I couldn't have been more happy about my first day back at language school after going home for the summer to America. This picture was taken on the balcony at my all girls dorm. I was extremely excited to come back to the Middle East in general, but one of the places I love most here is my language school. It feels like such an oasis in the desert. I have now had the same teacher since last October so almost exactly one year. Classes at our school are on on one. Last year I took 16 hhours with my teacher per week, and this year I only take 12 per week. But I am so so thankful because not only do I love learning Arabic and learn the specific program that we are doing (we are studying colloquial Arabic not formal), but also my teacher is for sure my closest friend her. I am so thankful to be able to learn from her not only language but also cultural. We also love to get together on the weekends and cook together. Sometimes I teach her about making American sweets and she teaches me how to make Arab dishes. She is an incredible cook. We have come so farin our relationship which is such an encourageent. The teachers at our language school are only supposed to speak Arabic. It is crazy to think that when she first started teaching me I was so nervous because I hardly understood anything she said, but now we are comfortable able to talk about many things in Arabic and able to have a true friendship in Arabic. Language learning is hard. At times it is easy to feel discouraged, to compare yourself to other students also here to learn Arabic. But I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn from and study with my best friend here in the Middle East.