Going to the Big M.E

Less than one year from now, I will be flying to Amman, Jordan. Completely alone.

After a long and intense deliberation, I've decided to risk being "sex-trafficked" and put my trust in a small volunteer organization called Geovisions. They promise to place me in a safe and stable Jordanian home where I will live for one month while tutoring locals in English and improving my Arabic, Insha'Allah. It's an incredible opportunity. I'll be able to visit some of the most important biblical sites, not to mention Jerusalem itself. I told Andy that if I die there I'll probably go straight to heaven. He didn't think that was funny.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll have a lot more interesting things to write about when all this comes to pass! I'm leaving on May 17, 2011 and returning on June 17. For now, all I can do is wait for Geovisions to contact me when they've found a family to take me in, and pay off the fee to the program (which is modest in comparison to most of its kind). Jordan is supposed to be one of the most hospitable nations on Earth, and I can't wait to soak it all in, from the people to the language to the food. After the GRE, I need to work very hard on my spoken Arabic up until my departure day, so that I can get the most out of the short time that I'm there. Fun Fact: Amman was (one of) the original Philadelphia's of Ancient Rome. It's meant to be :-)