First week back.

On my way back to Cairo I realized that this was the first time I was going back to live in a country. I have visited a few of the other countries where I have resided but I have not yet gone back to live in one. This definitely has its advantages.

This time, I didn’t have to learn my Arabic numbers to walk through foreign streets to find a “home” but I had an apartment waiting for me. I have friends excited about my return. I know prices and where is the grocery store. I have a phone with local numbers. I know how to cross the street. I know how to tell off a rude man on the street. I know what to wear—or more importantly, what not to wear. It was almost a déjà vu moment; I quickly felt at ease.

The transition was ideal! Cairo, time change, transition in general, can be overwhelming. Last school year ended in an unhealthy way and four days after my return to the States I was working full time researching national criminal and immigration issues at a law firm in Chicago. I was super blessed to have such a great job and the support of friends and family all summer however to go right back to school without a slight mental break could have been disastrous! So, with a good week before school started, a good friend and I decided to spend some time on the Mediterranean.

We did nothing but sleep, eat and chit-chat for SIX whole days! Really, I felt spoiled! The polluted fog of Cairo was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t have to be covered but wore sundresses or just my bikini the whole week…we couldn’t escape Ramadan however, so seaside alcoholic beverages were a no go…either way we returned sincerely excited to be in Cairo with healthy, new energy and ready to start a new school year!