Farewell

This is my last night in Beirut. I'm sitting on a brown velvety couch in the living room after a homemade dinner of sizzling ginger beef stir fry. My parents are chatting softly while an American Idol rerun plays in the background. We're all savoring spoonfuls of chocolate cream cake from my birthday celebration on Friday and trying not to think about airplanes.

Over the past week, I said goodbye to the warm-hearted people who worked with me during my internship, earned fourth place (out of four) on a bowling trip with some new friends, turned 21, and took a dip in the Mediterranean at the beach for the last time.

As the three of us walked along the waterfront at sunset, I soaked in the scene around us. Old cars, perched along the highway, blasted local tunes onto the sidewalk while their owners stared at the sea nearby. A graying man wheeled his squeaky cart along the path to serve thimble-sized swigs of coffee to passersby. Groups of young women swished by in colorful summer dresses, bending their bobbing heads together and giggling. Tiny baby girls with gold-studded ears yawned and squinted from the arms of their sparkly-eyed, veil-wearing mothers. Preteens sped through the maze of ambling families on dwarfed bicycles and roller blades. A small crowd gathered near a man with a microphone for a chance to win one of the three shiny motorcycles posing on the stage behind him.

I've only been in this complicated, mysterious, captivating country for two months. I don't claim to know much about the culture or the lifestyle, but I do know that I've been infected with the spirit of joie de vivre (to reference the ever-present French influence) that the Lebanese seem to exude. Even in the face of war and conflict, life is celebrated to the utmost.

I'll be on my way back to the U.S. tomorrow. I'll undergo another stage of culture shock as I return home and, shortly afterward, to school. My mom reminded me the other day that I've spent less than a month in the States this entire year. I've been fortunate to be able to experience life in Spain and then Lebanon, two completely contrasting cultures. There is little I can contribute to this magnificent place, but I will put a little of Lebanon in my pocket to keep with me as I return for my fourth year of college. It will remind me of the unbelievable summer I spent in the land of ancient cedars, delicious food, and unrivaled hospitality.