An Unexpected End

I guess in my heart I knew it would happen, but the shock is still settling in. After being evacuated from my trip to Beirut following the escalation of events in Egypt, I settled into a temporary guest room provided by my university and began to attend classes in Baltimore. I departed Beirut on February 1st, flew through London Heathrow to DFW and arrived in Texas on the 2nd. I spent the night in my own bed then was rushed off to Hopkins on the 3rd and arrived that evening. I won't lie, I cried from Beirut to Baltimore- I couldn't escape the feeling, no, the very certain knowledge, that I should have been in Egypt, not a sophomore dorm in Baltimore. But so it is. Revolution happens, and it's never really convenient.

 Following a brunch with the Dean and other evacuees the following Sunday, I reluctantly began attending classes while awaiting the University's decision on whether or not to allow students to continue studying in Egypt. In anticipation of my return, I even started a new blog to document the accounts of my friends on the ground in hopes that I would continue writing in a more academic manner about the post-revolutionary Egypt I would soon be a part of. On February 10th I tracked down the Hopkins director of study abroad to hear the University's conclusion (I wasn't in the mood to wait for emails). I really shouldn't have been too surprised, but the council's decision was something of a resounding 'hell no'. My words, not theirs. Damaging nonetheless.

I spent about 12 hours fiddling with the 5 stages of the grieving processes. I switched a few of them around and finally settled on bargaining as the stage of choice. Typical I know... Over the weekend the stage manifested itself in the form of a request to meet with one of the members of the deciding council. After a meeting on Monday morning I wrote a formal letter to this particular Vice Dean (at his request, might I add) which was then forwarded to the other members of the council. After an agonizingly long wait (about 2 days) I was informed of the University's compromise, which was as follows: I was to be allowed a return to Egypt only if I were to take a leave of absence i.e. sever all ties with the University while in Egypt. Well I could have taken a leave regardless of the whole letter writing business. The compromise involved the University offering to actually consider accepting up to 15 credits upon my return to Hopkins the following semester, as opposed to the normal amount of 6 credits. In the end this could have been a pretty ok arrangement, but the cost of carrying out such a plan (losing financial aid, government aid, and paying AUC directly) was just a bit too high, so I descended into the fifth stage and hung my head.

But there's always a plan B.

So I cashed in on the acceptance to the American University in Beirut I'd received earlier in the week. Since AUB classes didn't start till the 16th I was in something of an ok position to rush over there and attend for the semester. Pending concrete plans regarding living arrangements, I'll be leaving this evening at 7 to Beirut via London. All my things are still in Cairo of course so I'll return next weekend to move out all my things and say bye to the room mates (and the boyfriend). But then Beirut it is. Paris of the Middle East. Hezbollah hotbed. Ah beautiful, cosmopolitan, closet-French Beirut, here I come...

I'm sad to leave this blog behind, we've had some good times together, but please make the move with me and follow my upcoming Lebanese adventures on my newest blog, Plan B(eirut) at http://beirutblonde.blogspot.com/

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