Fellows' Reflections: Alex Petri

I arrived in Amman somewhat late. A series of setbacks, including the COVID pandemic, put me here in mid-January rather than November. Before that it was supposed to be September. Before September it was August. I am glad to finally be here!

Strangely, I felt no initial discomfort upon arriving, and I don’t know what to make of that. It surprised me. A voice in the back of my head tells me I should have felt more discomfort than I did. Until August, I lived in Washington, DC. From August until my arrival, I was in rural Illinois staying with my dad in a town of less than one hundred people. No ISPs (internet service providers) had service for his address, so I commuted to my mom’s apartment the next town over to telework for the Collateral Repair Project (CRP), where I started my fellowship remotely in October. I would catch my supervisor and other colleagues as they wrapped up their day in Jordan, beginning mine in the cold and bleak Midwestern winter. All three very different places to have called home in the span of one year. I do not take for granted the sunshine in Amman. It has given me quite a lot of new energy!

And so I have been thinking (but only occasionally). With my arrival, I must remind myself that I arrived in Jordan for a reason.

What was that reason? Sometimes it is difficult to remember why you set out to do something. I can hardly remember what I ate for supper last night most of the time. And so I ask myself, am I in Jordan for the right reasons? How do I know those reasons are right? Anxieties abound! I am thankful to have many new friends who are willing to have these conversations with me. I am thankful that many Jordanians are so kind and open and welcoming.

I am here to see the ways I can make an impact on the community around me. I’m very aware that having my position means a Jordanian does not have it. Because of that, I don’t expect myself to operate as if this was just another job in the US. I have to be dynamic.

Until next time.