The Reincarnation of Energy

When I write reincarnation, what I am referring to is the continuation of energy and spirit, beyond the mortal life cycle. Matter cannot be destroyed, and I do not believe that the energy that makes us ourselves can be either. This is the only explanation that makes sense to me right now, at this point in my life. I do not believe the energy that encompasses my spirit was started anew when I was. There are residues of history entangled in it. Reasons why this makes sense:

The People. 

You know the people that you meet, talk to for a half hour, and then it feels like you have known them forever? That you get them, and they get you, and no matter what role they end up playing in your life, that connection changes you, just a little bit, for the better. There is no logical reasoning behind this. It just happens. Some people you instantly click with, others you don’t.

The Places. 

There are places that call to the soul more than they should, more than other places do. For me, that is India. I have traveled to many states, Canada, the UAE, and India. Out of them, the two that make me want to just be there, live there, become a part of there are Vermont and India. Vermont makes some sense- I have lived here for the majority of my life. India, not so much. I have visited for two weeks. Yet I desperately want to go back, because in those two short weeks I learned so much and felt comfortable- mentally, spiritually, physically. And I don’t know why.

The Prospects.

I have been given so many amazing opportunities, been the recipient of so many acts of faith, of acceptance. I am surrounded by so many amazing people. I do not feel like I have done enough to deserve them.

Clearly, the energy that is a part of my legacy and life is doing something right.

<3

Home/Expatriate

This entry has been a long time in draft form, mainly because this is a topic that is difficult to convey through words on a computer screen- home is much more of a feeling for me than a physical place, and this post still can't quite capture how odd this train of thought is. (Odd is the wrong word, but I cannot find a more fitting descriptor). 

I have now been living in Abu Dhabi for three and a half months. My first semester of college is complete, papers are in, finals are finished, and now I am packing, cleaning, and writing, waiting for tomorrow when I will board the first leg of my journey home. (Update: I am posting this from VT. From home. The flight was very long, but uneventful.)

Home. The word has such a different meaning for me now. Sama Tower, NYUAD, Abu Dhabi – they are starting to feel like home for me.

All are ‘home’, but so are so many other places. Vermont, New Jersey, India, a campground in Pennsylvania- all of them are homes to varying degrees. 

And I wonder if that makes them less of a permanent home, but instead as stops on a journey, where I will gather more homes, more friends, and more lessons as I continue to travel. With the way I have chosen to lead my life, it very much seems to be the latter.

That is good in a way, but not so good in a way too. Because it causes the following situation to happen.

I cannot wait to go back to Vermont. But it feels nostalgic. I am travelling back to memories.  The memories physically exist in the present- I am still seeing my family, my friends, the old stompin’ grounds- but I realize now I cannot hold onto them. In a few short days I will be going back to Abu Dhabi, not to return to Vermont for an even longer time span. And that is the pattern my life is going to hold for the foreseeable future.

I am already an expatriate. Derived from the Latin. “Ex”- out of. “Patriate”-the homeland. My visa is a residence visa (albeit a student residence visa, but still). I am literally and legally living in a new country. That is still a concept I have difficulty wrapping my head around.

I worry about the distance. I worry about home turning into something distinctly not home- turning foreign. There is no way I can stop that transformation, and it is big, and scary, but it also feels resigned and almost exciting. Where I call home is in flux. I guess the best description of where I am now is my 'childhood home'- but that name feels wrong too, because it is still one of my active homes now, in the present. It is a home but not a home. Confusing stuff. 

But I guess that all of this a part of growing up and beginning to forge your own life. It just seems magnified when you choose a college halfway around the world.

<3

Musings

Death of a Salesman:

Atmosphere and energy is critical. Theater has never felt this spiritual to me.

The concentration of the actors

Their full transformation into the role,

How much they are willing to give to those around them- a heartbreaking honesty.

The energy of those surrounding me.

Good vibes and hugs and support.

Another family.

I somehow keep stumbling into these beautiful families that I am not worthy of.

The sacredness surrounding every step of the process.

The faith that was put in me

Mainly blind

To be blessed with the chance to be a part of this show.

The circle. The breathing. The energy. The connections.

The show itself, with the raw questions, usually hidden and avoided, that it forces on the audience with both harshness and tenderness.

Leaving them affected and in thought.

Connections. Humanity. Creation.

Rain:

We made it to the rain.

After the final show, at the cast party, someone looked to the window.

And there was a light rain. Niko and I looked in awe- as freshman, we had heard that it rained here, but had written it off as myth.

Weather doesn’t happen here.

It ranges from hot to hotter, with occasional fog.

Never rain.

There was rain, or the Abu Dhabi equivalent, that night.

So many were outside, faces uplifted to the mist.

And it was beautiful. 

<3

Femme Fatale

My excitement about this concert can only be really explained with a bit of backstory of me as a 7-11 year old girl.


I was a Britney Spears fan. All of my friends were. We would listen to her cassette tapes, learn the lyrics, and make up dances (I still remember dancing to "Crazy" on a dock by Lake Winnipesaukee). Her album "Baby One More Time" was my first ever CD. I had it both as a cassette, then a CD. Both are still in my room somewhere at home. I wasn't really into the other pop princesses of the time- Christina Aguilera's lyrics never got stuck in my head. I was a Britney fan.


I guess when we moved to VT is when my music interests started to shift, and the last album of hers I bought was "Britney". So I knew her songs up to "I'm Not a Girl".


Generally I avoid tabloids, so while I knew she wasn't in the best place, I never had the voyeuristic urge to find out about her life, because honestly, beyond not really caring about celebrities, I didn't want to have to see a new reality of her than I had in my childhood. I lost track of her, and her music.


And now that brings us to the present, 19 year old me. Many of my classmates entered a drawing for the Britney Spears concert after the Yasalam races. And most of them won 2 tickets. I did not enter, but I knew a lot of people who did, and Laura gave me her extra ticket :)


The concert was good. I won't say it was great- it took her a while to get into the songs (as the songs went further back in her repertoire, they got better, even if the lip-synching was slightly off), and in the beginning she looked fairly run down, which is understandable. My bias toward the earlier songs might also be because I could sing along to them at the top of my lungs. 


But it was music. It was bass heavy, beating in your chest, danceable, high decibel music. I love it when music consumes so many of your senses- touch, hearing, sight, people, that it is all you feel. All you think. 


And it was Britney Spears. Growing up in that generation, this concert fulfilled one of my childhood dreams.  


