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.