june 10.

june 10 is fast approaching. in a little over two weeks i'll be on the longest plane ride of my life...to kuwait (this 20 hour plus trip, no doubt, will be aided by a friendly little amino acid known as tryptophan). since we all know i have not, and would not, join the military, why then would i be spending my summer in kuwait? to teach cultural anthropology at auk, of course. some of you may be wondering how i got myself into this one. yeah, me too...

brief story: end of fall semester the president and dean of auk visit vt. i attend an informal lunch and meet them. my presence signifies mere interest. end of meeting, i take their business cards, and think about applying. maybe. one month passes. then another. two other grad students who attended the meeting submit their applications. they encourage me to do the same. mine remains on my 'to-do' list. i stall. i stall some more. i am hesitant. the new year passes. i've yet to submit. one sunday at bollo's, i send it in. i am faced with the reality this is a real possibility. i am scared. i am a woman. i have a jewish last name. i am american. i want to thrive in uncertainty and fear. i know myself well enough to know that i don't. i am excited. if not now, when? woman. yes. jewish name. yes. american. yes. scared. yes. worth it. yes.

so, june 10, i'm off to kuwait. good news: i'm not going alone. (truth: i wouldn't go alone.) neil, another grad student from that initial lunch meeting, is embarking on this little journey as well. my hope is that this blog will be just one way i can keep you, beloved friends and family, updated on our little kuwaiti adventures.