<3


(To those of you wondering- I would say this is the same concert on tour all around. I don't think it was changed at all for being in the UAE, outfit/lyric/dance wise)

"And sometimes remembering will lead to a story, which makes it forever. That's what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can't remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story." 
~Tim O'Brien

A Series of Events

Whether they were unfortunate or fortunate depends on who you asked, when.

*Disclaimer: I have learned my lesson. I will plan more thoroughly in the future. It is safe to travel with me. Do not condemn me as a traveling companion due to this post please :) And besides, everyone needs a trip like this at least once.

The second leg of my travels involved flying into Muscat, Oman. But before that could happen, I needed to say goodbye to Laura as she headed back to Sama Tower, and meet up with Sachi, my fellow NYUAD Vermonter. This coordination was interesting. I had booked tickets from Dubai to Muscat, but in reality, I booked a bus from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, then a flight to Muscat. So I hung around Dubai Marina Mall for about 3 hours until that bus came (and I got onto an earlier one). I checked into the flight, got through security in under a half-hour, and was waiting at the gate for Sachi, who was coming from Sama to the airport once we figured out the flight was from Abu Dhabi. Now, she took a bus. Which don't run as often at night. Boarding for the flight was supposed to start at 1.45 (AM. I have been awake for a very long time, with only some naps, by this point. Story of the trip). 1.45 shows up, luckily they haven't started boarding, but there was also no sign of Sachi. We were both panicking a bit at this point, but just as they start boarding, she arrives.

The flight was smooth and short. But we should have taken some of the earlier things as signs (like the fact our tickets took forever to book because of the website being down, our confusion, and the almost being late to the plane).

Arriving in Muscat, we thought our visas would be 5 Rials because we are UAE residents, which is a GCC country. But they are student visas. Which apparently don't count. We probably could have argued it, but it was 4AM. Neither of us had enough sleep. And it was 4AM. So they cost 20 Rials instead. Which is a lot. Cue massive re-planning. This plan will be elaborated on once we actually get to the taxi.

After withdrawing more cash, we went out to the taxi stand. I knew what hotel we were going to, but we thought that check-in wasn't until noon (well in reality that was check out time, but again, we didn't know that yet.) And I knew where the hotel was- along the Muttrah Corniche. But that was not listed in the places for the taxis. There was an Intercontinental listed as corniche, so we decided to go there. In that journey, we decided we would only stay at the hotel 1 night, and try to move our plane tickets (which were for 10.50AM two days later), to earlier in that same night, eliminating the second planned night at the hotel.

We got to the Intercontinental, and asked them where Naseem Hotel and the Muttrah Corniche were, and how to walk there. They started laughing at us and said we wouldn't be able to walk there, unless we wanted to take 5 hours. They offered us a taxi, but we declined.

Wandering around the Intercontinental, we found the beach. It is now about 4.30AM. Lacking anything better to do at this time, we sat down, and then ended up napping on the beach. (Also, I would like to note that this is actually the most exciting part of our trip, story wise- sleeping on a beach in Oman at 4AM).

I did not have socks with me. I regret that now, and they will be something I always pack while traveling, because I have over 50 bug bites on my feet right now. (Side note- you cannot find Benadryl in the UAE, but you can find equivalents).

But there were stars. So many stars in the sky <3

After sleeping on the beach until around 5.30-6ish, we began to walk. We watched the sun rise over the mountains, and began to notice how much friendlier people are in Oman.

Since we didn't really have a set plan at this point, we just kept walking.

We walked from A (Intercontinental) to B (Crowne Plaza). Here is the maps scale. 

Then at Crowne Plaza Hotel it was determined that it really was too far away to walk to Naseem Hotel. 

So after finding out that the "Rock Bottom" Cafe did not have rock bottom prices, we went to the beach by Crowne Plaza. Sachi had thought ahead and had brought 2 apples and a muffin. Which was our breakfast and lunch. 

During this beach sitting (around 8AM), we called Etihad and changed my flight, but then we realized that we were down to 17Dh of credit on my phone, and none on Sachi's. So her flight remained where it was (we tried calling later, but she couldn't get through, but when I get to the airport part of this story, you will see how it all turned out ok- Etihad Airways are AMAZING. I recommend them 200%). We also called Krushika, a fellow NYUADer who was home in Muscat for Eid, and made plans to meet up with her later. 

Once again, lacking any real plan, we began walking again. In the above map, if you see Al Qurm street and follow that off of the map, that is where we walked to. Our attempt (because by this point we had a map), was to go to the souks there. During our walk we found a little foodstuffs store that was open (the first we had seen), and we got water. Which was a Good Thing, seeing as we had been walking in the sun for quite a while now. And then when we finally decided to ask someone where the souk was, they gave us the very useful insight that because it was Nov 6, which was Eid itself, everything was closed. Good to know. 

Also, by this point, in my brain, I was very very worried that Sachi had regretted going on this trip. Because in all honesty, if the situation were reversed, I might wondering why the heck I decided to join this crazy adventure. But soon the story begins to turn!

We decide to get a cab to Old Muscat, and on the way we pass our hotel. So it is confirmed that it exists, we know where it is, and that we can get back to it. But everything in Old Muscat is of course closed as well. We commence to take lots of pretty pictures, and almost go up a back staircase in a still-active military fort. Because even though they were built centuries ago, they are still in use by the police. As we got told by the guy in uniform with a rifle. Oops. 

But no harm, no foul. It is now 11ish, and after taking photos of the palace (also still in use), we went to the hotel. This is where things start to get better. We checked in, and slept for a few hours. 

Then we ventured out to try and find food. The bakery was closed, but as we walked along the corniche, we noticed that some of the coffee shops were opening. And then we walked through the Muttrah Souq, and emerged into more of the residential area of the city, where we found cheap (and really good) samosas. We bought enough to have lunch the next day, because with the way the trip was going, who knew where we would be? Also found sweets, and brought them back to the corniche wall and had a late lunch/snack. 

By this point, Sachi no longer regretted coming along, and we were starting to figure things out. 

We went to dinner with Krushika and her friend, right around where we slept that morning. It was a really good time for many reasons. It is so nice to see people at home- they have a different level of comfort about them, and a different type of happiness. We also learned more about the sultan, who is very tolerant and a good leader. Walked across a wadi for when it rains (which we missed- both in Oman and it rained in the UAE. While we weren't there.), and then we wandered with them a bit. Krushika's parents were so amazing when they picked all of us up- they drove us back to our hotel. It was very appreciated, and once again, it is really nice to see my classmates with family, because they are different in a more real way. You get to see another side of people. 

