Upon which Alissa relies upon the great "Inshah Allah".

While I've known this would happen since Day One in Egypt, it occurred to me today that I will soon be unemployed, and I have no idea what will come next.

My internship, which I have enjoyed so much, was always intended to be temporary: two months long, actually, to be exact. So I've already beaten the odds by being granted an extension (from the secretary general hisself, thank you). Instead of leaving September 1st, I've been allowed to stay "for the American election."
Note the diplomatic speak: not until the election, but simply for the election, which did deliberately leave the door open for my internship to be extended still further.

Still, facts must be faced: unless they decide to forsake their 50 year policy on hiring non-Arabs, this internship will inevitably end. A quick job search on google reveals what I already knew—that unless you're highly proficient in oral and written Arabic, you can't be all that useful. Duh.

Not that this signals the end of my stay in Egypt. Even if the work is less stimulating, my English teaching gig actually pays me, and will afford me more time to study oral and written Arabic so that I can someday take the jobs that I'd like to.

My disappointment stems from a wounded ego more than anything else: it's nice to march off to the office every day and be able to tell taxi drivers that no, I am not another f.o.b. student at the American University in Cairo. Having credentials to wave about in the streets is endlessly satisfying, and helps me feel more at home. And, to be honest—with the insights afforded me at my internship and my relationships with my colleagues—I am more at home as a result of my day job. I'm sad to lose all of that, along with the work I find so satisfying. Likely no one else will give me a job like this until I have a Ph.D. in my hand.

Sigh. So, what next? Grad school is sounding best, though the idea of taking my GREs and writing applications from Cairo is daunting. But, if something else holds my attention here in Egypt for another year, that's fine, too. With a nice community here to be a part of, there's no need to run off too quickly.

So, for now, all of this is in God's hands. What can we say, but 'inshah Allah'?