A Summer with CIEE: Amman, Jordan

Upon arrival in Amman, Jordan, I felt like I was facing many difficult challenges for my two month study abroad. Besides just the Arabic language, half of the program would occur during the month of Ramadan, and I opted to live with a home stay. However, I was lucky to have had the staff of CIEE to help myself and other students along the way the entire time, and to answer any questions about the program and Jordan in general. They are amazing ambassadors to their country! Although Jordan has many unique and interesting things to offer both for domestic travel and everyday life, I loved spending time at local cafes talking to Jordanians, sipping on Turkish coffee, and occasionally smoking hookah (it is called Argeelah in Jordan). My advice for any study abroad experience across the planet is to go to the country with the mindset of trying to become not an American studying and living in a foreign country, but to attempt to live like a local by finding out where and what locals do with their free time and talking to them.