Real Hummus: Existing in the Exit

Two days ago the reality of my exit from Jordan became apparent. I’m not sure what exactly triggered it, perhaps it was the idea that I was under the five-day countdown or the “dis-orientation” CIEE had us listen to…But nonetheless, time came buzzing into my mouth mid-sentence, as if I wouldn’t mind.

I now only have 3 more full days in Jordan. One of which is being spent in Petra, one is for goodbyes to my friends, and one is goodbye to my family. Somewhere squished between those emotions there is a fifteen-paper that I need to finish and a subsequent presentation on said paper.

But wow. Three days, three days, three days. I tried saying it aloud to myself today and it still hasn’t quite hit me. I thought typing would help. I leave the country in three days. Friday morning I head to the border, hopefully with my and giant backpack, some paperwork, and some of those memories stuffed into my back pockets.

Some lovely human right before I left sent me an email telling me how excited she was for me, and how my experience open my eyes in an elusive fashion. Well, I’m not sure if I’ve had time to process everything quite yet, but I can tell my dedicated four readers that I walked into a giant grocery store the other day in one part of Amman I had never travelled to, and I practically had a panic attack. My job was to find Nutella. Instead, I found myself in the technology section, an entire floor away from the groceries. That being said, I guess it helped me realize how assimilated and accustomed I have become to this life.

In fact, after buying that Nutella (and some Peanut Butter) and eating mostly Nutella and Peanut Butter for a lunch and dinner, I was greeted with a gratuitous stomach-ache in the middle of the desert in Wadi Rum. Though, don’t get me wrong, Wadi Rum, for the second time was absolutely astounding. Especially because this time we were really out in the boonies—which was also why my plan to get to Petra the next day didn’t work out—because we were in the middle of no-where.

So I am used to the food, life, culture. I am just finding out things about Jordan I didn’t know about before—like hobbies I might like to pick-up, places I would like to visit more often, mahals I’d like to work at, apartments I’d love to share…But I am excited to travel again, to start anew, to go home, eat, drink and be merry, and yes, Mom, I will be making a slideshow for Grandma and Peepaw. I only ask all of you to be preemptively patient with me and my constant shock, potential disdain for American greed, and impending panic-attacks in the middle of Cotsco.

I’ll write one more blog before Israel and Sweden, but after that…who knows what will happen! The journey is almost over, the experience is almost had.

In the words of that lovely writer whose name I forget,

“So it goes.”

....In other news: PETRA photos!