Melanie and I arrived safely in Amman yesterday afternoon. Once we cleared customs, a driver from Qasid met us and took us to our new apartment. The place is nice and has satellite TV so we do get a few English channels including CNN International and BBC Worldwide. We just met with the student relations manager at Qasid and he made us feel very welcome. Melanie will be able to come with me on the school sponsored excursions, including one on Thursday so I am happy about that. The apartment does need a few small repairs, which should be done within the next couple of days and we do need to buy some bath towels and a few other items to help us get settled in.
Yesterday we were both feeling a bit homesick and overwhelmed, but we're doing much better today. It's a bit harder to think and speak Arabic in country on the fly, but I've done ok so far. I've been able to buy food and tell our taxi driver where to take us and was able to help him find the school even when he seemed to be getting lost. I know it will get easier with time and practice. I think I'm still getting used to the fact that we are now here. The weird thing is all of the memories coming back from my last trip and how familiar the terrain, people, and even smells are. Hard to explain. This will certainly be an adventure for us. Melanie is hanging tough and I'm trying to make sure this is going to be a great experience for her too. She will be able to use the school's internet lounge while I am in class. The student relations director also gave us copy of a brochure to a nearby gym that we'll have to check out so Melanie can begin her training for the Dead Sea marathon. That's it for now. We're definitely not in Jacksonville anymore, but I feel like we're doing well and going to be fine.
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