Reflection Week

Reflection week…this last week we were supposed to reflect…about our classes, about our experiences, about ourselves. Our program began this idea to have a reflection week this year we were the guinea pigs! Basically we sat through our classes with our teachers and “reflected” over our year. Personally I didn’t get much from that…but the idea of reflection week is a good one. So I decided to do my own reflection here.

Honestly I need to start from the beginning of my experience in Egypt because I have changed so much because of what happened that Spring and continue to change…

Basically I went from this…

To this…

I don’t mean to be down on myself from the past. But I am just really happy with who I am today and try to seize opportunities when they come by now instead of wave at them as they pass me by…(TJ if you ever read my blog that was for you =P)

So after coming back from Egypt is when I really began to change. Starting with my wonderful tattoo =D and I seized the opportunity to come back to Egypt as soon as I could! Which just so happened was exactly a year later Spring 2012.

Have I changed while I have been in Cairo this year?

I don’t feel like I have...I feel if I change it will be when I get back and I can see how my experiences affect my life…

I began the year really excited and slightly nervous to be back in Cairo. I was nervous because even thought I had been to Egypt before I had never lived in a foreign country for more then a few weeks! This was going to be almost half a year! I didn’t even have a plane ticket back! But coming back to Dokki and the same AP I had been locked up in for 4 days during the revolution felt like coming home…of course I remembered where everything was! How to get to class, the market and favorite restaurants! It was so familiar and comfortable it made me so happy =)

I was also nervous about meeting the new kids in my program…I only got along with a few of the kids from my last program and honestly probably wouldn’t have had a great time last Spring if we hadn’t been evacuated…

But have no fear! I got along with pretty much everyone this year! I really loved some of the people in my group! Like my roommate Pam. She was great support and a great friend. She was a little older then all of us and was overly prepared for EVERY situation, which came in handy more then once! =) She reminded me of my best friend back home, Sam. She was the perfect roommate for me and I’m so glad she chose my room =)

Also, there was Libby. She ALWAYS brings a smile to my face. I don’t know if I would have ended this semester so happily if I hadn’t had her to make my semester amazing. She was my Arabic buddy, my gym buddy and my walking to class buddy =) It was amazing how just walking to and from class with her could brighten up my day. She was neck in neck with my strawberry juice for the make my day instantly better award =P She also was there for me during a really rough patch I had and really was the only one I could talk to about it. She reminded me of my best friend from camp, Becky, too! Probably one of the reasons I got along with her so well is because I love their type of personality!

There was also Kerrie. She basically is my sister, Alex! Sometimes it would get uncanny! But Kerrie was just so nice! I don’t think she has a mean bone in her body, which is so refreshing to be around! She also would always be watching a terrible movie on TV when I would get back from the gym and I loved sitting down with her for some of it and talking about the movie =P We had very different tastes in movies though lol.

Last but not least there was Ahmed. He was/is my substitute brother here. I can always count on him to love and eat ALL my desserts =) Which is a quality I love about him and my bro, TJ! He also can quote family guy better than I can! Ohh I got so many awesome movies and TV shows from him! I’m kinda obsessed with movies and he helped me feed that obsession! Wait is that a good thing…lol who cares! He was amazing support too and I felt so safe with him around in this crazy place called Cairo we live in!

And of course my program director is the best program director anyone could ask for! I’m so glad I got to come back and be a part of his program again =)

So if you saw all my pictures on facebook or have read any of my previous blogs you know we had a lot of excursions! But sometimes in between these awesome excursions we took class =P 

My classes were good. My Arabic classes were great! I took 3 of them! Slightly overwhelming but I handled them well and really learned A LOT! But I also had 2 Egyptology courses that were a little weird and sometimes boring but I did learn how to read hieroglyphics, which is pretty freaking cool! This was a nice light course load for me seeing as I usually take 19 plus hours and am planning on taking 19 plus hours my last 2 semesters at App! So 16 hours – 5 classes was a nice bit of relief for me =)

What about all of our amazing excursions? Around Cairo and around Egypt!

We had a beginning Nile dinner cruise!

The only surviving wonders of the ancient world…The Giza Pyramids!

Exploring Islamic Cairo…

Up to Cleopatra’s city, Alexandria!

The Black and White desert weekend trek!

Hurghada! Spring Break 2012!

Garbage city in Cairo…

Amazing Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan!

Siwa Oasis!

Another Nile boat trip…this time a Yacht Party to say goodbye!

And finally a yacht day trip on the Red Sea…

We did so much and experienced so many amazing things thanks to our program =)

So now its done…I made it through my semester in Egypt. Everyone has left now except for 4 of us girls and soon it will be just 2 of us until the summer program begins in June. I’m starting work tomorrow morning…my internship! Really nervous about it…really want to do an amazing job with them! I’m ready to begin the next chapter of my life! I will miss everyone and the house will be quiet but I needed the change and quiet! I’m looking forward to another 6 weeks working and living in Cairo!