Signing Off…

We arrived in Doha late on Monday for a three-night visit. Qatar is a very rich nation, as I mentioned earlier, and it shows. The entire city is under construction. Massive skyscrapers grow upwards, each with its own unique architecture. In about ten years, this place will be incredible.

 

While here, we have made visits to Al Jazeera and the Doha Debates, arguably some of the forerunners in free media. All together, the experience has made me look to the future and to my return home.

 

I keep speculating about the way this trip has eased us back into western culture. First we were immersed in Cairo for three weeks. We plunged into a foreign and unknown world. Between the heat and food poisoning, to security and language barriers… from insane driving, to persistent merchants… we were forced to leap outside of our comfort zones and into a wholly different culture.

 

When we arrived in Syria, a bus stocked with fruit and water greeted us, and many of us sigh breaths of relief. Arriving at the hotel, it was obvious that we had taken a step up in the world. The refrigerators worked, and so did the air-conditioning. The Internet was slow and frustrating, but we could get it without leaving the hotel. Life was good.

 

Then we slowly became aware of the constant security presence around us. They were much more subtle than the men in suits with big guns in Cairo, but somehow more intimidating. The secret service contacted our hosts after some student were seen sharing a cigarette in a club… a club we had not made reservations at.

 

Next came NUSS. Their overwhelming need to make us happy, and get us to like Syria, became a reminder of how Syria expected us to be diplomats, not journalists. The awkward situations this created, along with the persistent meetings with officials, all of which wanted to hold us responsible for the decisions of our nation’s leaders, was incredibly stressful. I developed a twitch in the corner of my eye, something I have not experienced since my work on the boat.

 

 Just when Syria began to feel overbearing, we escaped to Doha. This super modern city brandishes prices that rival NYC. Our four star hotel with its cloud-like beds was a welcome change.

 

Today we watched President Obama address the Muslim world from Cairo. It is amazing to think that we were there just a few weeks ago. Our guide for Islamic Cairo, also guided Obama through one of Cairo’s mosques. Perhaps the most striking point about Obama’s speech is that we covered many of the same issues during our dialogue here. It was the period on the end of our trip.

 

The most important thing I take from this trip is not personal growth, so much as intellectual and professional growth. I have gained context for some of the most important news in the world, and am much more prepared to report based on this context. Too many in my profession provide analysis and reporting on U.S. foreign policy, or happenings abroad without having visited this region. In five weeks, a short time by any standard, I have developed myself as a global citizen. It is a shame that I am among a small handful of Americans that have to opportunity to experience this.

 

I am excited to arrive in Logan and begin my new life in the states. I will have a new apartment, a new career, and, perhaps most important, a more informed view of the world.

 

Cheers,

Emily

 

P.S. I can’t wait to see our new place! Ryan said he put a box of tissues in every room of our apartment. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is!

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