Wednesday, June 26, 2013









One World

I am blogging out of order, everyone. Asif. It's a crime to me as well, I am very sorry. However, I feel the need to write the details of last night before they slip from my memory! The day consisted of regular classes, which were filled with learning, as always. I must say though that we have certainly become a bit burnt out. Keeping up with life abroad and being magnificent in class all of the time has made us all a bit tired, to say the least. Personally, I feel I may be going just slightly insane and am laughing even more than usual at things that may or may not be real. I don't even think caffeine has an effect on us (some of us) any longer, which is unfortunate (not that I like caffeine...I do not). Anywho, this is merely background as to why it was truly the perfect time for an adventure! We were told to be outside at the bus for 4:30 for a barbecue with our passports, ID's, water, a jacket and nothing more. Our zombie selves boarded the bus and my zombie self settled into her happy bus corner and began fulfilling her daily quota of window gazing. This woke me up. We also picked up some extra guests along the way to our mystery destination and it quickly became clear that this was to be a special kind of occasion. As we got closer and our bus began climbing precarious-looking hills, my eyes actually physically grew wider to take in the views (..no, not actually. But I was very excited.). 

Our destination was Umm Qays, situated in the extreme north-west of the country, where the borders of Jordan, Israel and Syria meet (that small description was taken from wikipedia, my apologies). Upon arriving, we were met with an absolutely astounding image of rolling mountains, a cloudless sky, goats right below us and a seamless view of Syria, Palestine, Israel and in the distance Lebanon! It was more than incredible. My brain was herein launched into thinking of how beautiful the world is. Not to be too hideously mushy or anything, but it was amazing to be able to look at a piece of the world as it should be...borderless. I'm not saying that this is a feasible request, I'm just saying that in my mind it's a truly beautiful thing when before your eyes are the borders to three different nations and nothing appears to be dividing them but grass. Nature at its finest. If only we didn't interfere so much. The sun was bright above us and the world and it was the perfect time for some barbecue. Jordanian style. The men brought out the chicken and the coals and huzzah, there was dinner! Hummus on pita with grilled dejaj and tomato. Deliciousness at its best. And the world literally at our feet. What's so amazing about these moments is how connected you can feel with the entirety of the Middle East. It's just all there. In front of your face asking nothing of you and welcoming you to be a part of its purity. It was a perfect meal, there in the corner of the Earth.

And as the sun set, it only got better. Beauty is freedom. And everything just looked so free. And I felt so free. It was happy. Then, with the sky darkening, I took a front row seat to watch as the lights of the homes somewhere below us began to turn on, one by one. Truly perfect. It was then that someone pointed out a mountain in the distance with its own cluster of lights at the top and said that it was Lebanon. It's possible my heart pitter pattered. For those of you who don't know, my family (and I, obviously) is Lebanese. All of my relatives are extremely passionate about the culture and it's a large part of what fueled my desire to go to Jordan. For the sake of living the life. Even I never thought it would be so personal of an experience. Sitting on the edge of an old bunker in the middle of nowhere.. and everywhere.. at the same time, looking out and seeing before my own eyes the country I've heard and felt so much of...it was unreal. And it managed to confirm even moreso that my heart has taken up residence somewhere in these cities, hills, mountains and rooftops. There's no turning back. It's fine. Anyway. Then the stars emerged. If you haven't been a consistent reader, scroll back a few blogs and you'll be filled up enough on star descriptions that you can appreciate the fact that I'm not going to do that tonight. Mabrouk to you. Afwan. (The stars were SO sparkly and beautiful and perfect though!! They mirrored the twinkling lights of the cities below and it can't be denied that they added an enormous effect to the being in a corner of the world feeling. Perfection.) ((Sue me)) After lots (but not enough) of peaceful sitting and global appreciation for life as we know it, the tea was brought out and the cleaning began. Sadly, we had to leave. Ma'salama Umm Qays, I already miss you. There was some bus ride meditation with a glowing full moon to complete the moment and then? Then, we stopped on Sharai Al-Jamia (excuse my despicable transliteration) for watermelon. Yes. Watermelon. It's like some of these days are scripted to be perfect. I mean, really. Our Jordanian program assistant, Ahmed took to the ground and began passing out watermelon segments. I was very happy. Also, we just whipped the remains into the field we were next to and that's always fun so I was appropriately giddy. Mental insanity and tiredness were adequately quieted for the time being and, heading home, my mind was at peace. 

