Nothing prepares you for the moment you step off a plane and into a country you aren’t yet familiar with. The panic, the excitement, the *I will NOT let this taxi driver rip me off* is the same in every new country I visit. Yet, every time I am taking those overly confident steps toward my cab, these feelings catch me off guard.

Determined, I shake those feelings off and get in the cab (refusing to pay anything more than 20 JD). I relax a bit and move on to worrying about Ramadan in this desert heat when I hear, “Are you Muslim?” and I reply affirmatively and my cab driver wishes me a blessed Ramadan. First real Arabic interaction: check. I mentally note to put this in my blog (hi guys!). “Are you married?” Here we go.

This is where I will be updating you all about the funny (above), sad, enraging, and joyous experiences I have in Amman, Jordan. Arriving here, I felt all those new feelings associated with change but I also felt prepared to begin this Peace Fellowship. Last week, I spent 9-5 everyday with the other amazing fellows, being trained by experts in videography, M&E, photography, blogging, fundraising, podcasting, etc. Thanks to video training, you shouldn’t be surprised when you see my name in all the Oscar buzz for 2018.

I am now confident that I have the tools to grapple with all the changes around me. I am ready to lift up the voices of the women I’ll be working with, whether that be with videos or blogs. But will the women want their stories heard? Will they accept my help? I worry about these things, but I am eager to get started with my work at CRP. I meet with my supervisor, Tim, on Sunday and will have a clearer vision of where these 10 weeks will lead me. Until then, I’m updating all of you on the beginning of this amazing journey and making further preparations where I can.

As promised, I have great news for those who want to help. June 20th is International Refugee Day. The Advocacy Project is going to pair with Global Giving to raise funds for CRP’s Hope Workshop, with each donation being matched 100%!!!! I will have a lot more info on this coming soon, but put it on your calendars now so you don’t forget.

With that, I leave you until Friday. Make sure to keep a look out here every Wednesday and Friday to stay up to date with my fellowship!