July 27, 2011 I left Cairo. Nearly three years after arriving in August 2008. Why did I leave?
Long answer. When I started the advertising job in August 2010 I said I would stay there for a year and then go home. I left the job before that but sort of always planned on leaving in August anyways. This plan was kept inside my head or whispered to close confidants. Who wants to live somewhere as if they are leaving? Better those around you think of you as being there for a while. To continue, Ramadan is a great time to be a non-Muslim in a non-Muslim country and three years is a good amount of time to be away from home. Three years is also a "shit or get off the pot" point. As in, I needed to commit to Cairo for real, learn Arabic, get my own apartment and start thinking of it as a permanent home and not just "where I was" or leave.
Other contributing factors include, but are not limited to... increasing national instability, most of my friends having left or planning to leave (bye Chrissie, Mike, Yusef and others), increased desire for pork products, increased desire for mountains, increased need for family hugs, decreased desire for noise and air pollution, my parents for the first time in three years saying "we would like it if you were home," increase desire for sister time, increased feelings of disconnection from friends stateside, and a nagging sensation (to use a cliche phrase) to start creating a permanent life somewhere (well not really permanent).
I think it is a little weird I feel like I have to justify leaving a country, but I do. Why? Well, I really loved Cairo. Still do actually. I had a job I liked, a pretty rad business (Cairo Cocktails), good friends, a handle on the scene and more of all of the goodness to come. But, the daily difficulties were beginning to outweigh the epic weekends and crystal blue seas. Post-revolution life for foreigners is dramatically different in many good, expected and annoying ways. After three years I was starting to get to reactive and losing all patience with random people on the streets. In the weeks before I left I threw half a kilo of apricots a man in BMW when he pulled up next to me and told me I had a nice ass. True statement, but unwanted and tacky to put it nicely. After I felt only regret at not having rotten fruit to throw. Also, I hit a man with a book in the metro when he whispered something nasty to me as I walked in front of him. Also, I screamed at the government customs agents who stormed my work office. Who yells at government agents? The negatives of Cairo were beginning to overtake the many positives. Time to leave with happy thoughts in my head.
So after a particularly rough week in June I decided why wait till August? Why not just leave before then? Bought a ticket and started feeling really good about the decision. Who knows, after a few months of a depressed American economy, my faded tan, Tea Party idiots on the news, missing Cairo friends, Seattle rain and job searching I might be crying for Cairo. I will keep you posted.
For now though I looking forward to hiking, road trips, weddings, greenery, mid-west visits, friends a phone call away, election season and getting reacquainted with the USA.
Amazing to have been in Cairo.
Good to be home.
Long answer. When I started the advertising job in August 2010 I said I would stay there for a year and then go home. I left the job before that but sort of always planned on leaving in August anyways. This plan was kept inside my head or whispered to close confidants. Who wants to live somewhere as if they are leaving? Better those around you think of you as being there for a while. To continue, Ramadan is a great time to be a non-Muslim in a non-Muslim country and three years is a good amount of time to be away from home. Three years is also a "shit or get off the pot" point. As in, I needed to commit to Cairo for real, learn Arabic, get my own apartment and start thinking of it as a permanent home and not just "where I was" or leave.
Other contributing factors include, but are not limited to... increasing national instability, most of my friends having left or planning to leave (bye Chrissie, Mike, Yusef and others), increased desire for pork products, increased desire for mountains, increased need for family hugs, decreased desire for noise and air pollution, my parents for the first time in three years saying "we would like it if you were home," increase desire for sister time, increased feelings of disconnection from friends stateside, and a nagging sensation (to use a cliche phrase) to start creating a permanent life somewhere (well not really permanent).
I think it is a little weird I feel like I have to justify leaving a country, but I do. Why? Well, I really loved Cairo. Still do actually. I had a job I liked, a pretty rad business (Cairo Cocktails), good friends, a handle on the scene and more of all of the goodness to come. But, the daily difficulties were beginning to outweigh the epic weekends and crystal blue seas. Post-revolution life for foreigners is dramatically different in many good, expected and annoying ways. After three years I was starting to get to reactive and losing all patience with random people on the streets. In the weeks before I left I threw half a kilo of apricots a man in BMW when he pulled up next to me and told me I had a nice ass. True statement, but unwanted and tacky to put it nicely. After I felt only regret at not having rotten fruit to throw. Also, I hit a man with a book in the metro when he whispered something nasty to me as I walked in front of him. Also, I screamed at the government customs agents who stormed my work office. Who yells at government agents? The negatives of Cairo were beginning to overtake the many positives. Time to leave with happy thoughts in my head.
So after a particularly rough week in June I decided why wait till August? Why not just leave before then? Bought a ticket and started feeling really good about the decision. Who knows, after a few months of a depressed American economy, my faded tan, Tea Party idiots on the news, missing Cairo friends, Seattle rain and job searching I might be crying for Cairo. I will keep you posted.
For now though I looking forward to hiking, road trips, weddings, greenery, mid-west visits, friends a phone call away, election season and getting reacquainted with the USA.
Amazing to have been in Cairo.
Good to be home.
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