in summary

I had the most amazing time with the Bedouins; I wished I could stay there all semester. We were each placed with a family in Wadi Rum for a week, to live with them as a mix of guest and family member. Every day I traveled with the family, herding the sheep, sitting around the campfire, thinking, walking, talking. I stayed with one nuclear family, but we spent alot of time socializing with friends and extended family. I lived with Abu Laith (Abdullah), his wife Um Laith (named Hamda, I found out indirectly the last day I was with them), and her mother Um Salem. ("Abu Laith" means "father of Laith"--parents are often affectionately named in reference to their eldest son.) They have four children: Rana (11), Bthayna (9), Haneen (5), and Laith (3). Rana and Bthayna lived in the village because of school, so I usually spent my days with just the three adults and the youngest two children. Abu Laith spoke a little English, but no one else in the family did, so I actually practiced Arabic, albeit a different dialect from the one in Amman. The family was amazing, and the desert was beautiful. At this point, I wish everyone I knew lived Bedouin-style.