Introducing Summer Blogger Rachel Simroth
Hello everyone!
My name is Rachel Simroth, and I am a rising junior at The Ohio State University majoring in International Relations & Diplomacy with minors in Arabic and Geography. Two days from now I will be getting on a plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport - I grew up in New Jersey about one hour away from New York City - to travel twelve hours to Jordan. I love exploring new cities - the cover photo is me in Chicago this past March during spring break - and I cannot wait to explore Amman.
Studying abroad was always an opportunity that I wanted to do during my undergraduate studies. I like learning (I know, cue the eye roll) and believe studying in another country expands your perspective by giving you on-the-ground experiences that cannot be replicated in a domestic classroom. Deciding where to study abroad was a hard decision when I want to travel to so many places around the world. Three things made me decide on Jordan: the chance to study Arabic, my interest in the Middle East region, and wanting to go somewhere that would really put me out of my comfort zone.
I am excited (and nervous!) to improve my Arabic both inside and outside the classroom. I quite enjoy learning languages, as I took Italian in high school and taught myself some French last summer. My academic focus leans toward methods of diplomacy in the Middle East, and so I am excited to shape my perspective by being able to study in this region. I believe that changing your environment can lead to not only academic but personal growth and Jordan is a place that will push me out of my comfort zone as I explore new things - bring it on!
My hobbies are dancing (I am a member of the Ohio State Club Dance Team), reading (mostly a nonfiction gal but will dabble in fiction), listening to current events podcasts - shoutout to my favorite Pod Save the World - and I enjoy baking bread! I am excited to learn more about the dance culture and the sweets in Amman. I also cannot wait to travel around Jordan to as many places as possible to understand the identity of the whole country. So stay tuned for dance moves, sweets reviews, travel recommendations, and more during my summer adventure in Jordan!
Rachel Simroth is a junior at the Ohio State University and is studying at Amideast Jordan this summer on the Intensive Arabic Program.
