Well, now that I've been back in the US for more than two months, I feel a little more prepared to reflect on my time in Egypt. I am sure that the longer I'm back, the more I'll realize the importance of my time abroad, but already I'm starting to understand some important things about myself, my country, and the world.
People often ask me what the best thing about Egypt was. Surprisingly enough, the best thing about Egypt didn't really have any thing to do with Egypt. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Egypt. I still love Egypt. If you bought me a plane ticket, I would go back there right now. But without question, the best thing about Egypt was how I felt about myself while I was in Egypt.
Here in the US, things are fairly easy for me. I live on campus at my university in a smallish city. I grew up outside New York, so I feel comfortable in a large city too. I speak the language, I know the culture, and I'm usually fairly politically correct. But I'm also not challenged daily. Of course there are difficulties. Being back in the US for the past two months has certainly been difficult. Things happen, life changes, and we overcome those obstacles.
But in Egypt, those obstacles were every day. Sometimes it was exhausting and scary and overwhelming. But a lot of the time it was thrilling. And it made me feel really good about myself to know that I could do it. That I could make good friends. That I could hitchhike when I was stuck in the desert. That I could avoid getting ripped off. That I could travel to Jordan alone and spend a week by myself in a country where not only do I not know the language, but I stand out clearly as a white, unveiled female in a country where females of any race or religion don't really travel alone. I learned to navigate Cairo, to make small talk in Arabic, to be culturally sensitive. I learned that I can trust my instincts. I also put up with more anti-Semitism and sexual harassment than I'd ever experienced before. I even worked really hard in school and did more research than I had done in a long time, maybe ever. But even with some negative experiences and emotionally draining challenges, I still found a way to fall in love with Cairo. That's what made me feel good about myself. I felt challenged and capable and confident. Egypt confirmed for me that I can do the things I believe I can do. I always believed I could overcome the challenges and difficulties in life, but now I know I can. I can find a passion for things I previously knew nothing about. I can take the leap and I will find a way to hold myself up. That feeling, that confidence, that was the best part about Egypt.
Of course there were lots of other essential parts about Egypt. I was forced to really reconsider the US, our foreign and domestic policies, and how Americans are perceived in other parts of the world. I learned a ton about Islam, about the Middle East, and about Egyptian history, as well as historical and contemporary Arab art and architecture. I learned about censorship and collective histories. I gained insight into Egyptian politics, which made me somewhat grateful for our political system, but also resentful of our resigned attitude and lack of involvement in our country's governance. I learned about protesting, the good and the bad. About fighting for a cause. About having a cause. I learned about taking some time out for a smoke or a cup of tea, even in the midst of fighting to save the country. I learned about kindness and hospitality. Egypt was academically, culturally, and personally enlightening for me. I even proved some people wrong because I didn't die, which is great, and only partially because I really like winning.
People often ask me what the best thing about Egypt was. Surprisingly enough, the best thing about Egypt didn't really have any thing to do with Egypt. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Egypt. I still love Egypt. If you bought me a plane ticket, I would go back there right now. But without question, the best thing about Egypt was how I felt about myself while I was in Egypt.
Here in the US, things are fairly easy for me. I live on campus at my university in a smallish city. I grew up outside New York, so I feel comfortable in a large city too. I speak the language, I know the culture, and I'm usually fairly politically correct. But I'm also not challenged daily. Of course there are difficulties. Being back in the US for the past two months has certainly been difficult. Things happen, life changes, and we overcome those obstacles.
But in Egypt, those obstacles were every day. Sometimes it was exhausting and scary and overwhelming. But a lot of the time it was thrilling. And it made me feel really good about myself to know that I could do it. That I could make good friends. That I could hitchhike when I was stuck in the desert. That I could avoid getting ripped off. That I could travel to Jordan alone and spend a week by myself in a country where not only do I not know the language, but I stand out clearly as a white, unveiled female in a country where females of any race or religion don't really travel alone. I learned to navigate Cairo, to make small talk in Arabic, to be culturally sensitive. I learned that I can trust my instincts. I also put up with more anti-Semitism and sexual harassment than I'd ever experienced before. I even worked really hard in school and did more research than I had done in a long time, maybe ever. But even with some negative experiences and emotionally draining challenges, I still found a way to fall in love with Cairo. That's what made me feel good about myself. I felt challenged and capable and confident. Egypt confirmed for me that I can do the things I believe I can do. I always believed I could overcome the challenges and difficulties in life, but now I know I can. I can find a passion for things I previously knew nothing about. I can take the leap and I will find a way to hold myself up. That feeling, that confidence, that was the best part about Egypt.
Of course there were lots of other essential parts about Egypt. I was forced to really reconsider the US, our foreign and domestic policies, and how Americans are perceived in other parts of the world. I learned a ton about Islam, about the Middle East, and about Egyptian history, as well as historical and contemporary Arab art and architecture. I learned about censorship and collective histories. I gained insight into Egyptian politics, which made me somewhat grateful for our political system, but also resentful of our resigned attitude and lack of involvement in our country's governance. I learned about protesting, the good and the bad. About fighting for a cause. About having a cause. I learned about taking some time out for a smoke or a cup of tea, even in the midst of fighting to save the country. I learned about kindness and hospitality. Egypt was academically, culturally, and personally enlightening for me. I even proved some people wrong because I didn't die, which is great, and only partially because I really like winning.
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