Then we made one more venture out to get more water, and then we slept. 

It seems like it was a long day. It felt like a long day. That is because it was. But then it was day 2!

We got breakfast at the hotel because it was cheap and good. Then I had the roomiest shower in the past 10 weeks (my dorm room has a small square shower. Naseem Hotel had a tub). 

I highly recommend that hotel if you are ever in Muscat. Just tell the taxi Muttrah Corniche, and it is on the right of the roundabout. Cheap and safe, with beds and hot water. Also, a general note on traveling in Oman- barter for the cab price. We realized after we got back that basically we got ripped off on every cab fare, but it was at least consistent. (One way we knew this was how we were able to barter with the driver on the way to the airport (End of Day 2), because we literally only had 10 Rials). 

We went back to the forts, took more touristy pictures, and then we went to find a museum. (Which was open, because it is now the second day of Eid). We ended up in a residential area, where Sachi climbed partway up a mountain. While she was doing that, I was watching the bags and hoping the police wouldn't drive by (it was one of those places that isn't forbidden, but that doesn't mean you are supposed to be there). We were drawing quite the crowd, but it showed me again how much more open Omanis are- they were saying hi, and I found out I can't pass as living in Abu Dhabi. Also the taxi drivers would point out landmarks as we drove, which doesn't happen in the UAE. 

I loved the Heritage Museum. I am living in the Middle East, but still know very little about the culture and history, and going here gave me some good insights into Oman and the culture of the area in general. 

We had lunch there, with our leftover samosas and sweets and this:

Now, if I ran into this in the US, I might be a bit weirded out. It is basically juice with lots and lots of pulp and bits of fruit. I have never had anything like it, and I don't know if it was just the heat and slight dehydration I think I was nursing this entire trip, but it was really, really good. 

Also on this trip we kept getting asked where things were by other tourists. So I guess we looked like we  might not be complete tourists (and both times it was about the Intercontinental).

Went back to the souq, bartered for shirts, and I got a charm. Then we went and sat by the water, just relaxing. We decided to walk along the corniche. Saw a half sunk boat, and then we ran across some stairs. Again with the stairs which we may or may not have been supposed to climb. As we jumped the gap to get to them, we ran into another group of travelers who all wanted pictures with us. So there are pictures somewhere of us looking bewildered. Very bewildered. 

We then scaled the rocks, climbed the stairs, and discovered this was not an active fort. It was not even a tourist fort. There was a vertical gap to the door too high to safely cross. So we just took some pictures, continued walking, found a closed art gallery, and then sat on some Arabic-graffitied benches. 

Kept wandering, and then we found a park! With actual grass! We laid there for a while. I miss actual ground and sky and mountains- Oman gave me a nice dose of all of those :)

Then we found another fort tower, not off limits, but not necessarily open (notice a pattern?). Climbing that, we discovered that the tower itself only had half a floor remaining- you could see the ocean through it. It makes you think of time and history and ruin and preservation. It is one of the images I hope to remember for a long while.

The sunset was gorgeous. We had a fawakesh special (lots of fresh juices, and ice cream, and fruit), and then just sat on the wall looking at the water and the lights and the people. 

What we decided to do about flights is just get to the airport early and hopefully change Sachi's flight to the 5.30AM one mine had been changed too. But then there was an 11.35PM flight. It was really full, so we had to wait on standby, but the Etihad staff are amazing. They got us both on the flight, and waived the fees. Once again, Etihad 200%. 

Attempted to have an Arabic conversation with the visa guy (well, actually he attempted to have one with me. I remembered the basic words, but couldn't remember how to say what I studied in university). And then we got back into the UAE, took a bus, and got back to home sweet- Sama- home. 

But quoting him, I will visit Oman again, inshallah. 

I don't regret this trip at all. It was an adventure of the best (if slightly trying) kind. And it is hard to convey how awesome the trip was to people when we begin telling stories, because it sounds like everything went wrong. But it didn't. It went differently. Which isn't bad.

And as cliche as this sounds, I learned a lot about myself- how I travel, and how adventurous I can actually be. Seizing the moments :) I will plan more in the future, but it will be things about hours, and locations, and cab fares, and flight times. 

As for the random wanderings? They will always be some of the best moments, where you begin to see the city behind the facade. 

Safe travels all.

<3

Living

This is the first of 2 posts about my Oman travels, because in reality, they were 2 completely different trips.

After getting a full nights sleep for the first time in forever, my friend Laura and I ventured to the Abu Dhabi bus station. There was a bit of confusion, but we eventually got waved into the women/family line (which was so short compared to the other line that I didn't see it at first). Got on our bus only a little later than planned, but we were off to Dubai! (Which is not the same as Abu Dhabi. Just saying).

That night we recaptured small bits of normalcy that have been missing at NYUAD. We got fruit (which is hard to find and really expensive here), and then watched the news and part of Monsters Inc. It is striking how similar hotels are everywhere (but appreciated).

The next morning as we checked out of the hotel, we discovered that apparently I am a male Russian national on the receipt for the room. In the US I might expect the male part, if judged only on the name, but we checked in in person. And they looked at our passports. Neither of which were masculine, or Russian.

Then we went to the other hotel for the pickup for the dhow cruise. Driving into Oman, it was startling how much the landscape changes in 2 hours. It went from flat, deserted desert to mountains and sand and shrubberies. (Ni jokes were made).

Crossing the border was as easy as showing our UAE residence visas (which amused the guards on both sides). And then: the dhow cruise.

I haven't sorted through all of my pictures yet, so those will be added in (hopefully) within the next few days.

We got onto the boat and claimed our spot. There were people, but it wasn't super crowded. Soon after, we set off, content to sit and look over the ocean and mountains, the breeze off the water hitting our upturned faces.

On the trip out to the spot we would anchor, the guide/leader/I don't really know what his title would be, but he made sure everyone was having fun and had everything they needed, put on the radio. What sounded to be an Arabic Riverdance song came on. And he knew the steps. And began pulling people up to dance with him. Of course, we had to :) It was one of those "I don't know how I got here, but it is amazing to be living this life" moments.

