Berkley Center

When I came to Amman, I knew I’d be making sacrifices: easy access to stable internet, Georgetown homecoming, Qdoba, etc. Easy. Or as the Jordanians would say "adi." But as I was exploring Carrefour (think the Wal-Mart of the Middle East) looking for Thanksgiving essentials, it became quite apparent that I had to add another item to this list. Pumpkin pie.

While my host family here in Amman is familiar with the holiday after years of hosting Americans, most Jordanians here find the concept to be strange. But who can blame them, considering that the holiday is deeply rooted in America’s colonial past. This ultimately means it’s very difficult for expats like myself to have a traditional Thanksgiving.

However, in spite of this, I really cannot complain. In conversations with both my host family and other Jordanians I have met here, people are weary of Jordan’s future. Indeed, while the Hashemite monarchy narrowly avoided the Arab Spring, I think a lot of people are doubtful about how long Jordan’s current system will last.

The fact of the matter remains that Jordan has a lot of issues it must deal with. Roughly $20 billion dollars in debt and with 14 percent unemployment, the state of Jordan’s economy is the biggest concern for most of the population. A few weeks ago, I attended a speech from Jordan’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, only to see the Q&A dissolve into a debate about how expensive the cost of living has gotten in Amman.

Indeed, Amman is one of the most expensive cities to live in the Middle East. To put it in perspective, my living expenses are roughly comparable to that in the United States. While this seems normal for me, you can imagine how hard it is to make ends meet when the average income for most Jordanians is 400JD a month—or rather $564.89.

On top of this, Jordan faces issues ranging from the nation’s struggle to form a cohesive national identity as I mentioned in my previous post, to more mundane issues like a proper drainage system to handle Jordan’s current wet season.

As my time in Jordan comes to a close, I’m coming to realize just how lucky I and other Americans studying in Jordan are. It’s strange, being in Jordan I’ve come to quantify my time here in hours watching Arab Idol with my host mom, plates of mansaf, but also family discussions about how expensive gas is or new taxes on mobile credit.

Indeed, there was a space on my Jordanian Thanksgiving spread left empty by the absence of my favorite holiday dessert. But frankly, this trip has made me realize that such woes are truly minimal. Although I will leave Jordan with great memories, I leave with worries ranging from how my family can afford my host brother's upcoming wedding to the future of this nation as a whole. To be quite honest, this Thanksgiving I was most thankful what Jordan has taught me: just how lucky I am.