I don't know if I even managed to properly convey how beautiful certain moments of this night were, but know that I tried. Tisbaheen ala kheir everyone :) I shall now sleep and continue to mentally (and actually) prepare for our final exams, which are on Monday. Have a wonderful night/day.

Monday, June 24, 2013




Celebrate 'dem good times!

My brain is barely capable of blogging any longer!! Asif everyone for the delay (again) but naturally, everything has been crazy and I have been too tired to function. This shall be a short update of how everything has been going (crazy) and then I shall attempt to recount our Dead Sea weekend! All of this last week at JUST has consisted of its seniors' graduations. The separate schools within the college each had their own graduation day and so the air was filled with celebration and excitement every day of the week! When going into Irbid, we also caught sight of students with air-horns, hanging out of car windows, looking as happy as can be. It was exciting to be a part of their joy. Hoora to honking to your heart's content and feeling free. Mabrouk JUST people! 

We also all went out to our cafe B-12 (It's ours now.) one night last week only to accidentally (it was fate) stumble into a huge crowd of people eagerly watching Jordan's qualifying game for the World Cup! In case you live under a rock, football (soccer for you Americans) is a necessarily extremely large deal in most countries that are not America. The cafe was filled with shabab who were singing and dancing along with their country's team as they fought for the winning title (Jordan has never made it this far in the complex soccer labyrinth of qualifications and things). It was awesome. We were extremely hyped, clapping along to the team song, yelling and laughing and living in the moment. As we should be. Jordan won and everyone went nuts. Suddenly, everyone was running into the streets of downtown Irbid in what was the greatest celebratory riot of all time. The girls of the group were potentially the only females on the streets at all that night. And it was absolutely, insanely cool to just watch everyone be happy together. There were flame throwers, flags waved, chants recited, more air-horns. Components of a quality night in Irbid. And per usual, we were getting a lot of attention for being Americans. It's possible they thought we were in Jordan purely in order to watch this football game and support Jordan. Which we were fine with. It was amazing. Towards the end, when we were waiting for our bus to arrive (and people were still celebrating), a hard-partying van drove by. We cheered them on for their efforts and, seeing that we were clearly not from Jordan, they stopped next to us, got out and all started doing the dabke! Some of the guys joined in and the swarm of people previously stationed at the center of the streets were all drawn to the commotion. Meaning that (at least) one hundred shabab were coming our way! They all crowded us, shouting about how beautiful the intertwining of our cultures were in that moment. It was beautiful indeed! Also, minimally terrifying. But, it was nonetheless one of the coolest nights we've had in the city, no question. After that, we all danced and had happy, party moments on our bus. Mabrouk us. We're Jordanians too. ;) 

I shall gather my neurons and attempt to scribe the events of our Dead Sea weekend very soon! Shukran for reading and continue to have a beautiful day, wherever you are! 

Monday, June 17, 2013












Petra!

