eudaimonia & anagnorisis

Classes are outstanding, unfortunately the city and Egypt generally is far too enticing for them to become the sole priority. people keep sending me notes with phrases like, “hope you are having the time of your life” and initially I thought these phrases were a bit superfluous or at least exaggerated, but this week, Thursday morning at 3a to be exact, i realized they are neither. Sasha looked at me and said, “this has been the most exciting month of my life”. It’s true. The past three weeks have definitely been unparallel, if not in excitement than at least in some other quality of experience. Twenty minutes before this nostalgic little moment of ours, we were galloping through the Sahara desert with the pyramids in the distance.

The moment a horse transitions from a clumsy trot into a sweeping gallop is one of the most exhilarating feelings I’ve ever experienced. On the way back to Giza, Mohammed said, “Ya Aminah, you’re a good rider, you’ll enjoy this…” and so I followed him. Perhaps a mistake, but one made gladly. After a few minutes of genuine fear and doubt in my safety, I found myself unable to keep the sound of exhilaration inside my body. A breathy haa, haa, haa emanated from, my soul - I think, with every gallop while Mohammed cried “yallah!” and we distanced ourselves from the others: just twilight, a cold breeze, hooves upon sand, deep breathing, and the deafening silence of the desert. This was just one of some many moments here that I am acutely aware and extremely happy that I am alive.