My big theme right now is maps. And pins on maps. Here in Jordan, there apparently weren’t really names and numbers on streets in recent memory. Google maps has the streets but not many buildings or numbers. As a result, what most people do is send a pin for a location. So every day I am dropping pins as David is driving, or I am getting pins sent by colleagues for salons or hardware stores.

And of course, I’ve consulted multiple physical maps with their “You are here” dots.

I am here! In Amman, Jordan! I nearly danced off the jetway when we got off the plane.

That’s a lie. I forgot that I said I was gonna dance of the jetway of the plane. When the already upsetting levels of regional conflict turned into Iran and Israel shooting missiles at each other, with the US jumping in, I got really worried that something was going to derail our move. Closed air space. Closed school. I don’t know. Damned unprecedented times.

But we are here.

I have been keeping a list in my phone of impressions and observations, mostly just a list of single words. It’s so easy for things to stop surprising you and for you to completely forget that those new things surprised you in the first place. And then there’s the things you don’t even happen to notice. Case in point: I sent a friend some pics and videos of our neighborhood and apartment and she immediately said: you are definitely in the desert. Everything is the color of sand. I looked up from my phone and my mouth fell open. Oh my god, she’s right!

I am going to try to get through some of the things on the list. Keep in mind that I’m also trying to get ready for the new school year and buy all the stuff we need. So this is gonna be what it is and you are gonna have to read past my typos and superficial editing.

1. The airport is in the desert. And I mean the desert. It was sand sand sand. Very cool. I don’t have a picture, but next time we fly in, I will take one. Below is the kids walking behind the MS principal who met us at the airport and our 13 suitcases, 4 carryons and a mandolin on that cart up front. For those wondering, we flew Minneapolis to Chicago, then Chicago to Amman. It was about 24 hours door to door, which is what it was from Minneapolis to São Paulo. But Amman is +8 hours from Minneapolis. (A post on jetlag is coming.)

2. As we got picked up and driven in a van to our apartment, I got my first looks at the city. It is not a complete sand desert. There are trees. Almost all the buildings are the color of sand. A sandy white color.

3. There are a lot of rocks. And a fair amount of empty lots between buildings. And lots of rocks in those empty lots with some occassional flocks or sheep or goats. We’re not in São Paulo anymore! One part of our drive home is between two rocky empty lots. A lot of white rock.

4. There are sometimes no sidewalks, but mostly the sidewalks are completely taken over by amazing bushes and topiaries and olive trees. We just walk in the street, which is pretty normal.

5. Tissues: When we arrived, there were tissue boxes (they’re actually in bags, but you get my point) in every room. I realized why after a few days. The dry air makes tissues necessary.

6. Cats: Street cats are everywhere. They roam around eating out of dumpsters and scuttling around buildings. Our apartment building has a mother cat and three kittens, and a lady in our building feeds them. Well, there were three kittens. One disappeared after we noticed that it was limping. One had an eye infection and we didn’t see it this morning. 😬 🫣 The kids are learning some hard life lessons about the challenging lives of street cats.

7. Welcome to Jordan! The most common phrase that Jordanian people have said to us is “Welcome to Jordan!” Grocery check out? Welcome to Jordan! Pharmacy? Welcome to Jordan! Small fender bender? (More on that story soon.) Sorry…welcome to Jordan.

Okay, this is just a start. There’s much more to come!