Journey to the Center of the....Arab World: All the Stuff You Gosta Know about My Study Abroad to Jordan

"I'm going to Jordan in the fall." 

This is a statement that is much too familiar to my tongue. Who knew such a simple phrase unleashed the most monotonous can of worms, the dreariest of Pandora's boxes! Each time I say I'm going to Jordan, people want to know all the whos, whats, whens, whys (whies?), and hows. It's like Freshman Orientation weekend all over again:

"Where are you from?"

"What's your major?"

"Where do you live?"

"Who do you have for [insert class]?"

"Hey, you're awesome. Can I have your number?"*

*this never happened. 

              But really, every time I tell someone I'm going to Jordan for a study abroad I want to bang my head against a wall repetitively. Now don't get me wrong! I love your curiosity and who doesn't like talking about themselves!? But I've had to relay the same scraps of information 40 times. Ain't nobody got time for that! So I will take the time to address all of your questions, comments, and concerns regarding my study abroad. Because let's face it- your world revolves around Anessa.

Disclaimer: I do not discredit the validity of any of these questions. They are all important, I just feel like I repeat this information more often than a Detroit cop recites the Miranda Rights. 

Jordan, WOW....Where is that?

This is understandable. You don't hear too much about Jordan- it's like the Delaware of the Middle East. Cue the map:

Is it safe? 

If you didn't notice, the country of Jordan is hugged by the peaceful, loving arms of Syria and Israel/Palestine. So, with that being said, this is a very valid question, perhaps one I cannot fully answer.

My face when people ask this question. (Get out of my picture, Sun!)

Jordan is definitely one of the more politically stable countries in the area, and as a country it is fairly safe. But Jordan's neighbors are a bit disconcerting (so don't expect any selfies with Israeli soldiers). If our safety was at risk, I am confident that BYU would extract us immediately. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention. I am not going alone! It's me, my Arabic class, and our professor/residential genius. So that makes it safer...

Is this your mission? 

That would be awesome, but no. I am going to Jordan through BYU's Arabic Intensive Study Abroad for the sole purpose of studying Arabic. 17 CREDIT HOURS OF ARABIC. (Insert Jimmy Fallon EW! meme. Again.)There shall be no proselyting! People usually ask this because 1) I'm Mormon and 2) BYU is a Mormon school. But a study abroad is completely different from a mission, even at BYU. And people may have been confused since say I am serving a mission for my church- which is still true. But my mission is not in Jordan. (I am in the process of finishing my missionary application. Shoutout to Bishop Stenquist and Stake President Talley for being patient and flexible!)

So, if I wasn't clear, here is a quick illustration: 

Not yet. 

YET!

When do you leave? How long will you be there?

AUGUST 27. Yes, I know it's soon! I leave in a week. The program is a semester, so I come back in December. About 3.5 months.


Do you have to wear...you know, that veil?

Hijab. No.

Burqa. Definitely not. 

I am an American and people will know that. To wear a hijab is a personal choice made my a Muslim woman, and I am not Muslim. In fact, there will be plenty of women of Muslim women in Jordan not wearing it. However, as part of being culturally competent, I will be dressing modestly. So I'll leave all of my crop tops at home. Oh, darn...

Why?
I do like answering this question! There are so many reasons, so I'll just name a few. I have studied Arabic for two years, so at BYU, this is the next logical step in my Arabic studies. This is a DIFFICULT program, meaning that I'll learn a lot about Arabic AND myself. Buy one, get one free! (Just kidding, nothing on a study abroad is free.) And, I'd like to work abroad when I grow up, so this gives me some experience living in a different country with a foreign language and culture.

Throwback to a meme I made my first summer learning Arabic. 

Hopefully, this gives you a basic framework for what I will be doing with my life for the next four months. So if/when I write a blog post while in Jordan, you will know why my head is uncovered and how I am still alive.