So the trip was fantastic. It was a little costly so at first I was questioning it in general, but it turned out to be totally worth it.
The only downside is the fact that actual planning was done quite poorly. Typical AUC event--not very organized. We left at 1 am, and due to delays and other unfortunate events (getting lost) we arrived in Aswan at 8 am having not slept. Then, we went to an ancient temple! I have never appreciated anything less. We got there by boat and it should have been an amazing experience. Instead we were all deathly tired, dirty, and hot.
The weather in general was probably the only real downside about the trip itself. It was nea 115F, and we were out in the sun touring sights. Like when we saw the valley of the kings, which was amazing, we were sweating through our clothes, and all wanted to get into some shade (that wasn't muggy, underground, and filled with mummies). 
We went to the Luxor temple, temple Kom ombu, edfu, valley of the kings, and this beautiful Nubian village. 
I was blown away every day. We went also during different times of the day (6 am, 12 pm, sunset, 9 pm), so the beauty of the sights in nature alone was magnificent. I'd actually have to say my favorite was the Nubian(community of native Africans who built up a community in southern Egypt) village. It was slightly touristy, but mostly authentic. They had their own outdoor school in their village, and all the children were adorable. There were camels just chilling and also being used for work (love camels). And most interestingly, many of the residents owned crocodiles... We were invited into one household, served tea, and got to hold the pet baby crocs.
On the way back (after tearing ourselves away from yhe children screaming "hello! Obama!" we were told we could sit on the top of the tiny boat (never would happen in America) and we got to watch the sunset on the Nile as we passed mountains of sand and palm trees. Breathtaking.
There was a dance party on the boat that we were asked to dress up in traditional Egyptian costume for, which was of course a lot of fun. The cruise ship itself was great, good food, nice rooms, a pool and sauna on the deck, and nightly entertainment. 
Trip was a good mix of sights, culture, and relaxation, which was good.
I found that it reminded me why I came to Egypt: to experience the culture, language, and amazing history. So I came back to school rejuvenated and inspired to learn and live here.
Added bonus? Ramadan is over so everything is working now. Kinda. There's a way different standard of living here. But still, it seems that outside of fasting sunrise to sunset for 30 days, Egyptians can get stuff done.

Still planning my trip to Dubai for my birthday, hopefully will have that sorted out by the end of this week.


I have lots more to write about, but sadly my roommate is going back to America, so I want to spend as much time with her as possible. We've been sightseeing this past weekend, going out to dinners, and I'll drop her off at the airport on Tuesday. We're trying to pack in as much of Egypt as possible, while also letting her say goodbye to her friends. It's gonna be kind of tough for me. She's my closest friend here, and we've really bonded. She knows me better than anyone here. Plus, it's someone to come home to, someone to go to dinner with, someone to look out for me and make sure I'm coming home at night. I wish she weren't, but I'm trying to think positively about it. She'll be a lot happier, which is good. Also, I'll get to experience egypt more on my own, having my own room and all will push me out of the room more, and hopefully to meet even more wonderful people and see even more things. Also, I love having a single. Especially for the reduced price of a double! 


Either way I still have much to catch up on here, like this morning I went to a Yom Kippur service! It was amazing. Will update more later, hope everything/one is good at home.
Lots of love, and I hope Yom Kippur is good for those who observe it! Love!
Halima