I may be posting almost only outdoor activities, but I felt the necessity of also recording the challenges that no Fulbrighter has gone through before this year's batch.
Fulbright FLTA's 2020-21 have done their orientations, and are attending and giving classes remotely. The fun part has been reduced to less than half of what we signed up for. Some of us are still working from their home countries, and those who got to travel are stuck in another room with new people, fully communicating with their students and professors through screens.
We should've traveled to another Arab country for our Pre-Departure Orientations, then arrived in a different state in the US or another orientation before settling in our host community, and of course we should've been teaching ans studying on campus, but -- boom, thanks to COVID.
We are still doing our work despite of the endless uncertainties we have to deal with. It is a tough time, but we gotta go on and enjoy the experience, limited and challenging as it is.
That's all what being a Fulbrighter is about after all: stamina, flexibility, and an adventurous soul (that could feel devastated at times, but always has to keep going).
We will tell the tale of the most exceptional Fulbright experience ever.
WEEK7