I first realized Amman was a home for me during my study abroad a few years ago. I took a week long spring break trip to Thailand. Whenever someone asked my friend and I “Where are you from?” we would explain that we are originally from the United States but were studying abroad in Amman. When we left Thailand to “go home,” the home we were returning to at that time was Amman rather than what we called “home home” which was our home states (Minnesota and Massachussetts). Since being in Amman this time around, I have traveled to quite a few places: Lebanon, Egypt, and the UAE. In each case, the home I return to is Amman.
At the end of each trip I take outside of Amman, I always look forward to returning home. When I return home, I love the feeling of curing up with a good book next to my new Bath & Body candles (there was a sale last week so I bought three!). I love being able to go to C-Town or the small market by my house and know exactly where all the produce and food I need to buy is. I look forward to hearing the call to prayer each night. I get excited to go to work and catch up with my coworkers. I look forward to driving around at night with my friends, listening to the Backstreet Boys.
At this point, I don’t have any solid plans to return home to Minnesota. When I moved to Amman in May, I booked a one-way flight. This was the first time I’d ever booked a one-way flight, which was a scary thing because it meant I wasn’t sure when I would come back to the place I grew up. On the other hand, I’m still growing up. Instead of growing up now in Minnesota, I’m growing up in Amman; my second home.
