me

My name is Andrea. Or as that was too hard to remember in Jordan I get called Aya. Or since having become a mum to a daughter Alia I now get called Um Alia (Mum of Alia). Sometimes it’s a bit confusing to remember who I am!

I would never have guessed that when I left Australia  in March 2010 to backpack around the world that I would now call Jordan home, be married to a Jordanian, have built a house and have a beautiful daughter.

Learning to live in a foreign country with a different language, culture, traditions and way of life certainly has its fair share of challenges both frustrating and funny. Join me in my adventures, laugh and cry with me as I share my new life with you from everyday moments to classic only in the Middle East moments.

39 responses to “me”

  6. I am absolutely in love with your blog! I worked at the Great Temple site in Petra in 2011 in a dig, and lived for the summer in Um Sayhoun. Your stories/photographs bring me right back there!

    • Thanks so much. I really enjoy yours as well and learning about all the fascinating snippets of history that you post. I’m sure that it was really interesting working at Petra – and even more so living at Um Sayhoun!

  7. Hello beautiful. Not sure if you’re in to the whole blogging awards thing (in fact, I’m not even sure if I am, haha!) but I’ve nominated you for the Sisterhood of the World blogger’s award. It’s more just an appreciation of my blogging sisters around the world whom I appreciate greatly, so no need to do the nomination post if you don’t want to! Just know that I was thinking of you! xx http://laurasmess.me/2013/05/01/awards-and-acknowledgements-ii/

  8. Hello Andrea,
    I found your blog through Laura’s and it is a true pleasure to discover another blogger here in Jordan (I live in Amman)
    Can’t wait to explore your blog and follow your new posts 🙂

    • It’s so great to met other fellow bloggers and especially ones that are “local”! Your blog is really beautiful and I’m going to enjoy reading (insert drooling over) your recipes.

  11. love reading your blog! we won’t be in Jordan much longer 😦 headed back to Aus, but it’s so funny how many experiences I’ve had that are similar to yours!

    • How long have you been here for? I love reading other expat’s blogs and sharing a laugh with all the funny experiences that we all have. I would love to hear from you about any ‘Middle East Moments” that you’ve had that are just too good to be true!

  12. Just saw you visited my brand-new blog and liked an article – thanks. I have other blogs, but the one you found is my first in English language. Nice to see some other bloggers from Jordan here! Looks like changing the language made wordpress let me find you. I will try to have a look at some of your blogs and stock up my blogroll.

  13. Hello Andrea :-). Nice to find you out there, we use the same layout! Wish you all the best, I almost ended up this way as well, I hope you keep enjoying this beautiful country. God bless you!

  22. Hi Andrea, it’s great to find your blog! I’ve been enjoying your stories a lot – keep them coming. How is life in Jordan? I visited for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and liked it very much. How is it to live there?

  24. Have you ever met Marguerite van Geldermalsen? A New Zealander, she met a Petra Bedouin in 1978 while backpacking and fell instantly in love. She wrote about her experiences in Married to a Bedouin and still lives in Petra.

  25. Hi Andrea, I thought that I’d just send you another quick message to say thank you for traveling through this blogging year with me. I consider you to be a friend, not just a ‘blogging friend’, and I’m grateful for each note that you’ve left and the times we’ve had to chat about food, life and everything in between. I’m imagining that you and Alia are still in the eastern states with your family? Or have you headed back to Jordan already? Anyway, huge hugs and happy new year for tomorrow (this year has gone so ridiculously fast!). Much love xo

  26. Hello Andrea,
    I came here looking for an email address to contact you but I couldn’t find one. I wanted to write to you to offer help with your post Australia blues. If there is anything that I can do or if there is anything that I can get you that is available in Amman but not in wadi Musa, please don’t hesitate to ask. I know that it may not help a lot but if it helps a little I am more than ready to do it .

  27. I’m enjoying reading your blog, which I’m doing in bits and pieces. I visited Jordan a few years ago, really enjoyed it and wished I had spent more time there. In fact, reading your blog made me go and look for some of my photos and remember my holiday. I can empathise with your homesickness but can’t imagine what it’s like to live the life of an expat in Jordan. I come back to London and settle back into new normal, the customs much the same as in Oz. Do continue to write. I’m sure it helps to have an outlet.

  28. So happy to have found your blog, lots of fun, very insightful and unique. I have family in Australia and my closest friends go back and forth to Amman, they have carved out “2 homes” for themselves as you have. I feel you are the “Citizen of the World” that I keep hearing about in mainstream cultural discussions, best of luck and keep the posts coming 🙂

  29. Hey Andrea
    I know it’s the week-end but… Linda from Living With My Ancestors has invited me to be a part of the Virtual Blog Tour to which I have agreed. My post will be this coming Monday, July 28. By taking part, I have also been asked to invite one or more people whose blog I enjoy and would like to introduce to my readers/followers and I immediately thought of YOU!

    There are four questions to answer and you can include photos if you like. Should you accept, your post would be for Monday, August 4th. I hope you’ll say yes because I love your “moments” and wish to share it with one or two others! If you accept, I’ll give you more details – many, thanks, Joanne x

    • Hi Joanne,
      I would love to take part. What a great idea and sounds like heaps of fun. Looking forward to reading your post and going to head over now and check out Linda’s blog for a read.
      Andrea x

      • BRILLIANT Andrea!
        Thank you so much. It is kinda fun as you get bit more of an insight into the person behind the blog. And I too look forward to reading your post and thanks again.
        Joanne x

        • Okay Andrea, here are the details. The Virtual Blog Tour is a relatively new project for bloggers which does have “specifics” which are fairly simple:

          Compose a one-time post which is posted on Monday August 4th. You will then set a Monday date to whoever you pass on the tour to.

          The four questions:
          What am I working on?
          How does my work differ from others of its genre?
          Why do I write/create what I do?
          How does your writing/creating process work?

          Answer these four questions about your creative process which lets other bloggers and visitors know what inspires you and others to do what we do.

          Then pass the tour onto another blogger, with a maximum of up to four other bloggers if you so choose. Get their permission first and give them rules and specific Monday they are to post.

          Looking forward to your post August 4th – thank you again! Jx

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