One of the benefits of my lifetime of nomadism is that I quickly settle into any new place, I'm not easily fazed or made wary of newness. I still see each new city he way I did growing up- so eager to soak up every little thing, to find rhythm and find home. Ever since I stepped on a plane out of Egypt I have missed living in the Middle East. I didn't know where I'd end up- Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine but as soon as I graduated from college I started to look at how I would get where I wanted to be.
I did not think that I would end up in Nablus of all places, and that it would feel so...right. It's been a day, so these are of course, first impressions. I've spent years ready to return to my comfort zone- learning a new city, speaking in broken Arabic, the constant stimulation of living somewhere new has been absent for so long. I think that's the source of the calm and sheer contentment I feel.

I should have done this sooner.

Morning ritual on the balcony.

Nablus itself is terrifically charming- sand coloured 5 to 10 story buildings climb up two mountains on either side, the roads twist up the hills and cats dart between stalls in the souk. We live partway up one mountain, the top is covered in scraggly evergreens and there's a Samaritan (yes, those Samaritans) village up there. Our apartment is huge, with large windows we keep open all day. Naturally, we are between a house with a whole brood of roosters and a mosque- 5am is rough right now. I'm sure I'll learn to ignore it.

The community of expats (the word for us in Shaami is Ajaniib) at Teach for Palestine and another school at which I've taken a part time teaching position has so far been wonderful. At TFP we live in two apartments next to each other, it's been wonderful so far to be able to sit in the kitchen talking until late at night all together. Between TFP and Pioneers Baccalaureate School we represent about 2/3 of the total expat population of Nablus and we're less than 20.

Due to some border control issues, PBS was unable to bring a half dozen or so of it's volunteers and needed help to teach English in their lower school.
I have never thought about teaching little kids but given my boundless energy and patience with little ones, I volunteered to teach one section of the second grade class.

Pioneers Baccalaureate  School

I'm slightly terrified, in a healthy way. I'm also totally excited to do something completely different for eight hours a week.

Seriously, anyone with advice for teaching little ones in general or teaching english please reach out to me. I'll be very well equipped by the school but I'm sure there are tips and tricks people have picked up along the way.

For now I'm desperately in need of a nap, I start teacher training tomorrow so we'll see how that goes.

Exploring the Old City

I'm packing all of my clothes, all of my art, furniture and beloved textiles away.
Every day my walls are a little more empty and my living room, more cluttered with boxes.
I love it.
A lot of things about this move have felt at once rushed and too slow, and that's where I am right now. According to my planner I have 14 days until I get on a plane to Tel Aviv, too much time to already be packing everything I own but also so short that I need to quickly buy and arrange everything I can't when I'm overseas.

The closer I get to the move, the less I think I'll be back in the US when I tell people I will.
I've arranged an internship at a newspaper for the winter in Morocco- a place I've always wanted to live which will take me to at least March. Talking to my mother, who is herself packing out for a move to Germany with the State Department, I started considering a move there to teach English after I finish my TEFL. American University here in DC has a distance learning MA in International Relations that I could pursue anywhere in the world with decent internet. That prospect has seriously altered what I'm considering for my future. I can see it, teaching English in Bonn or Amman and taking graduate classes. What better way to learn? It sure beats living in the US on a tight budget and doing the old school university thing...again.

For now, I'm registered for a November GRE in Ramallah. Study tips are welcomed!

Travel planning is like a drug, now that I've begun I refuse to stop adding destinations. I'm not sure I've ever felt so at liberty to chase what matters to me.

This past year in the US has been a long layover between university and adulthood, despite all the "adult" things I committed to doing- job, apartment, happy hours- that's not who I am at 24.

So here I stand, among my boxes, ready to pack them away for a long time.

I feel free.