Preparation Continues

I have just purchased my round trip ticket for Cairo! Now that I have my ticket, I feel like I cannot change my mind anymore. Not that the idea had ever crossed my mind! I am becoming more nervous as my departure date draws closer. I still need to learn a few basic Arabic words and I would like to study the culture a little more before I leave. I have an application for a crash course in “Survival Egyptian Colloquial Arabic” which I plan to send to the AUC New York office tomorrow. I have yet to apply for a visa and must do so soon. Today I received my Arabic phrasebook and dictionary in the mail which I had ordered a few days ago. I’ve already read a few pages and I am beginning to feel the excitement of learning a new language.

I feel like there’s still so much for me to do before I’m ready to go. Actually, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to entirely prepare for whatever awaits me in Cairo. No matter how many books and websites I read about the culture and what to expect while in the city, it will not compare to the actual experience. But this is the exciting part: experiencing a culture first hand. It’s like taking a trip on white rapids and falling in the water…the water rushing everywhere around you and you don’t know which way is up or down at first. Soon you find your head above water once again and… a refreshing breath of air. It’s good to be alive.