Throughout my two months abroad in Jordan, I lived with a homestay family for the entirety of my experience. When I first arrived in the country, I came as Jacqueline Bengtson, and I left feeling as though I was a true member of the family, as if I were Jacqueline Jawdat Abukar. My immense extended homestay family welcomed me into their lives with so much grace. Everyday my family treated me as if I were their daughter, sister, cousin, granddaughter or niece.

My Arabic skills and confidence in speaking grew immensely by using the language constantly with my family and friends. My family members would graciously help me with any of my assignments or questions. I took each speaking opportunity as a way to learn more; I would write down new words and phrases that I would learn in conversations to study and practice later.

                     My homestay family

By living and learning from my family, not only did my Arabic get better but I grew a greater understanding and appreciation for the Arab culture. My homestay mother would make me delicious traditional meals and my family took me multiple times to a large park where hundreds of families would congregate to cook food and eat a traditional barbeque. I was a guest at two very traditional weddings with traditional food, music and attire. I was humbled by my homestay grandmother’s kindness and generosity as every Friday she would take me to the mosque to pray in a hijab and prayer dress. I learned and memorized chapters from the Quran to utter during prayer and I also learned how to pray in a service.

My homestay family and I at one of the two weddings I attended

Every night my extended family would congregate on the patio of our apartment and drink tea and share the stories of our day. I was treated just the same while being pulled away at times by my little brother and sisters to play. I cherish each experience I had with my family and hold them deep in my heart in hopes that I will be able to embrace each of them again someday.