It’s 2 am, I’m sleeping after two sleepless days. Phone is ringing – And as you know, I don’t wake up no matter what happens, not because I dont want to! It’s just that I sleep like dead people, and wake up like zombies.- I wake up, pick up the phone, and a girl is yelling : “MAHER WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU??!!”, at this point I was pretty confused, I mean, I knew I did something really wrong to someone.. so I said “I’m sleeping? who is this?” and it was Hala <– a friend of mine who is in the same program that I am participating in, and we’re supposed to travel to the states together, and that our flight will leave in an hour and I am sleeping at home? My bags weren’t packed yet, I hurried up, put everything in moi bags, and rushed to brush my teeth and say ba’byes to everyone, cried very fast with everyone, and head to the airport calling Hala telling her to tell everyone to wait for me, and when I went to the airport they gave me hard time about my baggage weight. so… I missed my plane. So, I’m home, Again, sending emails and calling a couple of thousand people informing them with what happened, and feeling so sorry and so sad! Anyway, after sending all the emails I could and booking a ticket in next day’s I went out and bought everything I needed, packed, and was ready to go, I missed a lot of things I was supposed to take with me and SO MANY things that I wasn’t supposed to bring with me.

List of stuff you should NOT pack:

• 1- DO NOT bring books. get over it! and dont give me – I need something to read in the airplane.. please watch a movie.
• 2- DO NOT bring 5 shoes. buy from there. trust me it would be cheaper.
• 3- DO NOT buy socks and under-wears from Jordan. too much space etc? it’s way too cheaper there.
• 4- Jeans is HEAVY! they made me unpack and take off  “15 Kilos!” and most of these were jeans.
• 5- Do not bring too much m3assel “The flavor for Hookah”. bad bad idea.
• 6- take two bags… two is better that one -At Queen Alia Airport, when They made me unpack my bag THE SECOND TIME!!!! they didnt even give me a plastic bag! I found one, and went to the duty free to buy a bag, and found out that the cheapest bag there is -300$!!!!!!!!!!!!- and man I was mad! so I bought -Girls hand bag- jeez it’s big! I dont know what girls put in their bags man!!! but I put more than 18 kilos there! Trust that!!!
• 6- DO NOT bring any cleaning stuff with you. iiight? shii..
• 7- DO NOT forget to bring your laptop. things are burning expensive in the states, and whoever told you things are cheaper there? they are full of the -S- word.
• 8- DO NOT forget to bring your phone! and yes, umniah ‘The telecom Jordanian company” is still sending me promotional messages!!! WTF REALLY??? buy a neat phone from back home. here phones are iffing expensive. and bring an adapter. that is SO very important
• 9- DO NOT bring any cups, or water with you…

—— Anyway.. I’m at the airplane, a woman is setting next to me, she’s German – I was going from Frankfort to Washington- she has 2 girls and one boy, they’re all doctors, and her husband is Jordanian. Her eldest son is an ass hole doctor. Literally . She tried her best to explain that in a “sophisticated” way, but when I understood I kinda smiled; She didn’t really like it. But it was funny. I mean think about it! 8 years of studying and then have the closest job to shit? WTF! that’s funny! no? And she asked me why am I going to Germany, and I answered – I love Germany ?- and she thought I am kissing ass. and I didn’t give a shit so she got mad. At that point she wanted me to look at her so she gives me the shitt face, but guess what? I didnt even gave her that pleasure.. HA HA! Frankfort and the Big amazing airport- Then to Washington!

I LOOOOOVE Washington!

After doing all  the paper work  at the airport, and while I’m going out the customs and all that crap and -I KID YOU NOT- I have seen a VERY good looking girl! holding my name! can you imagine that??? can you imagine the look and smile up my face when I’ve seen that!? she’s Indian! and she’s so damn cute! Anyway, we went out of the airport so I could smoke a cig, I know I quit, but I wanted to have a smoke real bad. so after I smoked and talked with this girl, the driver of my ride called her, and told her that he came to the airport and he wants to know where we are. Now the girl told him that we’re in blablabla and hanged up right?

So, all of the sudden in front of all the passengers in the airport, a black Lemo stopped in front of me, and a man went out of it, took my bags, opened the door for me, I’m looking from the window at the people out side -They cant see me, coz the windows were shaded in black-  people were still looking at me like i’m kinda big shot! and guess what!! yep you guessed right! the Indian girl is setting next to me! HA HA ! that was so amazing doug! trust me! that was like the best thing that can ever happen to you!

I went to Radison hotel, to room 324 it was about 1 am, I open the door, there are bags on a bed and the other one is empty, so I knew I have a room mate! so I went to shower, -and for the love of god- I showered for the good of humanity :P Shower is over, I smell good. Slowly I open the shades on the window, FUCK I AM IN WASHINGTON! DO YOU WANT ME TO SLEEP NOW??? so the answer was – hell, I aint sleepin!!!’

I’m getting down to the streets!- I did, went to the 7-11 bought smokes, walked a little in the neighbor hood, and trust who tells you Washington never sleeps.. any one would just totally fall in love with it! After that I went back to the hotel, I was so happy I am in the states! and I saw the white house and that tall thing that looks like a needle and I was smiling the whole time man!

So , I went into the hotel, saw this group of people, they looked happy, so I knew they’re in the same program, we talked, they’re Lebanese, jeez I love Lebanese people. So, we stayed up all night! I can’t sleep now! its 12:20 pm and I have to meet the supervisors of my program and talk to them, so I’m awake  the whole day, going to meetings and doing paper work, and all of the sudden its 1 am again! and I am sleepless! and everyone wants to go out!!! do I go to sleep? HEELLLL NO!

So I go out! and it’s 9 am again! and I have to make a presentation about Jordan at 1! and I kid you not I was sleepy as hell! but I can’t sleep now! Things were too complicated, coz my phone was turned off, and the plug system is not the same we have back home, and I had to go buy a new adapter , and no one sells that, and I need to call my family to tell them I was ok and I arrived safe.

And when I bought a calling card I realized that I don’t have anyone’s number coz all the numbers are in my dead phone! anyway… you should get an adapter with you when you come here, it is really important. So, we made this presentation, it was pretty ummm interesting, and then we’re about to go shopping! and I need the adapter so what do you want me to do ? go to sleep?? naaaa -It’s kinda boring to sleep now-.

So i’m at the mall with everyone, and meeting people from Asia, india, the middle east and the whole Arab area. Didn’t find that Adapter!!! So I went to the hotel to sleep, and did that for 14 beautiful hours! and then woke up and now….

ALABAMA!!

So, Washington - Chicago – Alabama! We’re at Chicago Airport! HUGE airport! I loved it! and enjoyed a cig out side the airport! then waited to go back to a very small airplane that headed to Alabama. The flight attendant was pretty friendly, I loved the conversations. She told me that Alabama is ‘kind of boring’.. blablabla..

So we landed at Alabama now! Me – Ibrahim from Gaza, Amani from Palestine , And Haleema from India-, we’re so hungry, and so tired ‘coz the iffing airplane was like a car size- but we’re here now! After landing, this guy came up to us, ‘He’s quite friendly, and looks well educated’, helped us with our baggage to the van, and on our way to the hotel we rained questions at him heavily. He answered every single question! I really like this guy! His name is Uche -Ralph-. This is part one of the story! wait up for updates!

XOXO