A Year in the Fulbright Life: Faris’ Story

For the next year, Fulbright MENA will be showcasing a handful of students as they study in the United States with their new series, A Year in the Fulbright Life. Each month, spotlighted students will share an update as they continue on their Fulbright journey.

July 2019

The month of July 2019 was the most hectic and lively month possibly of my entire life. I got accepted into Virginia Tech back in April, got engaged in May and have spent the past couple of months just prepping for my move to the United States with my soon-to-be wife. I reviewed a lot of academic subjects that I needed to in order to prepare for my classes in the United States, and planned a wedding back in Amman! Hectic is an understatement.

During this time, I had to pack, study, and watch online orientation courses to prepare me for my program in the States as well as plan both my and Raja’s move and wedding.

The nice thing about it was that I could share this experience with my partner, and we are both looking forward to a very interesting two years in the United States where I can take advantage of gaining some of the best educational experiences at Virginia Tech. I also am being exposed to an entirely new culture that I’d love to soak up as much as possible, especially any new knowledge and cross-cultural experiences that could benefit and enrich both myself and Raja. It will allow us to share these experiences and the skills gained from them once we go back home.

August 2019

The month of August presented a whole new range of challenges, but lovely ones of course! My wedding was on August 12 and the day after I was on my way to Blacksburg, Virginia to begin my new exciting journey. After 21 hours of travel, needless to say we were absolutely exhausted. However, we were absolutely mesmerized on the way from the airport to our city. There was so much greenery that we just stopped in our tracks multiple times! Over the next few weeks, my wife and I set up our new house and made it feel like home. It was hectic but everything was working out smoothly and everyone we met was helpful and friendly, making the process a whole lot easier! My week of orientations started and then classes did! It’s been hectic and it still is, we are still trying to settle in but every day feels like a new adventure where I are genuinely learning and maturing as I grow. I am meeting my colleagues as well as our neighbors and getting exposed to a whole different way of dealing with things. Things are much simpler and easier here than they are back home, however it is undeniable that they are different. A different that will hopefully make us more wholesome people and more able to benefit my community once I go back home!