An Ode to Y'all

I came to Jordan a scared and paranoid soul. I was worried no one would like me, I’d be the ‘foreign’ little child who kinda crept along the outskirts of the group. I would not be smart enough to converse intelligently with these exemplary co-students and I would fail at Arabic, especially given my history with languages. Ya. Sometimes I wonder why I even embarked on this trip. How was I to know that my deeply entrenched low self esteem would be knocked straight out of the ball park by this amazing group of students I have been privileged to share this out of the world experience with.

Oh you dearest of friends. You all have made me a better person, someone I’m kinda OK with being. You were my oasis of strength, support, fun and comfort in this absurd, soulful, chaotically colourful and challenging three months. I doubt I’d have loved these months as much without you. Thank you, for teaching me, amongst others that:

• Texas is actually pretty OK
• There is a difference between the South, the Deep South and then Texas. What I’m not sure but hey! You got to begin somewhere right?
• ‘Foreign’ is a term of endearment – who knew that being culturally insensitive/racist/ethnocentric was in fact a show of love???
• The frattiest bro you’re likely to meet is a sucker for a stuffed toy, a yellow baby chicken to be specific.
• It is possible to be really good friends with Conservative Republicans. Yes multiple. I’m still a flag burning liberal socialist though, not to worry.
• Being tossed over someone’s shoulder is a particularly unpleasant experience
• Glee brings people together. Oh wait… I already knew that!
• Riding a horse sounds like the scariest thing ever.
• Your friends are musical geniuses when drunk and tone deaf when sober
• An abandoned rubble pit on a steep slope is actually a fun place to hang out at when drunk
• UN parties are fun to crash. As are US Embassy parties. Especially if you’re an Indian dressed as a Texan and your friend is a Texan dressed in your Sari
• Feathers make for great fashion accessories
• ‘Sounds like my prom night’ (a friend’s invention) allows for waaaay more versatile usage that ‘that’s what she said’
• ‘WORD’ is a really popular slang term. Who knew?
• People will pretend to find law and legal discourse interesting just coz they love you so much
• It is possible for 23 completely different, polar opposite, disparate people to be really good friends, to get along, genuinely like one another and make a lasting impression on your life
• Your tribe is forever (well a really long time if nothing else) – the memories, the lessons and most importantly, the people