After returning back from a web café on Sunday night I was finally feeling more than a bit at home in Amman.  Sure my friends and family were still back in the States; however, many other aspects of my surroundings were becoming much more welcoming.  I figured out the best spot for picking up taxis.  My understanding for the city’s main roads was hardening.  My first day of classes went well.  My relations with my host family were becoming more relaxed and comfortable.  Plain and simple, as I rode my cab to school on Monday morning I really felt like I had settled into Jordan’s fast paced capital city.

Then, a few hours later, six tourists get shot and a sizeable dent is obviously put into the side of that soothing mental state I had during my taxi ride to school.  Returning home from school, I felt uneasiness rather than assuredness take over my mind as I chose to take the longer walk home by staying on the main roads in my neighborhood, rather than taking my normal side street shortcuts; however, this sense of unease greatly waned over the next morning as the initial shock of the event wore off and as I realized the shooter was an isolated crazy man and not part of either a larger group, movement, or plan.  As I rode the taxi to school once again, the feeling that I had 24 hours before began to come back again.

Having a general daily routine is probably the most important factor for becoming comfortable with a new area.  Sometimes a routine occurs spontaneously, other times it happens more deliberately.  In my case it happened spontaneously as I found myself engaging in the same activities before and after classes.  Having a routine can be too restricting for some, but not in my case.  With a routine, I now feel much more stable as I have a base from which to attack the challenges that each day brings me.