Cairo, Egypt
"
Umm ad-Dinya." That's what Egyptians call Cairo. "The Mother of the World." It's the largest city in Africa, the largest city in the Arab world, and the 11th largest city in the world. It's loud, crowded, dirty, smoggy, hazy and hot.
I've always known I wasn't a city girl. Living on the edge of Baltimore was adventurous of me. Living in Amman (only 15% of the population of Cairo!) was rather intimidating, and took some getting used to. Living in Cairo, well....
Cairo is overwhelming to me. Claustrophobic and nerve-wracking. Walking to class and back, okay. Following a group through the city, okay. Accompanying my roommate to the mall and the supermarket, doable. But the thought of having to find my way around this city by myself is almost frightening.
I mean, I can take a year here. There is a lot more green here than in Amman, tall deciduous trees more like the fauna I grew up with. Plus, the upside of being intimidated by the city is that I'll be more inclined to come home and study, and less inclined to go out and explore. That can only be good for my academic career. But I certainly don't want to live here for the long term. I'm a country gal, and I'm already looking forward to finding myself in a smaller town again!
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