My time in Egypt came to a close far too soon. In a mad rush to prepare for the move to Jerusalem, I’m not sure I allowed myself time to digest that fact that I’m really moving on. The last few days were of the sort that lends itself to some great conversations with Dr. Magdi, but I’m afraid that I won’t be painting on any more rooftops for some time. I also won’t be talking Asmaa out of one job and into another. Nor will I sip coffee with Gee and have the kind of conversations that are impossible to forget. So many people here have made me feel like I belong—Gee, Nada, Asmaa, Ramy, Doaa, Hadeel—to name just a few.
My only regrets are a few relationships that began too late. Only the night before I left did my roommate Shaima and I admit to each other that we had ideal living situation. It’s rare to live with a person and have absolutely no complaints, but we got lucky. The person who I met far too late in the game was my colleague and friend Chris. Together we commiserated on various topics including our lowly station at the newspaper, our mutual romantic shortcomings, thesaurus over-usage and dictionary under-usage, my bad dates, and Chris’s Indian Curse. When nostalgia kicks in, it is these people who will be remembered.
There is much that I miss already, but I am not as sad as I expected. Much of this can be explained by the fact that I tend to look ahead, and what’s in store has been on my mind for quite some time. Moreover, goodbye lacked a sense of finality. No matter how many times I leave her, I’m not sure Egypt will ever leave me.
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