I'm finally in Jordan!!

I left Elkhart, Kansas, at 7:30 Thursday morning, and now, it's 8 pm in Jordan.  6 hours of driving, 2 hours to Chicago, then a 12 hour flight to Amman, plus a 30 minute taxi ride from the airport.  I'm here.  Jordan has an 8 hour times difference so it's already night time here when it's only early afternoon at home.  Honestly, I'm tired now.  My body is exhausting.  Sleeping 8 hours in a chair can be very exhausting, but my mind is thinking too fast.  There is too much to think about.

My mom and I at Will Rogers Airport OKC

I got to the airport with some of my wonderful friends and met others there.  They were such a blessing to have.  Finally the time came where I had to go through security.  I feel like after you have planned something for so long, there is something inside of you that pushes you forward when the time comes.
My very first flight (ever) was a small plane to Chicago.  We were all just tucked into the plane for two hours.  The man next to me was a Chicagoan, and you could tell the cultural difference from him and the three Oklahoman-oil-machine technicians that were sitting in front of us.  I talked to the two guys sitting in front of me (Mark and Matt) and read.  It was enjoyable.  Afterwards they asked to take my picture which made me feel loved already.

Will Roger's Airport OKC

When the flight first started to take off, I could just feel it picking up speed.  So many time I wished my car could go that fast and lift off of the ground, but in an airplane we did.  It's funny because my attitude the whole time wasn't fear or intimidation, but complacency.  Flying is just another mode of transportation.  You sit there and wait to arrive.

Once I reached Chicago, Terminal 5, I realized that I was leaving the country.  The first flight was only a taxi ride to my second.  I was wondering around looking for where I was suppose to get my boarding pass, (this time Donnie wasn't there to do it for me), and I noticed one stand of nothing but Arabs.  My heart sunk.  All of a sudden I realized that I was a white American.  Yes, I tell my arab friends that I am, but it doesn't mean that I actually realize it.  I cowardly walked up to the front desk, trying to act intimidated by the Arab families that surrounded me.  The man at the front desk spoke English well, but with an accent.  I got so confused, but of course in this situation, I usually just smile and look cute and they take care of me.  The man asked me where I wanted to sit on the plane.  I just told him that I wanted to be around people.  I hate being alone.  He handed me my ticket and said, "The man that is sitting next to you will be a very lucky man today."

Royal Jordanian Airlines in Chicago 

Once I got onto the plane, I found out the only man sitting next to me was sitting there with his wife.  Not quite what I think the man at the desk intended.  I also set next to a family of Palestinians.  Two girls and their mother who lived in US, but are returning for their daughters engagement.  It always amazes me how people respond to me.  Often Arabs think that I don't know anything and they feel like they need to explain everything to me.  I try to be patient and learn from their different perspectives-weed the new information from the old-find the new perspective that I haven't heard before.  Even when they treat me as someone who doesn't know anything, I try to remember that I can still learn from them.  A lot of times what I learn the most is what they think my stereotypes of them should be.  It's an interesting way of learning, but it's enjoyable.  Those ladies were wonderful and I enjoyed getting to spend time with them.  Inshallah (God willing), I will be able to attend one girl's engagement party this year.

Reaching the Amman Airport was interesting.  The Royal Jordanian airlines were very nice with movies and music built in.  There was a tracker of our flight so we knew where we where at all times.  They provided blankets, pillows, head phones, wet wash clothes, tea, coffee--nearly anything that we could want.  Once I got the airport I remembered that Jordan is not a first world country.  Thankfully enough though, the airport and nearly everything else is labeled in both Arabic and English.  I would have been lost without it.  My check card was easily accepted for everything accept the taxi ride.  It's amazing just how easy the traveling really was.  Where they didn't know English, I knew Arabic and vise versa.

Party with Leeth (youngest host brother)

As I drove through Amman, my mind just started racing with vocabulary.  I started to think of all the different words I have learned and it motivates me to speak in Arabic when everyone around me is.  I just pray that I will be able to absorb Arabic better while I'm here--that I can remember and naturally adapt to this new language.  Let my mind shift so that it does not have to strain and cry any more.
As I was unpacking, my mind was just thinking, "I'll be here a year then I'll leave."  In some regards a year sounds like a long time, but in others, it's only a short while.  In comparison to my college career, that's a whole year of school activities that I will miss and a year of friendship building that will not be there with my friends in Norman, but in comparison to my life, one year is only a short time that will one day be easily over looked.  I believe it's vital for us to take opportunities like these to try and experience new things to help us grow.  It's only one year, but the byproducts of it will be tremendous.

While driving home from the airport, I was just thinking about how it's all the same.  Looking out on the dry desert, of course there are several differences, but just the same, it was just people living in a land with their families.  Really I feel like regardless of our differences, people are people.  We all feel the same way.