Well, four and a half months later its back to New York. It really has not felt like I have been in Cairo all that long, but a whole semester has passed and its already late December. I think part of it is the fact that the weather does not seem to change much, it feels like I have been stuck in late September forever. In some weird way it makes it seem like I’m in limbo, I was expecting the cold to come and the seasons/ weeks to progress but they didn’t and before I knew it, it was almost Christmas.
However, it is what it is and sadly I am leaving AUC, Cairo and Egypt behind and welcoming back New York tomorrow. With so much transpiring in Egypt and throughout the Middle East this past fall it feels like so much more has happened than a simple semester at college. As an international relations major I could not have asked for more  during my time in Cairo. Beyond my academic experience Cairo has offered me so much and I have been able to take in so much more than I had imagined. Not only has my experience made me become more adaptable and flexible in new environments but it has definitely increased my understanding of Arab culture as well as Middle Eastern politics in general. I know this all may sound cliché ( saying that is cliché) but being in Cairo and meeting all the people I have shared this experience with has definitely been a profound and unforgettable experience.
Not only have I been able to study a subject which I am extremely interested in, but being in Cairo gave me a great chance to travel and experience a country which has so much to offer, not only visually but also culturally. I also could have not gotten luckier with the suite-mates which I was randomly assigned to live with. Besides me, the three other boys I lived with where from California, New Zealand(the Kiwi) and France. Throughout the semester we have done almost everything with each other and have definitely established connections that will hopefully last for a long time. It is very sad to leave Egypt but even more sad to leave all the great people I have met and have come to know well; they are all truly exceptional and kind-hearted people. However, I am excited to go back to New York and bring what I have learned and experienced here in Egypt with me. There is no better way to describe my emotions today as some of mixed feelings.