My experience living in Jordan begins during my time abroad here in 2017. Before coming to Jordan, I, like many Americans, wasn’t exactly sure what living in Jordan would be like. Would it be all desert? Would there be a lot of people wearing traditional dress? Would I be able to go to the mall? Would the weather be hot all the time? Would it be scary? Prior to moving to Jordan, I saw a lot of negative press coverage and only knew a few people who were originally from the Middle East. They are some of the nicest and most sincere people I’ve ever met, so I knew before I moved to Jordan that I would be safe and in good hands.
After studying here in 2017, I learned that, yes, there is desert in Jordan, but the country is much more than that. It is a thriving country full of startup companies, motivated people and history. While driving down the street where my old university is, you can see small falafel shops right next to McDonald’s--the city of Amman is truly a mixture of both old history and modern establishments. There are plenty of malls (one of which is called Taj Mall and has one of the best movie theaters I’ve been to in my life!), high rises and supermarkets. There’s also a downtown area and a Friday market where you can find second-hand goods.