Continuing from the previous chapter of Crossing Borders...I slept better than I ever have in that fluffy bed of wonder at the Movenpick hotel, located right outside the entrance of Petra. And I woke up smiling and absolutely ready for Petra! We had another wonderful complimentary breakfast (for me, of watermelon, English bread and a bit of each fresh juice). It was fantastic and all of the people there were incredibly kind! Favorite morning yet, if I may say so. I was just on the natural high of Wadi Rum life the entire time. It did not die. I also showered a second time because I could. And it was great. After exploring the hotel and laying out by the pool until we had to check out, we headed for the gates! We also got a student discount which was awesome because we love anything that goes toward the facade that we're all actually Jordanians. We walked along the path to Petra, which is maybe a mile or so in itself. It was filled with people...walking, on horses, on horse carriages, on donkeys, on camels...it was quite a sight. There were also a lot of children attempting to sell things. Waed told me that the men and women who work at Petra, in every respect, treat the kids there as their own and always take care of them. I thought this was very nice and it made me want to join the Petra family. I realize this is completely irrational. It was just a thought. Anyway! Many pictures were taken and eyes widened as every detail had to be properly absorbed. It's truly an amazing thing. The walk is meant to be long and perhaps even treacherous as the people of Petra wanted to put up the best possible defense against attacks from the outside. Living history is just mind-boggling. When we finally made it to the entrance...it was insane. Suddenly, we all realized where we were. I honestly felt like a 5 year old. I couldn't contain myself. I felt a bit like jumping up and down. We were at one of the seven man-made Wonders of the World. No big deal. 

After staring at the entrance to our hearts' content, we got to exploring. And began the most difficult hike of our lives. I don't think any of us were anticipating the sheer endurance it was going to require. I mean, the calories burned in just two hours. Honestly, it was insane. It was a beautiful day, complete with a breeze, and we hiked until we dropped. Petra is a city. And the people of ancient Petra were fit as anything. The amount of stairs.... And stairs that weren't actually stairs. It was crazy. We were in awe the entire time. And by the time we made it to the top, we were primed for the most rewarding achievement ever. Honestly, we felt like we were at the top of the world. And we deserved it after our efforts. Best. Feeling. I was (and still am) completely in love with life in that moment. We sat for a while, taking in the view and stroking the mountain cats against my better germaphobic judgement. And then we climbed back down. It was breath-takingly beautiful and I don't know if I've ever been so proud. We also determined that there should really be a fitness exam incorporated into the application process for Conn Jordan programs to come. Necessary. 

Once we made it to the bottom, we were already craving a new adventure. So, we rode camels back to the gates. It was by far one of the coolest I've been able to do. Camels are speedy! And they also do not really care that a human is on their back (I wouldn't either. I don't blame the camels) and enjoy trotting toward shelves of rocks at high speeds! It was the best. I was laughing and smiling the entire time as I bopped up and down through the air and through Petra. Also, I named my camel Roh, which means Spirit in Arabic. Because my camel was very energetic. Then we ate food. Which was perfect because we were desperately starving. And then. We headed back to Irbid. The end to The most amazing weekend of my life. Shukran all. Love to everyone. Tisbaheen ala kheir :) <3 













Freedom, Hearts and Happiness. Must be Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum. Those words now hold a special place in my heart. It's possible this is an over-dramatic statement...Nah, it's not. On the bus ride there, Muhammed turned to me and said something along the lines of "You. You're going to find God or something in Wadi Rum. You're going to find five! If you like the bus views..." Obviously, I laughed at this. However, I'm pretty sure I had around seven religious experiences with Wadi Rum and it was without a doubt the best day of my life. I've never been able to identify a single experience as being so intensely amazing that I remember it as the best. But, this took the cake. It was maybe a two hour trip and though I was completely exhausted upon getting on the bus, somewhere in the middle, I took a 20 minute nap and woke up completely rejuvenated. Clearly, my body knew how awesome of a time I was about to have. I was practically bouncing in my seat. We arrived to the sight of various Bedouin camps within Wadi Rum, all set up for the enormous amounts of tourists who visit this spectacle of Jordan. We sat down in one of the (extremely cool) camp sites and were given some (amazing) tea while we waited for our jeeps to arrive. In this time span, we also used the bathrooms, which were quite awesome. Being in Jordan has made me want to do a serious pitch to HGTV...on several occasions. The bathrooms instilled a similar feeling. 

