After over 2 years learning Arabic in university in the United States, I decided to come to Amman for a semester to study Arabic and experience Jordan’s culture, heritage, and natural beauty. 

Deciding to Study in Jordan and American Perceptions

While many American students spend a semester abroad to learn a foreign language or experience a new culture, it is much more common to study in European countries and there are a number of stereotypes in America about the Middle East. Because of this, when I first told my friends and family about my decision to go to Jordan I faced some mixed reactions. 

While some people were happy for me, others worried about safety largely due to misconceptions stemming from how the region is portrayed in American media. News articles and stories of the Arab World often focus on wars, terrorist attacks, the suppression of women, and religious extremism. Even in my classes in America, we primarily learned Arabic by reading news stories in Fusha about protests, political violence, diplomatic meetings, and conflict. 

I hope that by sharing my experience with friends and family in America they may begin to look past these misconceptions and get to know Jordan and the broader region as I know it: by its rich history and culture, delicious food, incredible natural beauty, and the kindness and hospitality of its people. 

Cultural Differences 

Because of the stark differences between Jordan and my home country, I found many things surprising when I first arrived in Amman.

I still haven’t fully recovered from the shock I felt when I first went to a Jordanian grocery store and spent several minutes searching the refrigerated section for milk, only to find it on a nearby shelf. In the U.S., milk, eggs, cheese, and most fruits and vegetables must always be refrigerated. 

In just my first week, I already began running into people I knew when walking downtown and in my neighborhood. Despite being a city of over 4 million people, Amman feels small in that it is a close-knit society where it almost seems as if everyone knows each other. Previously, I lived in Washington, DC and although I knew more people it was exceedingly rare to see someone I recognized in public. Similarly, in major cities in America, especially in the northeast, talking to strangers is uncommon. Many times interactions with strangers are negative, and it is not culturally inherent to trust strangers. Because of this, initially I reacted with suspicion when strangers spoke to me in Jordan. I was shocked by the warmth and familiarity between total strangers in Amman, or the kindness people on the street showed me if I was lost or in need of help. In the same way, loss and theft tend to be less of a concern in Jordan compared to in America. Overall, the kindness of Jordanians and hospitality of Jordanian society is one of my favorite things about Jordan. Beyond day to day life, I’ve enjoyed seeing how Jordan extends its hospitality to refugees from many different countries. Especially given the atmosphere of restrictive immigration policies that I am used to in America, I am in awe of the profound love that Jordan shows Palestinians every day. 

Additionally, I soon learned that the medical system in Jordan works very differently from the American system. In America, to get a medication you must first see a doctor (or sometimes multiple doctors, if you need a referral from a primary care doctor in order to see a specialist) that prescribes the medication and sends a message to your insurance requesting a prior authorization. After that, it may take weeks to months for health insurance to approve the medication. Only if approved by insurance, you can then order the medication from a pharmacy, and, when it is in stock, pick it up. I was very surprised when I heard that you could simply go to a pharmacy when in need of a medication in Jordan.  

Finally, I didn’t know what to expect when Ramadan began, but I soon found I was woefully unprepared. After spending weeks surviving off of shawarma, manakish, and coffee between classes, I initially didn’t know what to do when I suddenly found all restaurants closed during the day. With an empty fridge and very little free time, I ended up accidentally fasting throughout much of my first week of Ramadan. Soon my friends and I discovered that the cake store next door to our school was open throughout the day. With no other lunch options in the beginning of Ramadan, we ate more chocolate cake than I am willing to admit. 

Safety and Challenges

While I almost always felt safe in Amman as a woman, I have also found that navigating daily life can sometimes be complicated as someone who is visibly foreign. Jordanians can be extremely curious, often staring or asking personal questions that would be considered intrusive in the United States. Assumptions about Westerners, and especially Americans, often shape the way people interact with me before they know anything about who I actually am. In some situations, this curiosity feels warm and welcoming, but in others it can feel exhausting. Additionally, I’ve found it's very easy to be overcharged or taken advantage of in markets, taxis, and stores – especially coming from a culture where bargaining is not the norm. These experiences have taught me the importance of staying aware, asking questions, and advocating for myself, and I’m proud to report that my bargaining skills have improved as well over the last few weeks. 

Food and Culture

I’ll never forget my first experience with Jordanian mansaf. In my first week in Amman I ordered it in a downtown restaurant without really knowing what to expect. Not long after I began eating, I was shocked when a waiter approached me with plastic gloves instead of the fork and knife I had been using. While this was a difficult adjustment initially, I’m proud to now say I’ve adapted to eating mansaf with my hands and it is now one of my favorites. While I’ve found all of the food in Jordan to be incredible, knafeh, kibbeh, mansaf, chai karak, and manakish all have a special place in my heart.

At a camping trip in Jerash, my friends and I enjoyed helping prepare food like galayet bandora and shish taouk before dancing dabke around the fire and sharing popular American songs and dances like Sweet Caroline and the Cotton Eyed Joe. While difficult to get right at first, I’ve developed a love for dabke and enjoy participating in other activities like tatreez embroidery, henna, and iftar meals during Ramadan. I find myself continuously amazed by the richness of Jordanian culture and the enthusiasm locals have for sharing it.

The War and a Difficult Goodbye

After about a month and a half in Jordan the war began in early March 2026, and a week later all of the students in my program were forced to evacuate at the advice of the U.S. State Department. 

Witnessing missiles, and hearing Jordanian perspectives on the war, was perhaps the biggest culture shock of all. I remember the surprise when my American friends and I saw our first missile, and in the week before we left we spent hours obsessively watching the sky. Coming from a country where the only sign of war is rising gas prices, our experience in that week was much different from many Jordanian’s. At the advice of the U.S. Embassy, we sheltered in our apartments for four days. While classes continued online, I had a difficult time focusing on homework and any noise drew my attention to the window. I witnessed friends breaking down in tears and my family called multiple times a day, begging me to leave immediately. 

Through talking with people at home and reading the news myself, I quickly found just how different the stories in American news were from the reality experienced in Jordan. My mom sent me an AI-generated Instagram Reel claiming to be an update on Jordan that showed hundreds of fiery red dots just meters from the ground. Mainstream American news outlets claimed an aggressive new round of Iranian retaliation against Israel; at the same time we sat on the roof in silence staring at a sky filled only with clouds. I read false reports that Iran had appointed a new Ayatollah after Khamani’s death, who was killed in an American strike within hours. Rumors of Netanyahu’s assasination circulated. It became increasingly frustrating trying to discern what news could be trusted as even official channels of communication from the US Embassy became inconsistent.

At the same time, life continued as normal in Jordan. When I tried to explain to my professor that I wasn’t able to study much because I was distracted by the missiles, it was as if I made up the war as an excuse to not do my homework. I spoke with Jordanian friends, and was shocked to find just how unconcerned many people were. Although, in America, war is merely a theoretical concept about a far-away land, it is a reality that most Jordanians seem to have become accustomed to. 

Suddenly, the American Government announced that all U.S. citizens in 14 countries across the Middle East should evacuate immediately. Less than 48 hours later, I found myself on a crowded plane back to the U.S.. Leaving Jordan, and with it the culture, people, places, food, and life that I had come to know and love, was incredibly difficult. However, I will never forget the immeasurable beauty, profound kindness, and life-changing experiences that I found in Jordan. I hope that others become more aware of Jordan and all it has to offer, and, inshallah, I look forward to returning soon.