know the Arabic Alphabet and some simple phrases before we get there. This is not so much a problem as much as a dilemma. On top of all of my school work I have to learn a language that is much more foreign to me than anything I have ever encountered. The characters are vastly different than the letters we use here, I think they read and write everything right to left rather than the left to right western society has embraced since the Roman Empire, this is going to be more difficult than, well, anything I have ever done in my entire life, (and I have taken some pretty intense classes over the years)

I guess I'm just super lucky I have people here at Jessup to practice with. One of my teammates is Egyptian and speaks Arabic fluently. Also besides myself there is three other Jessup students going so I think maybe a study session should be planned to get some important practicing in.

Well, I'm off to a land that is much closer to me at the moment (the common room to spend time with the ladies in my dorm)

Road block

Well, it has yet to be even three days from the initial acceptance into the program and I have come across a road block a very big road block.

One of the reason I applied to study abroad was because I found a scholarship that I had a very good chance in receiving that would take care of the cost of the program. I met all of their qualifications and I was studying Arabic to top it all off (something that would be able to grant more more financial aide)

Well, due to the fact that the program was moved from Cairo to Jerusalem may disqualify me from even being eligible because Israel is on the travel warning through the State Department.

I'm not even sure how to react. At the moment I am sort of in shock, I was on such a high from being accepted into the program and thinking about everything I could learn and the people I could meet to this point where I have no idea what I am going to do.

So, this is my petition, for those of you who pray, pray a lot.

For those of you who don't, well send good vibes my way because the next two months are going to be crazy.

Holy Fiddlesticks! Part 2

Today I went on a run and came across the vehicle with a sticker that said something to the effect of "Open season on Terrorists: issued by the US government."

So, don't get me wrong, I like my first amendment rights; I think it is very import to what makes the United States different but it is stickers, posters, quotes such as this that promotes ignorance and hatred of a culture that most American's have never experienced.

My hopes that as I travel to Jerusalem and other parts of the Middle East I can meet the faces of this culture that American's are so afraid of.

I guess I should probably disclose my background for those who don't know me very well.

• I'm a Junior attending a small Christian liberal arts college in California. Before this, I started out in school at an all women's college in the Bay Area.
• I am a Christian, but that doesn't wholly define who I am. I love people no matter who they are. The program I am studying through is a Christian program but despite this I have hope that I will be able to speak face to face with the people on a real level.
• I was introduced to the Vlogbrothers by a good friend of mine, which makes me a Nerdfighter hoping to end world-suck. (This blog and my journey will probably contain many stories of me trying to make the world around me awesome.)
• I'm a history major, but it took switching majors like four times to get to this point (it started first off as history then to chemistry then anthropology, then back to history when I transferred)
• If I am not careful more than one of these blogs will turn into a venting spot. Hopefully those will be few and far between but if it becomes more frequent let me know. I will to my best to step off my self-righteous soapbox.

I have three and a half months before I leave for Jerusalem. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!

Holy Fiddlesticks! Part 1

Yes, for those of you who know me, this exclamation marks something that is impossible to comprehend in a single moment.

I got into the study abroad program I applied for. (Sort of)

In the Middle East.

In Jerusalem to be exact.

To my surprise my family is less freaked out than I thought they were going to be. I had told my dad of my plans first. He knows, God bless him, that when I set my mind to something I will do anything to make it work. The only thing he told me was to not tell my mom about it until I knew for sure I was going (meaning that I got the acceptance letter saying that I got in.)

Originally the plan was to study in Cairo, but the craziness happened with the riots and military so the program shifted to Jerusalem. Where ever I place my feet though does not matter to me; I am simply excited to learn a new language (Arabic and most likely Hebrew as well, just not in a formal class room setting) and learn about the cultures that are present in this region of the Middle East.

I have some people to thank for getting me to this point, mostly my professors Dr. Rex Gurney and Dr. Marilyn Copland for writing me letters that were most likely glowing and undeserved.

My family for always supporting my decisions (even if they are scary.)

Last but not least my friends specifically Scott, Kirsten, Safi and Rachel because without them I would not have actually hit the submit button.

This is the first of many blogs that will be talking about the lead up to my departure, my stay, and eventually the impact it had on my life.