As the summer winds down, I find myself increasingly anxious about my departure to Jordan. The weeks of this summer have passed under ceaseless study of Islam and the Middle Eastern region, however, with a focus toward Turkey. Jordan is different. As the son of an Arab, I’ve been blessed with a first hand insight into the region, ratcheting up my passion for its splendors, be they gustatory, cultural, musical, or religious. Yet, my experience with the Middle East has been relegated chiefly to Lebanon. In every way, Jordan is as foreign to me as Polynesia or West Africa, regions I know very little about. In fact, the novelty of Jordan feels exacerbated because of my relative familiarity with its neighbors. Just knowing enough about the region, without knowing anything of substance regarding Jordan, makes it feel entirely alien.
Jordan also shares few similarities with any country in the world. It is a desert state, surrounded by a great and historical regional conflict, itself still subject to the rule of a monarch, almost overwhelmingly Islamic in nature, and holding onto much of its traditional past while simultaneously embracing many of the innovations of contemporary advanced society.
Nonetheless, this newness is a challenge for me I wholly and quite eagerly embrace. I cannot begin to express my excitement at learning Arabic. To be frank, I LOVE ARABIC. I find it to be an incredibly beautiful and complicated language. I have every intention to make the Middle East my professional home for the better part of my life and this immersive experience in Amman is just the beginning, an opportunity I am unbelievably thankful to have.