When our three jeeps arrived, we all jumped in, ready for an adventure. And an adventure we got. In our jeep was myself, Christine, Kaitlyn, Chris and the greatest (most insane) Bedouin driver that ever lived. We were in the lead and I must say...this two hour ride/tour of Wadi Rum was the most fantastic time I've ever had. We begin. With a stop at an ancient cave which contained Arabic writings carved into the walls at every turn (some of which I could read!) ((some of which I absolutely could not!!)) and   a large stone with carved out portions which we learned was actually a map of Petra. Incredible. From there, some of us climbed out of the cave the dangerous way and, while I have the slightest fear of heights and falling off of things as I am not the most graceful person in the world, it was a success, no one died and I felt very overly accomplished! Back to the jeeps! As we continued speeding along the non-paths of the desert (when I say speeding...I mean driving ridiculously fast over hills and around turns that did not actually require turning. It was the greatest thing ever. We were flying) the sun was set high in the sky. Absolutely surreal. And the most magnificent views of my tiny, little life. Our next stop on the 'best time of your life' train was a small plant which the Bedouins use to make soap! There was a little science sprinkled upon my day of wonder. We were all given small bits of the plant, which we crushed as best we could. With some added water and friction, a wonderful smelling soap was produced! Oh, chemistry. 

Following our interactive plant session was another glorious jeep ride (wherein there was Titanic stance-taking, ab-crunching laughs, camel caravan-spotting and the feeling of being absolutely, purely one with nature. Free as a bird. If only I could relive those perfect moments..) to the valley of Wadi Rum. Basically, you can see everything. And no camera could capture the enormity of its effect. There were huge hills of sand which some of us attempted to jump off of. Tim was doing flips in the air and Christine and I leapt off together, hands up and hearts happy. We landed with soft sinks into the Earth. So cool. Smiles only growing, we then headed to our next stop. An actual small mountain of sand leading up to rocks for us to climb. Sand Run 2013. Our jeep arrived first and Kaitlyn and I jumped out of the backs, determined to sprint up. Approximately two minutes later, we had not moved very far and our thighs were screaming bloody murder. It was a sincere challenge. Of course, the guys arrived soon thereafter and ran ahead of us. Kaitlyn and I stayed strong though and eventually made it to the top. AMAZING feeling. See the caps? I went for the caps. It was incredible. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face (nor the sweat) and that was the moment that I realized how insanely lucky I was to be so happy. And purely care-free. I don't think I have ever been so content. Laughs were easy and everyone was feeling on top of the world. After taking it in? We got to run back down. I can't even tell you how cool it was. I jumped with each step and literally felt as though I was flying down the sand. Arms out in front of me, it was the most fun I've potentially ever had. And then we were back on the jeeps.

We were aware that we were going somewhere to watch the sunset. Other than that, we were just passengers. We came to a hill filled with other jeeps like ours and a very many people clearly waiting to watch the sunset as well. However, our driver did not stop. Instead, we plowed down the hillside rather than around it (very nearly almost running over some shabab) and sped onward! It was kind of really exhilarating. By this point, we were all at our absolute happiest. We were screaming at the top of our lungs and cheering on our awesome driver. More camels were seen, the wind was in our faces and I can quite honestly say that I've never lived like we did on that drive. And then, we arrived at a compilation of rocks in Wadi Rum. Thrilled is an understatement. We climbed to the top before anyone else and stood, utterly out of breath. And not from the mini hike. It was beautiful. Waiting for the sunset, I just sat. And breathed with the world. I was able to just be. With myself and with my thoughts. In truth, I never really thought I would make it to Jordan. And that moment allowed me to sum up and feel how lucky I am. How proud I should be. How grateful. I closed my eyes and felt alive. Everyone around me was talking and laughing and I loved it. I have never felt such peace. What a beautiful place. We headed back to camp and I was simply on Cloud 9. 

