My epiphany moment

I am not sure when, maybe one or two years ago, that I started drifting away from my plan. When I came to the U.S. to do my PhD my plan was to return back to Jordan as soon as I am done.  But life in the U.S. is so easy compared to anywhere else.  Living in the U.S. is very comfortable and it is a lovely place to be.

Two weeks or so ago I had my epiphany moment. I was sure what I want to do in my life. I am determined now to finish my PhD and go back to Jordan. I want to tech in Jordan and start a family there.

There are so many reasons that make me want to live in the U.S. But there are also so many other reasons that make me want to settle in Jordan. My number one reason is family. Being close to my parents, sister, brothers and my nieces and nephews makes me happy.

On another level, I think I have gained lots of experience in my 11 years studying and working in the U.S. Here, there are thousands of Computer Science PhD holders. Working in the U.S. may satisfy my eagerness for excellence  in academia and my hunger for financial satisfaction. But life is more than that.

I am writing this post to keep my promise. This is not going to be a one time post. I am going to keep updating it, hopefully. Writing things I want to do in Jordan, places nearby that I want to visit.

When I visited Jordan back in January 2013, I noticed how Jordan became a hub for its troubled neighboring countries. Syrian refugees, Iraqi immigrants, Yemeni and Khaliji (Arab Gulf) college students, Libyan patients coming to Jordan for its good reputation in medical care in the region. Jordan became a multicultural  country and I like that.

I want to teach Arab students but more important I want also to learn from this young Arab generation how did they manage to break the hardest taboo. I want to ask them how does it feel to not be afraid of the Mukhabarat. How did they manage to say enough is enough. The future of the Arab region is so promising. It is of course going to get worse before we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I want to be there hoping I can also make a change. I like teaching and I believe it is an honorable job.

Here is a video I want to share with you about the beauty of our Arab region. A country that I always dreamed of visiting but didn’t get the chance to is Lebanon. Here is a beautiful video from Lebanon.