Last week, we heard all about Jordan’s spring break adventures in Thailand—a well-deserved getaway for one of BE’s See the World, BE the Future scholarship recipients. Even though there was no real time to prepare, as soon as it was over he plunged in headfirst preparing for his midterms.
The first things Jordan noticed once he returned were that classes were empty and libraries were packed—signs of midterms and project week. AUS’s second midterm is scheduled immediately after spring break so 48 hours after returning from Bangkok, Jordan was met with his first midterm of the week. However, he was smart enough to study on the long flight back.
After an arduous week of test taking, the exchange office treated the students on the annual exchange trip to Musandam, Oman: a beautiful beachside area off of the Gulf, bordering the UAE. The group took a 3-hour drive from Sharjah to Oman at 6 A.M. Once clearing border patrol, it was only a 1-minute drive to the beach to board their boat. After a 30-minute boat ride deeper into the Gulf, they idled at the main hub for the trip. They spent hours jumping into the extremely salty waters of the Arabian Gulf to cool off from the beaming sun. And for the first time in his life, Jordan was able to snorkel.
A view of the boat sitting in the Gulf between the beautiful Omani terrain.
Posing for the obligatory guy’s picture on the boat with the Omani flag in the back.
Later in the day, a speedboat came and took them out in groups of five to ride in a banana boat. The final activity for the day was deep-sea fishing with small reels and fishing lines, which surprisingly some were lucky enough to reel in some pretty good-sized fish.
The Banana boat in Musanadam.
When Jordan was heading back after the trip, he found himself reflecting on his position. He understood that not everyone has had the chance to even visit, the Gulf of Oman, one of the most historic, preserved, and beautiful regions in the world. Getting to simply dip his toe in the Gulf of Oman taught him that it is his responsibility to take advantage of this opportunity and to travel to as many countries as possible before his last month and half in the UAE is over.
The boat wasn’t moving, but I got to be the captain for a quick minute.
Experiencing Southeast Asia and all of the other places has been wonderful and next on his list he’d like to visit Qatar, the Southwest Asian country hosting the 2022 World Cup. Make sure to check back this time next week to continue to see Jordan live up to the name of his scholarship!
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