Veni,vidi, amavi

I am here writing to you from the “Family Section” of a Starbucks in Saudi Arabia. For those of you who are unfamiliar, most public restaurants, shops and cafes have a  designated area for “Families” and for “Singles.” In this case, “Singles” means groups of men without their families. On the opposite side of the wall I hear men talking and laughing, but I do not see them. Nor do they see me. I am not here to talk to you today about barriers or social issues within the country, but I would like to share my experience with you as I navigate life as a lone, female traveler and teacher in the Middle East. I would not like to knock down the wall in this cafe, but I would like to demolish the wall that lies between the “West” and the “Islamic World.”

I titled this post “Veni, vedi, amavi” which is Latin for “I came, I saw, I loved” because many times we don’t understand something until we experience it ourselves. I chose to teach English in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia to be exact, because I wanted to understand a place that I have dreamed about for a long time. I have created images in my mind about how life is in Saudi Arabia, and other countries, without knowing if those images were true or purely imaginative. Often times our perceptions from afar can fool us. After almost two weeks of being in this new social and cultural environment, I am starting to process things. In other words, the jet-lag has worn off and I am excited to begin this story.

My name is Megan by the way. I am the musafira, مسافرة which means “female traveler” in Arabic. I would be happy to explore ideas و questions you have.