Amazing Experience in a Unique Location!

Studying abroad in Jordan was an excellent experience to visit a unique region and learn a lot about the politics of the Middle East and the Arabic language! I loved living in Amman, and the support offered by CIEE was a large contributor to that experience. As with any study abroad experience, there is a bit of culture shock when you first arrive, however I found many similarities emerged as I continued throughout the semester.

Studying abroad in Amman is different from the classic Europe study abroad experience. The social life is a bit quieter, but there are plenty of new nightlife experiences to try. The program can be relatively small, but I made some fantastic friends while studying there. Overall, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to challenge yourself and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Exploring cafes, traveling to new countries, browsing through the markets (suuks) and finding your favorite sweets shop are all some of the day-to-day activities you may enjoy.

I also participated in the internship program. I worked at the University of Jordan in the Center for Strategic Studies. This was a great option to gain work experience in a foreign country and focus on topics I was interested in—particularly refugee settlement and integration in Jordan.

My favorite experience while studying abroad was spending the night in Wadi Rum. The orange sand in the desert was probably the most beautiful and unique landscape I had ever seen. We went on jeep rides through the sand dunes, hiked up a canyon to a small pool, ate amazing home-cooked food at the camp, and rode camels while the sun set on the evening. Following this trip, we continued down to Petra and saw one of the wonders of the world! I think everyone should check these locations off their bucket list at some point, and having these excursions covered by CIEE was an amazing opportunity.

I highly recommend this abroad experience and cannot wait to return to Amman in the future.