Jordan

From the moment the plane landed in Jordan, it was clear that we were in a very different region than the Gulf Coast Countries. The weather, landscape, look and feel are significantly different, and for me, far more compelling.

Security is very tight here, possibly heightened by the fact that there is a SOFEX conference (an international special operations expo featuring state-of-the-art defense, security and anti-terrorism arms, military vehicles and aircraft).

On our first night two of us had dinner with the friend of a colleague who is completing a state department assignment. What a wonderful way to get an overview of the area--and it was a lot of fun to boot. Again, just driving through the city to the restaurant confirmed we were in a completely different region.

This was followed by one of the best days of school visits ever, and that's saying a great deal given how good they visits have been on this trip. From an orientation at Amideast to visits at four completely different schools--a magnet school for students from throughout the country, a national school running three different curricula, a Montessori school whose high school runs the IB, to the just opened King's Academy modeled after Deerfield Academy (where the King attended boarding school over 20 years ago). It felt like old home week, as there were so many connections with the former Deerfield people now at Kings, all knew people I knew in the Pioneer Valley. The feel of the campus was familiar despite the dramatically different building materials, and the campus has a completely different feel from the surroundings.





The students we spoke to here, both from this new elite prep school and those who had been bussed in from a distance were simply amazing.

The drive to the Kings Academy campus was full of surprises, most notably the incredibly opulent new homes built by Bedouin's who sold their land to the first wave of Iraqi refugees (those with means). Surrounding these homes are tents, sheep and camels. It's such a strange sight, and I regret that I didn't get any photos.

I'm off to get a few minutes of exercise before our last two school visits of the trip. I've got meetings with alumnae this evening, my colleagues don't and plan a swim in the Dead Sea followed by dinner in this resort area. I'm hoping to join them for the swim part--it would be a shame to get so close and not have the chance at that experience.

Tomorrow, two of us leave, but three of us will stay an extra day for an excursion to Petra. I promise to post many photos!

In all this has been a successful work trip, and an amazing personal experience. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to have traveled to this region of the world.