A pause for my reflections on the overall day (and the past 10 weeks in general):

I am still bewildered by all of this. I still don't know how I got here. I can pinpoint series of causes and events which seem to have set me on this path, but I cannot say any of them for certain. This quote basically sums up this uncertainty: "Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?"- Garth Nix. I don't think I will ever fully know, or be able to fully comprehend all of this. What I do know is that I am incredibly blessed in my life, both with the opportunities I have been given, and with the wonderful people that I am surrounded by, wherever I am. I am trying to be in the moment, to try to live in a way that gives back good like the good I have received.

I think I must be doing something right, and I know I am living it right.

Now, back to the boat! After finally realizing how nice it is to just sit, relax, and be, the boat anchored a bit off a beach. We had the opportunity to go snorkeling, jump off the boat, go to the beach, and just swim.

We started by snorkeling. After a few tries to get the masks to fit right, we swam over to the rocks by the shore (this will make more sense with pictures), and began to snorkel. There were so many fish! And they were neon, and multi-colored, and striped, and awesome.

Then we jumped off of the boat. Because, well, you have to. :) I almost didn't, because I don't love heights. But one way I am trying to live my life differently is to not let myself get in my own way. So I looked, saw the distance, and still leaped into the beautiful water.

After some time we had lunch, which was an odd mix of Arabic, Indian, and American BBQ. Then we went back to shore, and back to Dubai.

It was a breathtaking day.

Part 2 of my Oman adventures will be continued in the next post.

<3

Playlist

Picture, if you will, 7AM in the morning.

You have just woken up after sleeping for, (if you are lucky), 5 hours, after going to classes, extracurriculars, and then doing homework for hours on end.

Also, this pattern had been repeating for a few days.

Not being a morning person, you are still sleepy, and kind of out of it.

This is your dining-hall playlist.

Repeat at nearly every meal.

Enjoy a small earful of MLIAD <3

Celine Dion- My Heart Will Go On (Techno Remix)
(The sad thing is, when I didn't hear this song for a few days, I was happy when I heard it again. And commented on that fact. My table-mates looked at me strangely)

Akon- Smack That

Green Day- 21 Guns

Sue Thompson- Sad Movies

<3

Adventures I

Roman numerals. Got to love them, since this is the first of many retellings of adventures I have had here.

My first foray into adventuring in Abu Dhabi ended up not getting me to my intended destination. But that's ok, I will get to Khalifa Park at some point (hopefully during Eid).

I don't actually fully know what Khalifa Park is because I never got there, so anything I say about it is second-hand. But apparently it has a train, and open space, and grass, and is a way to escape the NYUAD bubble and just be and think and breathe. I am not going to lie- it is hard sometimes being here. You are far away from home, trying to understand yourself and others, do well in academics, think about the future, all while trying to maintain a balance. It is a lot of pressure, and everyone goes through rough days. One day I just needed to get out of Sama, and go somewhere where I could be by myself and not see anyone I know. A sophomore had told me about Khalifa and how to get there, and I set off. Well, the thing is, there are official and unofficial bus stops in Abu Dhabi. The official ones actually have the buses coming (around) when they say. The unofficial ones, which have a sign and some buses that do stop there, might not actually get all of the buses the signs say. And say, perchance, that the bus you need only comes every hour. It might result in you standing at an unofficial bus stop for an hour and a half, seeing the bus number you need go on all the streets but the one you are on. And then you might decide to try this adventure another day. But it still got me out of Sama and space to think. So it was worth it.

Another adventure was finding the naan place. I knew where it was because I had seen it on our out-to-lunch with an RA. (Random side-note- the RA's here are amazing). It just took me a while to find it- I ended up wandering all around the area behind Sama, finding everything but the naan place. Eventually I found it (I had seen it leaving the Golden Spoon restaurant, not on the way there like I thought). I then proceeded to get things to make pizza with it (I miss cooking). And it was awesome. But now whenever I go again to try to get naan they are always closed. So it is an adventure every time.

There is a list in one of the rooms of "existential crisis purchases". I would like to preface this story by saying that this is on the list, but I don't think it should be. I have wanted a ukelele for a while, and they didn't have ukulele's. They had half-size children's guitars and normal guitars. I have a guitar at home, and debated bringing it, but didn't. But now I have a guitar here :) And apparently it is a sign of an existential crisis. But the real adventure was not purchasing a guitar, it was finding the music store. I googled Abu Dhabi music stores, and found one called AKM Music. I had a general location (there are no street addresses here, which is an adventure in itself when you want to find/go somewhere), and was trying to find someone to go with me. I (thought) I had failed at that attempt because everyone was working. But then on my way out I ran into Luka and Connor who weren't doing anything. And I convinced them that this would be a lot more fun than going back to their rooms and surfing the internet thinking they should be working or doing something. We took a taxi to Crowne Plaza, which is the hotel that the store is behind (there are main streets that taxis go on, and then you can walk back into other streets and areas from there). Now, because of that city set-up, "behind Crowne Plaza", and 'look for a yellow sign' isn't that much to work from. We wandered the wrong way, back again, and then eventually found the store. And found out it didn't open for another half hour. Again, because none of us had anything better to do (actually we did, because there is always something that needs to be done, but we were productively procrastinating), we decided to wait for it to open. There was another al-Safa nearby, so we walked to that, bought a jug of apple juice, and sat on the curb talking for a half hour. It was one of those moments where you really appreciate the journey.

The Abu Dhabi Film Festival is kind of a big deal. And they have outdoor screenings, which I thought was really cool. I went to go see The Temple, a story about India, and revelation, and faith, and exploitation, and religion. It was such a good movie- one that makes me want to take a film class, even though I cringe whenever I think of editing a film. But the atmosphere made a good movie even better. I was sitting outside, next to part of the Arabian Gulf, across from me the lit-up Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, a cool breeze, and then comes the best part. I looked up, and saw 3 stars peeking through the haze. It was the first time I saw stars since I got here.

So many adventures, and this is only the start. Next up: Oman

<3

The Little Things

One thing I have realized is that the little things matter most. So here are some of the little things that I am really thankful for right now.

