Once upon a time, I was at Petra.

There's so many things about this picture that just scream "MIDDLE EAST!"

I love this so much. First of all, there's the fact that we're standing just feet in front of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Petra. Whoa. Secondly, it's the fact  that we're two high school kids from the Midwest, just chilling in Jordan. And that we've got some pretty awesome head wear.

But beyond that, there's the fact that we're there without our parents, living with host families who essentially made my life every time I talked to them. I miss my host family so much, and everything about living somewhere different. I miss being able to practice a new language in the alleyway between your house and the neighbor's house, and learning the word for turtle from your little host cousin, not from a textbook unit on animals. I learned so much there, more than I could ever write in a blog post.

Anyways, I want to go back. And I know that it won't be the same as before, and that's the beautiful part. I don't want the same experience; I want a new one. But I do want a new experience where I live in a new place, experiencing a new culture, and learning a new language. Next summer, insha'allah.

Until then, I'll stop barfing love for study abroad all over this blog. M3 salaama!