Preparing for Oman

This summer has been one of the best I can remember. Full of good friends, good weather, and lots of time at the beach, I honestly can say that I can't imagine a better summer. My family and I have recieved more information from YES Abroad since my last post, including flight information and... A HOST FAMILY!!! The Oman group received their host families last week, and I can't wait to meet the people who have generously agreed to take me in and teach me about Omani life and culture.

At the beginning of the year, all of the YES Abroad finalists went to Washington, D.C. for the Pre-Departure Orientation, or PDO. Finalists going to India and Thailand left directly following the PDO, and have now been in their countries for almost two months! The PDO was a busy four days, jam-packed with workshops and activities. As any YES Abroad-er can attest, we returned to our rooms each night exhausted yet fully educated on virtually everything we needed to know in preparation to live in our respective countries. One of the most helpful aspects of the entire PDO was having an alumni of the program who had gone to our country being there to answer questions and share insight. The Oman group's alum was Emma, who's blog is the reason I applied to this program. Emma was invaluable to the Oman group as a whole, and still is available to answer any questions we may have.

The Oman group, and Emma, our group leader, at the PDO!
Photo by Shino Yoshen.

Saying goodbye at the end of the PDO was difficult, as we may never see some of our fellow YES Abroad-ers again. However, I am excited to keep up with their experiences via Facebook and their blogs.

After the PDO, I returned to Nantucket, and decided I would have the best summer possible. As the end of summer nears, I can say that I was successful. My family has grown closer knowing that we will not see each other for more than nine months. Many beach days, bike rides, walks, and ice creams later, we have cried, laughed, been excited and apprehensive and felt almost all the emotions in between. Now that I only have three days before I fly to Washington, D.C., then to Zurich, and finally to Muscat, Oman, the excitement is returning. Nevertheless, it is difficult to think of saying goodbye to my family and friends for an entire nine months. As my father astutely noted, the key is to not think of this journey in its entirety; rather, focus on smaller amounts of time. First, I will arrive. Then I will meet my host family. Then I will begin school. Thinking about it this way helps to relieve some of the stress that comes with beginning what will surely be a challenging yet ultimately rewarding journey. As my departure date nears, I am getting more and more excited to see the great group of girls I am traveling with and to finally, after more than 24 hours of traveling, arrive in Oman. Right now, Oman seems a world away yet also so close I could reach out my hand and touch it. Fully packed, and as prepared as I could be, I am ready and excited to embark on the journey of a lifetime!

Packing nine months into two suitcases which can only be 50 lbs or lighter is quite a challenge!