Two Months In: A Reflection on Living Abroad

March 2026 - A year ago, I would have never believed you if you told me that I would have the opportunity to study in Cairo, Egypt, for an entire year. I would have been even more surprised had you told me I could study politics during an active regional conflict and document the narratives and stories arising from the war.

When I found out I was eligible to pursue an exchange program with the American University of Cairo, I was initially unsure of how I would be able to make it all work out and whether it was the best choice for my career and future. Luckily, things fell into place one by one, like pieces of a puzzle, and before I knew it, I was landing in Cairo on a brisk January night after experiencing some of Europe's best hustle and bustle. Cairo presented new challenges from the very beginning: a new language, different systems of daily life, new sights and smells. The norms of daily life that I was used to were upended within minutes of landing; I found out very quickly that Egyptian border security is not nearly as rigorous as that in the West.

Those first couple of days were a blur of newness, but never once was I fearful or uncomfortable. One of the reasons I started documenting my experiences abroad is to show that one does not have to approach life abroad with preconceived fears; mine were washed over by the enthrallment I was feeling in those first moments.

I came to Egypt expecting to feel unsure of where to start, cautious of the culture and language, and concerned over the ever-present logistical nightmares of living abroad. I have been here for almost two full months now, and never have I truly felt overwhelmed by the things I expected would overcrowd my mental space. Things haven't been all pretty, from multi-hour long lines at the Visa Offices, or 12-hour minivan journies to the small towns in the Western Desert, but I realized I left behind a different kind of weight when I came to this wonderful place. I left behind the constant noise of America. I almost instantly forgot about the brands, the promos, the politics, the infighting, and polarization that are blasted on our social feeds all day, every day. I did not fully grasp how much I needed a break from it until it happened naturally.

My daily life changed overnight. I was suddenly busy every day, all day learning Arabic, meeting wonderful people from every country in the Middle East, taking part in the cultural events, and religious holidays. Suddenly, I wasn't glued to my newsfeeds and update forums following American narratives. I was in the place that is at the top of the news so often, the Middle East, and it's become such an important place to me.

I grew up hearing about the region as a place of self-inflicted suffering and hardship. Books and news portrayed it as somewhere to be afraid of, and where the people would try to hurt you as an American. Something always seemed off to me as a kid. How could you logically generalize a community, much less an entire region, with such ease? My opportunity to learn firsthand in the Middle East has made me glad that I asked those questions. Those narratives were wrong and often soft propaganda. After meeting at least one person from every single country in the Middle East and North Africa within my first week, and speaking with each one about their experience, I have concluded that the American views of this part of the world are sadly misguided. The Arab World has been kinder to me than the American one; the Arab people have been more genuine, generous, kind, and open-minded than many of the people I see running my country.

With this new conflict in the region, I know that the American propaganda machine won't be changing its voice about the region, but I hope I can document here how I see it. As the war develops, chaos is spreading throughout social life, even here in Egypt. Unfortunately, war reaches far into the depths of social structure; it affects everyone, and even more so here, where families and communities that I know directly are feeling the strain and suffering of the war.

The last two months have been eye-opening, and I have begun to fall in love with a place I never expected to love. I have developed a great passion for the language and people across the Arab World as I watch how humbly they endure the great hardships placed upon them unasked for. Over the next 9 months, I hope to be able to continue documenting the true side of this conversation, to be involved directly, and to continue to find the joy in being a little bit out of place.