A Different Perspective :)

Halloween this year was a little different from years past.

The day before Halloween, some friends and I decided to go grocery shopping. At a local mall. In a full Niqab. 

What's a niqab? A niqab is a veil or cloth that cover's a woman's entire face, except for her eyes. It is usually worn with an abaya, a long robe-like dress that covers the body. Most women that wear niqab's are from Saudi Arabia and other Arabian Gulf countries.  Here is a picture of me wearing it....I'm smiling, can't you tell? ;)

We felt like completely different people wearing it! I felt freedom because no one looked at me because I was a foreign girl....nobody COULD see me! But I also felt restricted. Even a little clausterphobic. No one could see me. No one knew who I was. My identity was gone. It wasn't "true" freedom. 

Plus it was reallllly hard to read food labels when you have a veil over your eyes! I bumped into something on more than one occasion.

Needless to say, It was interesting experience, that gave me lots of perspective. :)

lesson's learned :)

The following are a few things I've observed over the last month or so:

• Running really does clear the mind.
• I'm in awe of God's grace and faithfulness every single day. Like, completely in awe.
• Laughter heals and is the best medicine of all time.
• Taylor Swift has an amazing way of making any day better. 
• There's just something about the ocean.
• Starbucks is amazing (even though I don't like coffee, go figure. :)
• Being yourself is so worth it.
• Sometimes, when you're learning a new language, you end up not being able to speak at all or sounding like a 2 year old . And its perfectly fine. 
• There is beauty anywhere you look, even in a desert land. 
• Life is crazy, and may not go the way you had planned, but it's an amazing adventure. :)

Digging Deeper into Disney :)

It's been almost 5 months since I 've even touched this blog, and I'm going to write about Disney. Yes, Disney. It's no secret that I love Disney movies....the love, the adventure, the magic, the happy endings. But is there more to Disney than just daring adventures and princesses falling in love? I think so. 


The other day, me and some friends had a Disney movie marathon! We ended up watching 6 movies, and during the 2nd one, I thought hmmmm, what is the wisdom in this Disney movie? I'm not one of those people who critically watches movies, picking them apart, BUT I thought this would be an interesting challenge. SO, here are my DISNEY WISDOM'S:


The Lion King: We know who we are (our identity) and the potential that we have when we know our father and let go of the past. Then, we can move into our destiny.


Pocahontas: We are afraid of that which we don't understand. Stop a minute in life and take in the beauty around you. The right path is not always the easiest one, but someone has to start the first ripple in the river.


Peter Pan: Have faith in things unseen. Find the magic in every day. Stand in awe and amazement at each little thing. To live is an awfully big adventure. 


Bambi: If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all (-Thumper). Winter seems long, but it NEVER lasts forever.


Beauty and the Beast (an Enchanted Christmas): Nothing is more important as the gift of hope. See the beauty on the inside, not just the outside.


Aladdin: It's what's on the inside that counts. Who you are is enough. You are worth more than your circumstances. The truth will set you free.  

Truth be Told...

Ok, tomorrow is a pretty big day for me. I start my first semester of Arabic school!! Wow weeee. This semester is the first of four, and when I complete the school, I will have been in Jordan for about 3 years. It's an overwhelmingly AMAZING thought to me. I sometimes just stand in awe....it's awfully funny to me the places God puts us in sometimes! The places we least expect, the places we think don't fit who we are, the places that may not be the easiest...but that are truly the BEST and the most AWESOME for us. Really cool.

I could go on about my thoughts on all that, BUT i wanted to tell you a story about something that happened this weekend that kind of rocked my world..

It was Saturday, just flew in to the country two days earlier. Jet lagged, and lacking in groceries, I went to the local store to buy some fruit, vegetables, etc. Instead of bringing my wallet, I stuck 15 JD (Jordan Dinar, about $21 USD) in my left pocket. Got my stuff, went up to the register to pay. Went to get my money out of my pocket, and it wasn't there. Amy was with me too, and she didn't have it. And it wasn't in my other pocket. I thought I had either dropped it or...someone had stolen it. AHHH! But then when I thought all was lost, one of the guys behind the counter said something to me in Arabic, which of course i didnt really understand. So then He said something else and....VOILA! He held up my money! He had found it on the floor, picked it up, and RETURNED IT TO ME. I was in shock when I left. He could have kept it, never said a word, or someone else could have found it and done the same. But he chose honesty. WOW.

It may have been a little moment in time, but it showed me that some of my stereotypes of Arabs are very wrong, to be honest. And it showed me that I can still believe that people can choose to do the right thing, and people still do. Pretty cool :)

Oh Amman, here we go...

Here are a few things I have learned since being back...

1. Being pushy, mean, and direct are they ONLY ways to get anyone to do anything right when you ask. No room for pushovers here...

2. It never rains here, and probably never will....haha (see sandstorm video below)

3. The mall is a great place to go when you need a touch of home (Forever 21, Pinkberry, and Starbucks people!)

4. Batata (Potato) bread is amazing and is usually what I have for breakfast.

5. "Welcome to Jordan" "I love you" and "oh my god" seem to be the only words many men know.

6. Man cannot survive on falafel, hummus, and schwarma alone. Give me some fast food! (something i usually NEVER have, and i miss chik-fil-a...)

7. Arabs really ARE the most hospitable people you will ever meet....I've already gone to one wedding and got fed a MOST delicious meal...and i didn't even know the bride or groom!

8. Taxi drivers WILL stop the car in the middle of a busy road just to get out and yell at the BUS that was in their way...

9. Walking up and down millions of stairs just to get home and to school is normal.

10. Lemon Mint drink is the best

11. Learning Arabic is not easy, saying things wrong publicly is even harder

12. The Internet is seriously the best invention ever, and my saving grace....I get to watch my Noles every Saturday! And Amy gets to watch her Auburn Tigers...so a winning situation overall!!!

13. Dad is doing some pretty AMAZING things in the Middle East, so everything is....

worth it. :)

Sweet Home Alabama...

...which is where I am right now. I can hardly BELIEVE how fast this summer has gone...it seems like just yesterday I was greeting the humid, sticky stickiness that IS summer in Florida. Now I'm in Birmingham, Alabama, at Amy's house (for those of you who don't know her, she has lived in Jordan for the past 3 years, met her when I went last year, and she is awesome!). In SIX days, we fly out to Jordan. It will be her millionth time, and my first.

Packing last week was ridiculous....i am not the best of packers, I wish I was better, especially since I've done it alot in the last two years. But I managed to stuff and squeeze all my crap into all of my bags, so it is well with my soul.

I can honestly say at this point in the game that I am SO excited and ready to get over there. I have been home for about 9 months now, and during those 9 months I have been preparing and waiting. My time at home was what I needed, even though honestly the travel bug within me wanted to GO GO! But man I learned so much. I needed that growing time, with my church, with my AMAZING family and friends. But now it's time. I'm not fully ready, but I guess thats a good thing? I am just SO excited for this new season and all the exciting things that will happen. I hope you are excited too to see all the things that "Dad" is going to do too!

So that was my blog about my EXCITEMENT. Interesting, I know. I'm sure next week I will have a LOT more to write about!