Liz never planned to study abroad in Egypt. After Studying Spanish for the first two years of her college education at American University, the time for choosing a place to study abroad approached. Liz was always interested in the politics of the Arab World, and as she started to seriously contemplate where she wanted to spend her time abroad, she thought what better place than Egypt to study the international relations of the region. She chose to apply to AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Program in Cairo because of AMIDEAST’s student focused approach, cultural excursions, and their commitment to running small programs.
 

During the fall of 2010 Liz fell in love with the people, culture, and city of Cairo; so much so, that she decided to extend her stay into the following semester. The program ended abruptly due to the Egyptian Revolution and Liz chose to complete her spring semester with AMIDEAST’s Amman, Jordan program. Despite the difficulties of adjustment, Liz noted that having the opportunity to compare the political and cultural makeup of two countries in the Middle East/ North Africa region was ultimately an amazing experience.
 

Currently, Liz is completing her final year at American University and interning with AMIDEAST in Washington, D.C. The best and worst part of her internship is talking to students about AMIDEAST programs; as this makes her more anxious to return to the MENA region. Despite the fact that Liz’s post-graduation plans are yet to be determined, she hopes to find herself working or studying in the Middle East in the next five years; Insha’allah.