As a woman here in Amman, Jordan, I sometimes have a harder time when I explore the city alone or when I talk to strangers. I would love to make new friends everywhere I go, but it can be harder for women to meet new friends because not everyone is respectful to women; this might be true in most countries. There are many wonderful people in the city, but it is easy to only notice the not-so-nice people. My host family is a great source of community to me here, and I always feel comfortable with them. They help me find where I need to go, and they check in on me to make sure that everything is going well. I also am friends with the people that I work with at my internship and with some students from my study abroad program.
Overall, it is always a good idea to try and blend in with the culture that you are visiting. Looking like a tourist can sometimes put you in dangerous situations. But it is also valuable to meet locals and make new friends, so it is important to find balance. Some things that I do to blend in with the society here are:
1. I dress as the locals do. Many Muslim women here wear a hijab (headscarf), but not everyone does, and I blend in without wearing one. I do make sure to always wear covering clothing.
