Merhaba!
Welcome! Our site features the work of our blog abroad correspondents and has everything you need to know about our study abroad programs!
Welcome! Our site features the work of our blog abroad correspondents and has everything you need to know about our study abroad programs!
I did not realize boarding the plane to Amman from New York would be such an emotional experience. With a ten-hour flight ahead of me, I was anxious to arrive in Amman. The feeling of leaving my family and officially ending summer left me homesick and nostalgic. However, meeting a couple other AMIDEAST students who were on the same flight as I was comforting in my moment of pre-departure stress. Despite these overwhelming feelings, I was excited to begin a new adventure with my new friends. Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
After finally arriving in Jordan, I stayed a night in the Belle Vue hotel, which is perfectly located in the hub of downtown Amman. Once I set down my luggage, I noticed the most gorgeous view of the entire city from my hotel window. My favorite part about this view was the gigantic Jordanian flag, which I later learned is approximately 120 meters, or 400 feet long. Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
Since the jetlag did not hit me when I was in my hotel room, I walked with a group of students to Rainbow Street. Rainbow Street is a popular street near downtown Amman containing restaurants, shops, cafes, galleries, and cool street art like these hanging lanterns! Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
While strolling down Rainbow Street, we stumbled upon a restaurant called Fatatri. Their main dish? Feters. An Egyptian-influenced thin dough stuffed with any combination of foods, including meat, vegetables, cheese, etc. After a long flight, I treated myself to a triple-cheese feter, which was absolutely delicious! Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
On the second day in Amman, I met my host family for the first time. After arriving at my new home, I decorated the shelf above my bed with pictures of my friends, family, and some inspirational quotes. My favorite saying reads, “You are exactly where you should be. You are doing exactly what you should be doing.” I thought this quote was the most comforting since comparison damages our self-image. With comparison, we begin to question who we are or why we are at a certain stage in our life. In the age of social media, it can be so easy to look at someone else and wonder why you are different from others. During these times, it is important to remember that there is a reason for everything, including your physical, mental, and emotional stage. The simple validation of reading that I am exactly where I should be is exactly what I need to get me through any tough days ahead of me. Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
An Amman city tour was included into our orientation schedule. On our group’s tour of downtown Amman, we saw the Roman ruins at the Amman Citadel. As a former Latin student, I really enjoyed looking at all the ancient Roman artifacts in the surrounding museums containing items dating back to the fourth century CE! Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
Happy first day of school! Ready to start class after orientation! Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
A few other students in our group all joined the same gym: Fitness First in Abdoun. Only about a ten-minute drive from AMIDEAST, our group really liked the diversity of classes, such as cycling, step, ZUMBA, and water aerobics, etc., included within our membership! This is a picture from the indoor track during my morning workout. Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
Yalla! My roommate and I decided to spend one day during the weekend exploring downtown Amman. We walked from this one café containing a flight of stairs with umbrellas above them all the way to Rainbow Street. During our walk, we explored many different shops, galleries, and cool street art. It was the perfect day to explore our new home for the next four months! Photo credit: Cosenza, 2019
