Egypt

Going home was almost like culture shock. I thought to myself, "Wow, did this place suck this
much when I left?" It's nearly intolerable now, compared to Cairo. Though only five days, my
whole way of thinking had changed and adjusted to Cairo life...that electric static in the brain that
heightened every moment. You didn't walk down the street thinking about the usual mundane
tasks, you walked down the street and smelled the spices, heard the vendor calling out for you to
try his fresh baked bread, saw young children strolling arm in arm with their best friend.

I am a very Type A person, addicted to my watch, incredibly anal about schedules and
responsibilities. Now, I have learned how to relax a little and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace,
which seems an amazing lesson to learn considering the speed at which we went during the
whole trip. But I loved it! Despite the frenetic pace and the huge number of experiences to absorb,
at the same time it was like all of Cairo was saying, "Slow down, enjoy the small things, relax,
have some karkaday, no worries." I thank Cairo for showing me a better way to live. And I thank
Taaj for being so open and gracious to let a stranger share an opportunity of lifetime with her
group. Without her, none of us would be the fabulous dancing, taxi-braving, haggle-smart,
street-wise, gameela, Cairene-wannabes that we are now.