• Letters. Not emails, not facebook messages, but actual handwritten letters. It is a shame they have gone out of style, because they mean so much- I think if people actually wrote letters, then they would realize how important they are. It shows someone has taken the time to sit down, think about what they are going to say, handwrite it, and get it to a mailbox. That is so much more dynamic than sitting at a desk illuminated by a computer screen. 
• Making time for music. Just blasting a song I love and dancing around my dorm room. Or taking the time to strum my guitar a bit, trying to work on chords and transitions. 
• Conversations. Everyone here has something to share, some ability to help put things in perspective in your own life (or to just make you laugh after a hard day).
• Family. And by this I don't mean the narrow term of the family you were born into (though, in my case, that is an amazing, loving group of people). I also mean the family we create, the people we choose to spend our time with and the people we take our masks off in front of. Being here, so far away from home, we really have created an ohana. And ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten. (From Lilo and Stitch. A perfect example of this new-formed family of NYUAD is when Laura and I were just hanging out in Sachi's room, and we looked up the clip of this part of Lilo and Stitch (I found out I didn't have the first movie with me, only the second :( ) and we just sat there tearing up, thinking about family, and realizing that we aren't alone here. We are forced to trust each other more and have less of a wall. It is a good thing, it can just be scary at times)
• 1 dirham naan. Not only does it force me to walk outside of Sama, it is fresh-baked naan for $0.27USD. And it is sooooo good. So good. 
• Stickie notes. Our room often leaves notes for each other about random things at random times, and it is awesome. I have taken up the habit in others rooms as well. 
• Hardcover notebooks. They are so much better than spiral bound or sewn, but in the US they are really expensive and difficult to find. Not here :) 
• Going to the beach and swimming in the Arabian Gulf for the first time (it only took me 2 months!)
• Sparkly purple nail polish
• Hearing the Imams call to prayer drifting through the air, giving the city a sacred ancient note, contrasted sharply with the modernity everywhere else
• Getting a "you've got mail" email. Because that means something physical from a loved one really far away. Like a letter. Did I mention I love letters? (And I do write back :)
• Having words which everyone cringes/laughs at when they hear, because they are so overused. For example- modernity. cosmopolitan. world honors college. diversity. global citizen. 
• Being appreciative of people. Always saying thank-you with a smile, asking 'how are you?' and meaning it
• Eccentric professors
• Being able to go to someones room and just talk, or get away from an essay, or hang out and learn from each other
• Exploring, connecting, and adventuring.

There are so many more that aren't on this list. And the list keeps growing everyday. I am so blessed to be here, and I try to live up to that every day.

<3

Autumn

Autumn holds many meanings for me. I grew up in either northern Vermont or New Hampshire, so with the end of summer came the lengthening of nights, the turning of leaves, and another year on this earth.

For the first time ever, I am away from home during fall. For the first time ever, I am living in a city- I see dust and concrete (and fake green). I never really appreciated the beauty of the leaves- they were always just there, and because of that I took them for granted. Not this year. I miss the leaves. I miss the turning of the air from the Vermont summer to something sharper, infused with change. Those are little things, but something that grew to be a part of me. Memories of places are strong- if I close my eyes and think about it, I can transport myself back home, to the dirt roads and the forests. Fall is my favorite season, and it doesn't really exist where I am right now. I don't know where my travels will take me, but I know that at some point, I will cross paths with Vermont in the fall again.

This post is actually really outdated by this point, but the ideas are the same. I turned 19 in September. And that is a weird birthday. Because you don't get any more legal rights (voted last year! woo-hoo!), but a shift still occurs. You start to feel old. You realize that oh-my-gosh-I'm-almost-twenty. Two decades. It is the time when people expect you to have a plan, begin to actually figure things out. And at least for me, that isn't really true. I am willing to go where life decides to take me, pursue my passions and hope for the best. You also begin to take more responsibility, but also begin to gain a confidence that comes with time and independence.

Who knows. These ideas could have come simply from partaking in the adventure that is NYUAD. Being 19 could have nothing to do with it. But thinking that I am only a year from 20 puts things in perspective. Life happens once, you have to (as cliche as this is), live with no regrets.

<3

The Past Few Weeks

In all honesty, I should probably be doing homework. But in reality, I know that in the next hour and a half, I will not accomplish anything even with the best intentions because 1) It is Thursday, and 2) After having 3 classes and actually doing stuff during the day, I generally end up relaxing in this gap before going to capoeira.

Today I decided to be productive in a way, and catch up on some blogging, since right now one of the main purposes of this blog is to keep family and friends back home up-to-date with MLIAD (my life in Abu Dhabi).

I haven’t written in a while because things have gotten a bit hectic here. It is midterms week, and while I don’t have any official midterms, I did have an Arabic quiz and I have papers either due or needing to be started for all of my other classes. One thing I am looking forward to is to have a more creative schedule next semester- right now I have Arabic, and then the other 3 are all just a lot of reading and writing.

Because of the lack of creativity in my classes, I am trying to be involved with the artsy scene that is here. And for me, since I don’t really draw/paint/play an instrument well/sing (in the formats they have here), that means theatre. The thing is, I am not (currently) enrolled in any of the theatre classes. Since a lot of the opportunities are only for people who are in the classes, have taken the classes, or know the professor, my options for breaking into the theatre world were limited. Luckily, the professor is really nice, and after sending him an email, I am now on the list for all the theatre things. J One awesome experience was getting to see an open rehearsal for a new piece that is in the works.

That was right after the opening night for Floor Wars, a year long, multifaceted competition between the floor. I am on the 8^th floor, and our theme is Super 8 (superheroes). Another part of that competition was open mic night, where each floor put on an act. We decided to do a skit. Now, if you knew me in high school, you would know my view on student skits for competitions like this. I helped early on, through the years began to just act in them, and then finally I separated myself from the skits altogether. They just never ended well. And while I can say that Super 8’s skit was a lot better than anything from high school, the thing about being here is that people remember the skit the next day, even 2 weeks later. They will bring it back up. Consider yourself warned.

It might seem like I have a lot of time, but this past weekend (one I will fondly remember as the one where almost everything needed to be explained, for instance I built a fort and put Remi's phone in the fridge because I didn’t know how to silence it, and Tessa went to Bible Camp in Dubai) was the first that I really got to hang out with people at all outside of studying and class. We (and when I say ‘we’ I mean Farah but I was there), hosted an Arabic coffee party, and I got to have some nice conversations with people about things not related to grades, midterms, or J-Term.

Ah. J-Term. It is a class that we take for 3 weeks intensively in January. There is a ranking process, and I got my 3^rd choice, a creative writing course called Tales of Love and Death. I know it will be an awesome class, and I have always wanted to take a creative writing course but there were always schedule conflicts, but the process as to who got what course didn’t seem super logical. Still a bit disappointed that I didn’t get into the photojournalism class, but I will be learning vicariously through my friends who did get in.

