In the midst of writing the 40 page research paper that follows my two weeks of research with the Bedouin in the south. Much silliness with my apartmentmates in the midst of long days of writing, autumn, lots of tea, and unabashed wearing of long underwear.

We had a 25-person Thanksgiving dinner, requiring almost two days of preparation, including boiling down pumpkin to make real pumpkin pies and muffins because apparently the canned filling doesn't exist in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

I took a series of buses to visit the Roman and Ottoman ruins in Umm Qais, about two hours north of Amman. After completing the rough draft of my paper yesterday, a day alone, wandering, seemed in order, and the ruins were beautiful and deserted, a perfect combination. The northern landscape is much more green, and with the long stretches of olive groves dotting the hills, it reminded me a bit of southern Italy.

Six more days in Amman, three of which are filled with presentations of our research and projects, then two days in Aqaba with the group, a day with my Bedouin family in Dissa, and then I fly to India. A part of me is ready to go home, almost without going to India, but I also can't imagine being back in the US.

The cycles of daily life here have slowly become more comfortable and natural.