Author Archives: Erin

Jordan, I love you!  I love your landscapes, I love your food, I love your people!  But the one thing I don’t understand is how a country that could produce such lovely, friendly, hospitable people, could produce such … (what’s the most diplomatic word to use here?) … “creative” drivers and road infrastructure? Rather thanContinue reading “Curse Word!: An Ode to Driving in Jordan”

We have spent a long summer in the US, and tomorrow we return to our home in Amman.  Though I’m looking forward to returning to our lives abroad, I do so with a very heavy heart.  This is a time that I have dreaded for the four years since we joined the State Department.  TomorrowContinue reading “Leaving One Behind”

Our adopted home of Jordan is facing a serious humanitarian crisis.  The number of Syrian refugees that have crossed our borders is mind-boggling.  I recently read in this article from The Atlantic that the scale of refugees that have crossed into Jordan in recent years is comparable in scale to the entire country of CanadaContinue reading “Syrian Refugees”

In this 4th grade class there are kids from Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Pakistan, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, Korea, Ethiopia, Australia; and then there is one lone American. Way to represent, Elizabeth!

Here are my kids this morning–headed off to school: They’re the only kids in the entire world that are still in school.  AND, they don’t get out until June 18th.  That’s ten whole days away!  They are well aware of the fact that they are the unluckiest kids on the planet.  And don’t think thatContinue reading “Off to School”

I live in a country of contrasts.  Jordan has some incredible wealth, but it also has some sobering poverty.  I realize, of course, that this is a sign of a third world country–wealth, poverty, but very little middle class.  However, I don’t really think of Jordan as third world–it seems to be more of anContinue reading “Contrasts”