Right now the Abu Dhabi Film Festival is going on. I have seen 2 films, Tahrir 2011 on the Egyptian revolution and The Temple, a commentary through narrative on faith and power. Both were amazing, and something that reminded me that I wasn’t at home is that people react to the movies here- very much like in a concert after someone finishes a solo, there is some clapping, the same happens here when an idea resonates with the audience.

Originally I was planning on going to Nepal during Eid break, but I didn’t realize that the amazingly low price tickets were part of a sale. This ended up working out in my favor, because I am going on a dhow snorkeling trip in Oman, and then because my friend and I will still have those visas, we are flying into Muscat, Oman for a few days (because of frequent flier miles the tickets cost a total of $35 USD, which is nothing compared to the cost of a bus both ways from Dubai to Muscat which takes 8 hours (time and $ cost). Then we are coming back after around 4 days, hanging around Abu Dhabi, and then going to a Brittany Spears concert.

Yes. You read that right J A lot of the students here won tickets, and I am going. Seeing as a lot of my cassettes and my first CD was Brittany Spears, it will be cool/interesting/kinda weird to see her in concert years later.

I was going to write a bunch about Arabic, but the summary is: I am slowly getting a hang of the language, I can write about me and my family and friends with limited use of a dictionary, and our class went out to Arabic breakfast this morning after my roommate decided to also get Arabic breakfast food (they were both different, and both AWESOME). I don’t love ‘traditional’ breakfast food, and so this was really good. And my class is really fun to be around, so it was a nice, non-stressful class the day after a quiz.

Off to the last capoeira class with this group. I have been here 7 weeks already. Which is weird to think about. 

<3

            

Discs in the Moonlight

Ok, so posting this now is going to mess up the chronology of this blog, because I have a backlog of things to write, but whatever :)

I played one year of girls varsity Ultimate Frisbee in high school. Senior year, there were too many conflicts, and I decided to keep my job at Nat Prov and act in The Crucible. I made the right choice, but I've missed playing Ultimate.

Because you are just running and throwing and catching and pivoting and turning and not thinking and just playing.

After the chaos of the past month that was really, really, really nice.

It was drills, but that was good to get me back into practice- I still have my forehand, but my backhand needs work (basically opposite the normal because I am left-handed)

I still remember how to do all the running/turning/pivoting drills, so that was good.

But it is really hot here. And we were outside. I think by the end I was slightly dehydrated, and was completely drenched in sweat.

It was amazing.

We were outside, in the field of a local school, under the lights, and under the moon. There were a bunch of people there, from all ages and skills (I was one of the youngest there). And people from all over! Mainly expats, but then there was one of the professors from one of last year's J-Terms (I wasn't here (obviously), but the other student from NYUAD who went had her as a teacher).

This was one of the first times where I was able to just step back, and think "Wow, this is surreal. what I am doing is surreal". I mean, I was playing Ultimate, in the Middle East, in the moonlight, with an amazingly diverse group of women.

Next time playing should be Saturday for a pick up game (the drills are women-only, but the pickup games are mixed) :) Then one more practice/drill, and pickups every Saturday and Wednesday. I know I won't be able to make all of them, but those are days in which my evenings can be clear on a regular basis.

Now I just need to find a pair of cleats :)

<3

An Ode to my Planner

I like being organized. And especially somewhere as chaotic as college, organization becomes even more essential.

Before I flew to AD, I tried in vain to find a planner that I liked. And failed in that attempt. Knowing how crazy things got in high school with my schedule, I predicted (correctly), that college would be worse. I also know from past experience that spiral bound planners get destroyed in the abyss my bag can turn into by the end of the year.

So I came to school with no planner. And they are really hard to find over here, a fact I wish I had known before I got here.

I started out making a planner- getting a notebook and writing all the days in. But there was no good way to keep track of the day/ get to it easily, and it just wasn't working.

Then I tried using my iCal. Which worked for a while, but I don't always have my computer with me, so it became an issue with smaller, weekly/daily assignments.

Next I decided I would make a weekly calendar on Word, and adjust that for each week. But the same issue with organizing assignments came up.

Finally, today, I had had enough.  Tessa and Caroline had found planners at All Prints, a fairly well known store around here that is amazing- books, and notebooks, and art supplies. It is awesome. So Farah (who has lived in the UAE her whole life) and I walked to it from DTC.

Side note- my roommates are awesome :)

We walked there, midday, and while it was hot, the walk was shorter than if we had gone later from Sama, and it is actually nice to get out of the AC at times. I also liked walking because now I know how to find it again.

I have, sadly, not really explored much, so any small chance like this I jump at (as long as it will be a fairly short trip).

And now, planner ^_^ I have one, and it is organized, which makes me extremely happy

<3

Interesting Night

In the UAE, (and primarily Muslim countries in general), the weekends are Friday-Saturday. So last night was the equivalent of a Sunday in Western countries, the day before the school/work week starts. And as such, my classmates and I were studying, and then going to sleep. I had finished a lot of my work on Friday, and I was actually working ahead in the week (things get crazy, fast, here). At about 10:45-11ish I decided to go to bed.

I was almost asleep when I heard a buzzer and an automated voice. It was too short to actually hear what it was saying, but my roommates and I sleepily got up and went into the hallway, along with most of the other girls from our floor. Our RA assured us that it was a false alarm, and that if something was actually going on it would keep going (it didn't even get through the message once). Since we knew that humidity/etc sometimes sets them off and that they were working on the system, we went back to bed.

2 minutes later, the alarm, again. Hallway, again. Once again it stopped, but going through the full message, which is along the lines of "There has been a fire detected in the building. Please standby for further instructions". It stopped for a minute, and then went on again. And kept going. But a call from public safety said that there wasn't an issue. So again, we went back to bed, resigned to the fact of sleeping through a fairly noisy alarm.

Not like we weren't used to this, because if you leave the door to the staircase open too long, it beeps. And continues to beep until someone shuts said door.

But then we got a call from another floor saying that they were evacuating the building. We evacuated, walking down what seemed like endless flights of stairs (While I am only on the 8th floor, there are mysterious floors between 1 and Ground, so it is a lot more).

A general generalizing observation- in the countries I go to outside of North America, it is always too hot with too many people for the time of night that it is. (Probably 12:15AM by this point)

Got to hang out with all of my schoolmates and teachers a ways away from the building. Someone brought a guitar, and I finally figured out how to call the US with my phone!

