Thoughts of Home

Hello All,

The past week has been a very jazz, blues and bluegrass music type of week. The current song suck in my head is Billie Holiday's "I'll be Seeing You", particularly these two stanzas have been stuck in my head:
"I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.


I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you."

I will not lie, with the reminder that Christmas is coming up (aka stores putting up decorations, people at school talking about their plans and watching movies with Christmas scenes in it), I have been thinking more about home, family and friends.  As much as I would love to "be seeing you", at the same time I am beginning to get excited about all the wonderful opportunities and places to see with holidays and time off coming up. I also am looking forward to making my own memories in the land of the Bible (and Q'uran).  Seriously how often do you get the chance to have Christmas in the land where it all started years ago? Ideas of how to decorate on the cheapest budget possible are starting to race across my mind, as well as planning trips all over... yup, I am thinking WAY ahead of myself, but I think it's a healthy way of dealing with Christmas away from home.

Another event coming up soon, within the next week and a half, is my 24th birthday.  Unlike most of my 20s birthdays, I am actually looking forward to turning a year older... perhaps it's due to the fact I feel I am gaining a little more wisdom or it's the excitement having my birthday in another country, who knows? Currently we, Will and I, are planning a mixed birthday and American Thanksgiving meal next weekend as we didn't get to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving in October or American Thanksgiving this weekend. I am so looking forward to having turkey and cranberry sauce... you have no idea! :)

Other than that not too much is new. Jordan has settled down and it almost feels like the protests didn't even happen.  People still aren't too happy about the gas prices raising, but at the same time they are accepting it and moving on with life.  In some ways I almost feel like Jordan appreciates their current stable status while being surrounded by unstable countries, and are unwilling to rock the boat too much.  The people are also pretty forgiving :)!  As for me, I have started writing a little poetry, which is a new foray for me, but at the same time a nice outlet for creative energy as I have knitting needles, but no yarn. Also I started to personalize my room a bit and bought candles, so it feels more like a home.

I hope you all are doing well! For those of you in Canada or places with snow, enjoy it and throw a couple snowballs for me!!

Love from Jordan,
Kate
xoxoxox