Category: Jordan

The Adventure that is Jerusalem

Despite having a plethora of excursions through AMIDEAST to amazing places like Ajloun, Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash, Mt.Nebo, etc. Students (18+) in the program are lucky because they have the ability and freedom to plan their own trips as long as they are not under restriction or unsafe. As soon as I heard this I ...

In Awe with Jordanian Cuisine: The “Must-Trys”.

Jordanian food is the best food that I’ve had in my life. Growing up around Mediterranean food, I realized that the cuisine in Jordan perfectly aligned with my taste buds. Although Jordanian cuisine is much different from the Greek & Italian food I grew up with, it had very similar elements and also very different ...

Salt Serenity

Going out with your host family is a perfect way to immerse yourself into their culture and grow/develop a bond with them!

Language Barriers and Learning

When you are entering a non-English speaking country (or a country that does not speak your language) like Jordan that has a completely different language with its own set of unique dialects, it can be immensely overwhelming and you might resort to silence. What i’ve noticed is that students around me including myself initially relied ...

Mindfulness and The Shine of the Moon

A huge problem for me is stress. I let it overwhelm my soul, ache my joints, and propel me into anxiety. This has always been a problem but college and the stressors that come along with it definitely made it worse. However, little-by-little I am working on making it a priority to get rid of ...

Adjusting to Life with a Host Family in Amman and Ensuring That You are Safe and Happy

When learning that I had a host family, I was overwhelmed with happiness and with nerves. I have heard both the horror and hollywood stories. However, I knew that it was happening no matter what and that my one goal was to make the best of it and gain cultural insight. The above pictures are ...

Advocating for Yourself in New Places

Featured image taken at Coffee Club Cafe in Amman, Jordan

Survival Guide: Petra

Featured image taken by Justin Brown, AMIDEAST student and rising senior at Temple University

The food court of Dublin Airport

I walked up to the hot foods counter in the food court of Dublin Airport, “can I get, uh, a ‘full Irish breakfast’? But with no toast.” The beefy looking Swedish guy behind the counter narrowed his eyes in curiosity, “where’re you from?” “Oh, Philadelphia, the US” “Nice, ya meet people from all kinds of ...

How to learn Arabic without really trying

You can’t. It’s impossible. Even native speakers struggle with it. Turn back, turn back now. When you take Spanish in an American school system, the main barrier to learning the language has less to do with the language itself and more to do with bad instruction, insufficient time, and a lack of inter-staff communication leading ...