Fire trucks/police/ambulances arrived, and we just waited for information. What was finally determined was that there had been an electrical fire on the 34th floor. This took a while to filter down to us, and in that time, we ended up (all 300 of us), walking to the down town campus because people were getting dehydrated due to the heat. (Around 1:30 at this point)

I can't even imagine what the locals thought of this parade. It is only a 10 minute walk to DTC, but there were 300 of us, in varying stages of pjamas, at 1:30AM.

By 2:30 we got word the fire was out
By 3:30 we got the all clear that it was safe to go back. You can smell some smoke in the elevators/stairs, but that is the extent of it (thankfully)

So conclusion: No class today (which is how I have time for all of these entries), and only 5 hours of sleep. When they announced no classes, you would think they were announcing something earth-shattering. I guess because there are no snow/ice/cold/heat days here, so things like this don't normally happen. But still. For all the talk that this is the world's honors college, everyone seemed really thrilled for no classes (A combonation of being awake and sugar high and crazy at 3AM with everyone, and the fact that a lot of people were still working when the alarm went off) Although it does mean we are making it up next Saturday.

Everyone is safe, and we got an extra day to relax/study. And we made the local news http://www.thenational.ae/thenational/news/uae-news/fire-forces-evacuation-of-nyu-abu-dhabi-students-and-staff

<3

Recap: Week One of Classes

Because of an interesting night that I will detail in another post, I got 5 hours of sleep last night. Which for me, really isn't that much. So this week will be recapped in list form.

• NYUAD has lots of reading
• Though that might have something to do with my classes...
• Which I switched halfway through the week. Goodbye Instruments in World Music Culture, hello Faith in Science Reason in Revelation (which, judging by the first classes of each, was a really good choice for me)
• Even though it means a lot more reading. And a lot of it overlaps in ideas, which will both be helpful and confusing
• I am enjoying all of my classes, and am invested in all of the topics
• Arabic, while difficult, does not seem impossible
• Getting out of Sama is a Good Thing. 
• Especially after reading for over 6 hours in one day.
• I have gone ice skating more in the past 2 weeks than the past year. The Abu Dhabi sports complex has a bigger rink, with fewer people, but it was really hazardous at first because it was too slippery
• The syrup in the dining hall is 2% maple syrup. The Vermonter in me cries. 
• Our microwave is scary powerful- if I put in a mug of water for 2 minutes, there is a 50/50 chance that it will boil
• I don't speak too quickly- which is the 2nd time someone has commented that they can always understand me, even if English isn't there first language. 
• I look Scandinavian, sound Canadian, so the only potential issue for traveling is my passport country :)
• Did I mention there is a lot of reading? And that getting out of Sama is good? 

<3 Week One of classes- pretty darn good :)

First Day of Classes... Just Kidding!

Today is Sunday. Which, in the UAE, is the equivalent of Monday, and was the first day of classes. But I had an interesting day.

I woke up earlier than my alarm, which was nice- I figured I would have a nice, relaxed breakfast and then get to the Downtown Campus for my 10AM class. But I checked my email. And I got a syllabus for my Arabic 101 class, which meets Monday-Thursday. Yet the syllabus I got said that the first class was today, the 4th. I had a moment of panic and got down to the DTC as soon as I could, where I found out the syllabus was for all of the Arabic 101 classes, some of which did have class.

Then 10AM rolled around- Government and Religion. Now, this is an odd class, because it meets all year, and not on every Sunday. Since this was the first week of class, we all assumed we had class. And then, like what sometimes happens when you put smart people in a room, logic goes away. We waited for 40 minutes before calling one of the assistant professors only to find out this was one of the Sundays that we didn't have class.

And then I got lost. Judy and I were trying to find the stationary store to get school supplies, and because it was really hot and we were told the store was far away, we took a cab (cabs are really cheap here- one reason- cheap fuel). But we didn't know the street intersections (they don't use numbers much here). We knew the name and one of the streets. Which wasn't enough. So we ended up going to Marina Mall, to a store called Carrefours- like Wal-Mart. Never found the stationary story. Moral of the story- know the street intersections or directions before you go!

<3

Following my Passion

"Use art to turn the world inside out" -JR

Already a week into NYUAD, I have almost surely decided to change my major to Visual Arts, minoring in Social Research.

Some background. I want to change the world, if only in a small way. That is one aspiration that I share with all of my classmates. Right now, after college, I plan on volunteering and working with NGO's and non-profits abroad, while developing my portfolio to become a photojournalist. Now of course, that could change completely- this university offers so many amazing opportunities that it would be a waste to not consider them.

That being said, I came to NYUAD thinking that I was going to major in Social Research and Public Policy- a broad degree encompassing things like politics, economics, and international affairs. That is what would be logical. Safe, in a way.

During Marhaba Week, we had many speeches given by our outstanding faculty and staff. A common thread in all of them was following your passion. Which started me thinking (it really didn't help matters any that I see the quote above whenever I walk to or from my room)- I care about social research and volunteering, and I will most likely end up working in the field at some point. But my passion is art, and using art to change the world, and people's perceptions of the world.

Every long term project I have completed has had to do with art. My junior year, you need to write an extended research paper in English. I changed my topic over 5 times, the final change being from something on the social sciences (which had evolved over 4 changes), to a completely new topic- music education in schools. (Note to students- not the best idea to completely overhaul a paper when you are over halfway through. You can do it, it just isn't easy).

The following summer I went to a leadership retreat where you make a vision plan for creating change. I created a proposal for a series of photographs portraying modern global, social, and cultural issues. This plan morphed...

Into my Capstone (senior project), which entailed write ups, actually taking the photographs, and then hand printing them (using a darkroom).

Art has always been close to my heart. So with all the talk about following your passion, I decided that I would explore what my major would be. I am taking a class this semester that is required for Social Research, and I will take a class next semester for Visual Arts, and decide from there.

But right now, even though it isn't the most logical decision, it looks like I will be majoring in Visual Arts.

So far, following my heart and my passion hasn't steered me wrong. And there are a lot worse philosophies in life. I am going to use my years at NYUAD to explore, discover, and hopefully understand. Being brave enough to follow my heart and passion even when it isn't the choice that most would make is the first step in that journey. <3

Coffee

Before coming to NYUAD, I had never even tried coffee.

