Tag: Mental health
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Just Kidding About Quitting Syria
Yesterday I posted that after seven years, my job was no longer Syria conflict-related. I talked about the relief and guilt I felt upon unsubscribing from all my usual Syria updates over email and WhatsApp, which I’ve been part of for years for various jobs. And how, after joining a new project at work last…
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Quitting Syria
After Seven Years, My Job Is No Longer Syria Conflict-Related Arlington, MA-February 2023 On Tuesday, I left all my Syria WhatsApp groups and unsubscribed from Syria update emails and live trackers. Afterwards I felt a huge sense of relief. I have more to say about it – about what changed in my life these past…
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How My Friend Helped Me Make Peace With My International Life
Flying across the Atlantic is one of my favorite things to moan and gripe about, so one day last winter, I found myself moaning and griping about it to my dear friend Rosi. I’d just flown to Wisconsin from Jordan by myself, because my husband Raja did not have a visa to enter the US…
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How to Set a Boundary Across Cultural Lines (Or Not)
Can I cut Alaa out of my life? Stop responding to his texts forever? “Yes!” say Brene Brown and Nora McInerny and Emily McDowell and so many others who have put their stories of loss and learning and boundaries out into the world (and Instagram). “Yes!” say Julia Cameron and Laura van Dernoot Lipsky –…
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I Can’t Remember A Time When I Wasn’t Tired
And why I lied to my colleagues about the cause of my exhaustion. This is part 2 of 3 in my series on burning out from humanitarian work a few years ago. Read Part 1 here: When I Finally Got Overwhelmed By My Humanitarian Job A week or so after I got back to Amman,…
Curious Georgie 
–مرحبا سلام Thank you so much, what a lovely comment to receive! I think you’re right; we can’t always be…