Food for the evening was cooked in the traditional Bedouin way of burying and heating their meals underground. We were able to watch them dig it up and serve everything. It was delicious. Every meal just gets better, if it's even possible. Plus, there were kittens. After dinner, Kaitlyn and Chris got married. They tell us it was a mock Bedouin wedding, but I mean...we don't have any real way of knowing that. ;) It was incredibly fun. I love dancing. Despite not knowing what I'm doing in the slightest. And that was just ideal. It was hilarious and beautiful and happy. A perfect end to the absolute perfect day. Or so we thought. Following our hafla, Christine and I went to the bathrooms before boarding the bus once more. This is relevant because as we were leaving the bathrooms, I happened to look up. And therein I witnessed the most stars I have ever seen in my life. It was spectacular. And moving. They were so clear. And the moon was set above the area in the camps where the rest of our group was. It was amazing. When we returned to everyone and pointed out the sky, Waed told us that we could stop at a dark spot on the roads just to look at the stars. Al hamdulilah. What an astounding moment. Considering only hours before, we were all marveling at the impressive view of the sun, it was that much more moving to be able to see the perfect counterpart. And there were no buildings or neon signs in our way. We were graced with open desert. And an unreal view of the night above us. The stars were sparkling down on us with smiles of their own. There were millions visible to us. We could see the Milky Way. I couldn't tear myself away. Christine cried. It was intense. Oh! Some camels also ran by us as we were gazing! I'm necessarily sure that that moment defined perfection. We all knew it, too. My heart was swelling. I felt fulfilled. And emotional as anything. I was in my element all day long. But, this piece of nature and life that was right in front of us for us to be a part of?...It took the prize. It was just insane that I could be so happy in such a beautiful place. My soul was happy. I was happy...in every fiber of my being. Looking at that soul-shattering display made me appreciate everything I've been given in this life, the good and the bad. Muhammed was right. I found Gods. They're everywhere. I couldn't be more grateful to be where I am right now, so at home and so content. I will certainly never forget this day or the feelings that went with it. Inshallah. 

From there, we travelled to our next hotel. We got a bit lost (I love getting lost...add it to the list of things that made this day even greater) but eventually arrived (around midnight) at our second 5-star hotel, called the Movenpick. I was literally happier than I've ever been in my life. I floated on up to our room, and recalled the day from my extremely comfortable bed. It smelled wonderful, too. Maybe it was me because I also took the most beautiful shower of my life and was able to use the hotel's complimentary shampoo and conditioner which were enhanced with Dead Sea minerals. 

Without a doubt the best day of my life. Thank God. In every language and religion. It was beautiful. And the morning brought Petra. 

Intercontinental Resort in Aqaba!












5-Star Livin'

I'm back! And better than ever! The blog hiatus is over, al hamdulilah. Wow. Where to begin? This past weekend was absolutely incredible and consisted of some of the best days of my existence, no question about it. Our first destination on Thursday morning was Hasham's for breakfast. When our tummies were adequately filled with the best falafel and hummus in the world (I'm not exaggerating, no arguing the title), we boarded the bus for the 7ish hour drive to Aqaba! At this point, everyone seems to be grossly aware of how much I love bus rides... However, this was the greatest one yet!! I didn't sleep a wink (...maybe I slept for one wink. But that was all.) and my eyes were positively glued to the window. Ipod playing and the most beautiful of scenes rolling by, it was wonderfully happy. Honestly, you can't ask for much more than a 6 (ish) hour bus ride through Jordan. I mean, really. It's like every great holiday in the world stuffed onto one bus. Anyway. Once we left our hometown of Irbid and eventually neared Aqaba, we were all enthralled by the images of completely clear water below us. If you recall, I'm abroad in the desert, so water is quite exciting on its own. And Jordan being Jordan, it feels the need to best all other global locations in everything. So, naturally, there was just absolutely nothing more beautiful than the completely calm and turquoise water set beneath the mountains of Palestine. Heavenly. There was a perfect, light haze in the distance amidst the clearest of skies and a shining sun. Window gazing never fails to bring out my happiest of smiles. 

