Round Two

With leaving for Egypt tonight, it is due time that I start my blog back up again.  I was extremely humbled to hear how many people kept tabs on my travels to Indonesia (although it adds a bit of pressure seeing as I was pretty sure the only people who would be frequenting this site were my family and crazy housemates!) and I hope that I can serve to inform and entertain once again.  So welcome back to all who read before, and hopefully I won't disappoint any newcomers!


A few weeks ago I had lunch in Delaware with Mr. Plastino and the five students in my class of Plastino Scholars.  Surrounded by these amazing, generous, and talented people completely inspired me all over again to make this month even more life-changing than Indonesia (Egypt has a tough act to follow).  With the risk of sounding overly sappy I have to say that this scholarship has been the most amazing opportunity I could have ever imagined and I feel fortunate to have such supportive friends, family, and professors to push me both personally and academically.  With that said I am ready to move to the land of the great pyramids and the longest (and probably most polluted) river in the world in search of an amazing experience full of delicious food, generous people, and of course... women who are kind enough to allow me to interview them for my thesis.  


My month is still relatively unplanned and besides flying out of Cairo on February 1st, I can only imagine where my journey will take me.  However traveling alone lends itself to complete flexibility.  Through the help of a UD professor I have gotten in touch with a few contacts already in Cairo (it seems like everybody knows somebody in Egypt!) and last week they already signed a lease for my own apartment near the west bank of the Nile.  I cannot wait to meet these amazing people who, without even meeting me, have already helped me so much.  Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come in the following month.  At least I know some arabic to get me by!


I'll try to update every few days or so, but I honestly have no idea what my internet access will be like, so bear with me.  For my parents sake, I will post as soon as I can!  I can't promise any new renditions of Celine Dion this time around, but I'm sure I'll find myself in a good amount of crazy situations that will give you a laugh.  Goal number one: don't get spit on by a camel. 


ma salama!
Liza