January 13, 2019: alabaster anxiety

On our last day in Cairo, we made our way to a fair trade shop I'd visited before with some friends.  My friend Danielle had asked if I minded picking her up an alabaster candle jar because she gave hers away as a gift.  I told her not at all, but when I went to the shop, they didn't have the ones she was looking for so this is the picture I sent to her asking if there was anything else she wanted.  I had too much anxiety to pick one out for her without her seal of approval.  I can move to a new country all by myself, but don't ask me to be decisive on someone else's behalf.  Too much pressure.

I said goodbye to my family today and headed back to Alexandria.  They fly home to Michigan tomorrow evening.   Having them in Egypt was a truly wonderful experience.  Living in Egypt is hard, especially when you're coming from three incredible years in Alaska.  I love the people here and have appreciated all the new experiences and the things I am learning about the culture here.   This trip really renewed my appreciation for Egypt.  I found myself excited to share with my family everything I have learned about food and language and navigation and how to ride a microbus and how not to get hit by cars. I was proud of this country. 

On our way in to Alexandria, my mom was asking me dozens of questions about various buildings in the city.  Most of the time my response was, "I don't know, mom," because most of her questions were about truly random buildings that I doubt anyone at my school would have information about.  At one point she said, "Mandy, you need to get out more."  Which was hysterical to me at the time.  I have been fairly intentional about exploring, but she's right.  I can always get out more.  And playing tour guide for this brief couple of weeks has motivated me to do and see even more than I have thus far.  I'll continue my Saturday morning adventuring.  But maybe there will be an afternoon a week where I wander the neighborhood and check out some of the places to get tea. Maybe I grab a friend and find a new off the beaten path route to the corniche.  Whatever it looks like, I'll make Susan proud ;)