By the time we arrived, we were all gleaming with excitement and leaping off of the bus one by one to get inside our 5-star hotel on the water as soon as possible. It was beautiful. And it took us all approximately ten seconds to drop our stuff off (in our rooms of perfection), change into bathing suits and hit the pool/beach. It was spectacular. Relaxing. Peaceful. Beautiful. Straight out of a movie, perfect. We swam in the pool, sat at the in-pool bar and then got out only to walk over to the beach and swim again. It was amazing as anything to be swimming in the Red Sea with the Jordanian flag waving at us from the shore. Aqaba is a prime tourism site, but we couldn't help feeling much cooler than all other foreigners as we flaunted our Arabic and Irbid lifestyles to workers and random passersby (we're extremely humble young adults). We then headed back up to our rooms, feeling a bit like royalty (well enhanced by showering in the nicest bathrooms I have ever set foot in and adorning ourselves in the hotel robes). Not to mention the view from our balcony. Do I like views? Yes. Did this disappoint? No. Moving on. For dinner, we all opted to try out a yacht club that Zach knew, wallets in hand. The venue was actually to die for. And the food was better (I had the grilled salmon and felt it contained a hint of the touch of God). It was a fantastically fun dinner filled with laughter and smiles. However, then we all had chocolate soufflé's for dessert. For some reason, my strange self did not enjoy this very much and chose to become very ill. Not going to lie, the rest of the night was a slight blur. Still completely fun! Alas, all I vividly remember is how happy I was to eventually be in such a fluffy bed. It's possible I actually passed out. Anywho. The next morning brought a complimentary breakfast (of organic watermelon for me....oh watermelon...so good) and a day spent lightly napping in the sun. Oh! And rescuing Kaitlyn's hat which was blown into the sea. She was sad...so I retrieved said hat. There were many giggles and ridiculous pictures taken. A good start to the day. From here, we again boarded the bus and departed to Wadi Rum! Which deserves its own blog. Here comes the magic. ;)

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Al Hamdulillah, a Vacation!

Marhaban people! A very joyous Vanessa is sitting down to tell you ma'salama. Just for the weekend. We are about to embark on a three-day excursion to Aqaba, Wadi Rum and Petra!! All of which are in the south of Jordan and at least six hours from where we live in Irbid. Technology will not be accompanying me on this trip for several reasons, one of which being that I desire the absolute state of peacefulness. Thus, I wanted to let my lovely friends and family who read this blog know that lack of contact does not indicate death! All is most likely more than well as there will be an infinity pool, free breakfast and hiking. And that's just the tip of the happy iceberg. Needless to say, we are all over the moon to have this break from our intensely diligent studies. 

Just to keep you in the loop, the past couple of days have majorly consisted of classes, learning, homework etc. as well as some serious Aquaba dreaming. Countdowns have been the major themes of our minds' work this week. Everything is going wonderfully, in terms of our trip here. However, I must at least allude to the terrible things happening in Syria. Absolutely praying for them. Recently, the fighting there has been worse than even the usual. From our apartments, we have been able to hear the explosions of dropped bombs coming from the other side of the border and it has certainly instilled in us a true understanding of the levels of suffering in the world. The other night, we all went to the roof in response to hearing more than normal and we witnessed copious amounts of smoke filling the sky, emanating from the north. I don't have many words for this experience other than exceptional and total sadness. Through and in every fiber of my being. I do not want to write much else on the subject or on the living it simply because I don't think it is my place. There is no way for me to properly convey the desire to help. Yet, we have never been more helpless. Keep Syria and the world as a whole in your thoughts. As always, shukran for reading and have a beautiful weekend.

I will surely have books' worth to blog upon our return Saturday, inshallah! :) As'salamu Alakum!