That has definitely changed now.

My first venture into the world of coffee began at the Dubai Mall, the largest in the world. I had been wandering for a while, and, with my collegiate mindset, decided to stop at one of the numerous coffee shops. What I discovered was that while the taste of coffee isn't horrible, I really don't like lattes. Of any kind (back at home I had tried a chai latte, and even though I love chai, I disliked the latte).

Then the next day comes, and one of my unofficial roommates, Remi, (like stated in an earlier blog, we have a quad, so people visit us a lot :) ), made ice coffee (she has a blender). And that was really good.

Now add onto this the fact that I have an 8:30 class Monday to Thursday, and you get this: 

Nescafe Mocha. I also tried the original, which wasn't as good, but Al Safa (the nearby supermarket- which has EVERYTHING, and is only 3 buildings away from the dorm, so it is awesomeness), has run out of the mocha. But I have enough for the first week :)

<3

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, in reality, I left over a week ago.

I left Vermont on Aug 25th, and after a flight to NYC, then another to Abu Dhabi (13 hours), I arrived on the 26th. Went through some visa processing, got my eyes scanned, and then waited with a bunch of other NYUAD'ers for other flights of our classmates. Eventually we went outside, (going from air conditioning to a wall of heat that you just walk into- happens a lot here. Sometimes accompanied by my glasses fogging up), and went to Sama Tower, my home for the next 4 years. Got settled in a bit, met my roommates (who are awesome), and slept.

Now, here is the funny thing about time zones and traveling. They mess with you. But not always in a negative way. For the first few days of Marhaba (Welcome) Week, I was naturally waking up at around 7, with the light. But alas, I did not magically turn into a morning person- as the week progressed I began to sleep later and actually need my alarm.

Marhaba Week was awesome. It was a whirlwind, but one that was at the same time both fun and useful.
Some highlights:

• Iftar meals. We arrived during Ramadan, which is the Islamic fasting time. An iftar is the meal that breaks the fast after the evening call to prayer, and we attended two at really nice banquet halls. 
• The school library. Awesome books, that you loan on a semester basis :)
• A discussion on following your passion and intercultural intelligence (more on those ideas in another post)
• Dubai! I figured out that my foreign travel curse is to be on the bus that breaks down. It happened in India when we got a flat tire, and it happened on the way to Dubai when the AC broke. But Dubai was amazing. Got to see the Burj Kalifa, the tallest building in the world, and went ice skating :) A nice reminder of home. 
• Kayaking eco tour. Even though I had to wake up at 5:45AM, it was completely worth it. We kayaked through the mangroves, learning about the environment. But what was really amazing, (I need a thesaurus), was kayaking on an inlet of the Persian Gulf, seeing the sun rise, the skyline of the city, the horizon, and feeling a cool breeze for the first time since getting here. 
• Participating in the wandering journal project- an artistic endeavor in the UAE to bring about a renaissance by printing journals and passing them around, getting the people who live here to make a page, and then sharing those to show the diversity and creative talents of the residents.
• Making the dorm room feel like home was fun, and is still an evolving process (my desk is now ready for class)
• The realization that here, you can truly be yourself- I don't know if this is true for all US colleges, but here, there is very little judgement and since we are all figuring out where we fit, everyone is really friendly. And it is so inspiring to be in an environment with talented and driven students. 

<3

Classes

My classes for my first semester at NYUAD:

The Relationship of Government and Religion (core)
Instruments in World Music Culture (core)
Faith in Science, Reason in Revelation (core)
Elementary Arabic 1 (elective)
The Foundation of Modern Social Thought (major)
Capoeira (PE)
Advanced Capoeira (PE)

This semester looks like it will be intense, but fun :)

<3

What Exactly IS NYUAD?

NYU Abu Dhabi is many things.


From their website (nyuad.nyu.edu):


"NYU's agreement with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to create NYU Abu Dhabi is the outcome of a shared understanding of the essential roles and challenges of higher education in the 21st century: a common belief in the value of a liberal arts education, concurrence on the benefits a research university brings to the society that sustains it, a conviction that interaction with new ideas and people who are different is valuable and necessary, and a commitment to educating students who are true citizens of the world. As the first comprehensive liberal arts and science campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university, NYU Abu Dhabi has been built on the following principles:

• NYU Abu Dhabi is a research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science college. It draws students from around the world, and prepares them for the challenges and opportunities of our interconnected world. 
• NYU Abu Dhabi equips students for leadership in all arenas of human endeavor. It fosters curiosity, creativity, and critical reflection. At NYU Abu Dhabi, students extend themselves and the frontiers of knowledge. 
• NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU New York form the backbone of a fully connected Global Network University. As one of the two major hubs in the Global Network, NYU Abu Dhabi creates a unique capacity for faculty and students to access the assets of the entire university system."

But to me, for the next 4 years it will be a second home. All I know now is what I experienced on my Candidate Weekend, what I have heard from the Class of 2014 (the perpetual seniors), and what I have heard from NYUAD itself. 


But that will change in T-2 days, when I begin my journey and step onto that plane :)


<3

Roommates!

Like many of my fellow NYUAD Class of '15er's, I have been anxiously awaiting any and all communication from school. At least for me, one of the emails I have been waiting for most is the roommate assignment. Which came today!

I got placed in a 4 person visitation room (which is exactly what I wanted!) Because
1) I am totally ok with having people hang out in the room. But...
2) I like sleeping. So having a separate room (that I do share), yet has a door will be awesome. And...
3) Visitation. So anyone can come chill :)

And my roommates sound awesome. I am rooming with Farah from the UAE, Tessa from Spain, and Fah from Thailand. So super diverse. Which is a good reflection as to the student body at NYUAD.

<3 Brook

Welcome

If you've found this blog, you probably know me :) But if not, here is a short introduction.

My name is Brook, and I am about to embark on the journey of a lifetime to the United Arab Emirates to study at New York University Abu Dhabi for my undergraduate years. I grew up in Vermont, so going to school over 7,000 miles away is a big leap, and I'll be using this blog to keep those at home up-to-date on my adventures. I'm going to update this weekly, time permitting.

While at NYUAD, I plan on studying Social Research and Public Policy, with a lot of Arabic, journalism, and photography courses as well, with my ultimate after-graduation plan of becoming a photojournalist and working with NGO's abroad.

That's all for now, I leave for Abu Dhabi in 36 days and counting.

<3 Brook