I started this blog to document my time in Amman, Jordan, but why stop there? The last few months have brought several notable changes to my life. For now I'm relatively rooted in Santa Barbara but will be taking on the summer heat of the Middle East once again! Read on...
Post-Amman I found myself moving home to Santa Barbara (much to my chagrin after the Chinese government denied my visa application and I had to give up my job at the international school in Qingdao). The entire month of September was one big cultural readjustment. Mom and Dad put up with me and my reverse culture shock for about a month until I found my own apartment. Living on my own at this point in my life is very important to me - I feel more independent than ever before and I'm doing a stellar job acting adult-ish. I buy my own groceries! I pay bills! I need quarters to do my laundry! I live in the back portion of a sweet little Victorian house within walking distance of downtown. It's my little sanctuary - the living room floods with sunlight in the morning and is so beautiful.
I spent a glorious weekend in New York City visiting Jackie - my most favorite and best friend in the world! We giggled at the hipsters in Brooklyn, tore up karaoke with "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and danced and laughed and danced and laughed. It was a perfectly sparkly and much needed weekend!
Beyond piecing together less than thrilling but still enjoyable work as a nanny and a hostess I've found my passion in flying. One day in November I got in my car, drove to the airport, and took a discovery flight at Above All Aviation. Given my history of jumping out of planes and my slightly addictive personality I'm sure you can do the math. Here we are two months later and I have nearly 30 hours of flight time, have flown an airplane by myself (check out the photo of my instructor, Danny, cutting my shirttail - an aviation tradition post-solo!), and have now moved into the cross-country stage of training. My ultimate goal is currently unknown but for now I am soaking it ALL in. I have incredible support from my parents and really everyone that I encounter. For me, the most beautiful part is the ultimate mindfulness I experience while flying. When you're in the air, cruising down the coast or just practicing landings in the pattern, everything that is important at that moment is directly in front of you: your gauges, the yoke, the engine. Any concerns or worries about life, relationships, money, are completely irrelevant -- everything slips away when I'm in that plane and it feels like total clarity. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing!
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In other news...
Last week I was accepted into a program that will take me to El Buss refugee camp in Lebanon! In Lebanon I will work as a volunteer for the LEAP program's SHINE project teaching English to Palestinian refugees ages 10-16. The LEAP program (Learning for the Empowerment and Advancement of Palestinians) Program has three projects, one of which is the Summer Help IN English program (SHINE). As a volunteer for SHINE I will be living and working in the refugee camp for the month of July.
Read more about the program here: http://www.leap-program.org/about-us/leap-projects/
After the program ends I plan on traveling back to Wadi Rum and spending at least a week in the desert. I felt an incredible connection to Wadi Rum last summer and am just amazed that I will have the opportunity to be back there so soon!
Post-Amman I found myself moving home to Santa Barbara (much to my chagrin after the Chinese government denied my visa application and I had to give up my job at the international school in Qingdao). The entire month of September was one big cultural readjustment. Mom and Dad put up with me and my reverse culture shock for about a month until I found my own apartment. Living on my own at this point in my life is very important to me - I feel more independent than ever before and I'm doing a stellar job acting adult-ish. I buy my own groceries! I pay bills! I need quarters to do my laundry! I live in the back portion of a sweet little Victorian house within walking distance of downtown. It's my little sanctuary - the living room floods with sunlight in the morning and is so beautiful.
I spent a glorious weekend in New York City visiting Jackie - my most favorite and best friend in the world! We giggled at the hipsters in Brooklyn, tore up karaoke with "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and danced and laughed and danced and laughed. It was a perfectly sparkly and much needed weekend!
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| The view from Jackie's bedroom |
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| SO MUCH LOVE |
Beyond piecing together less than thrilling but still enjoyable work as a nanny and a hostess I've found my passion in flying. One day in November I got in my car, drove to the airport, and took a discovery flight at Above All Aviation. Given my history of jumping out of planes and my slightly addictive personality I'm sure you can do the math. Here we are two months later and I have nearly 30 hours of flight time, have flown an airplane by myself (check out the photo of my instructor, Danny, cutting my shirttail - an aviation tradition post-solo!), and have now moved into the cross-country stage of training. My ultimate goal is currently unknown but for now I am soaking it ALL in. I have incredible support from my parents and really everyone that I encounter. For me, the most beautiful part is the ultimate mindfulness I experience while flying. When you're in the air, cruising down the coast or just practicing landings in the pattern, everything that is important at that moment is directly in front of you: your gauges, the yoke, the engine. Any concerns or worries about life, relationships, money, are completely irrelevant -- everything slips away when I'm in that plane and it feels like total clarity. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing!
 |
| After my first solo flight on January 14th! |
.JPG)
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| Flying down to Camarillo to see Top Gun in 3D IMAX |
In other news...
Last week I was accepted into a program that will take me to El Buss refugee camp in Lebanon! In Lebanon I will work as a volunteer for the LEAP program's SHINE project teaching English to Palestinian refugees ages 10-16. The LEAP program (Learning for the Empowerment and Advancement of Palestinians) Program has three projects, one of which is the Summer Help IN English program (SHINE). As a volunteer for SHINE I will be living and working in the refugee camp for the month of July.
Read more about the program here: http://www.leap-program.org/about-us/leap-projects/
After the program ends I plan on traveling back to Wadi Rum and spending at least a week in the desert. I felt an incredible connection to Wadi Rum last summer and am just amazed that I will have the opportunity to be back there so soon!
That's all for now! More posts to come as I get closer to my departure for Lebanon and get my Private Pilot certificate!!
life is for living
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