The Middle East

So one thing that has been plaguing my time here has been trying to get on a trek (ie a trip) for the winter break. With about 3 weeks off, there are a lot of opportunities to travel with classmates - some are more educational and some are more like a vacation with people who are from the area to help show you around. I've signed up on many polls expressing my interest and have repeatedly failed to get one of the lucky lottery spots. Since the treks have been filling up, my last hope was an immersion. Immersions are slightly different since they include a larger educational component - you read cases ahead of time about the area; professors take you on the trip; and you visit businesses in the area. The Middle East Immersion was the one that interested me the most, but I didn't think I was going to be lucky enough to get a spot. To my surprise, I got a nice little email a few days ago saying that I secured a spot in the lottery. Yay!!! Now, I get to go to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Luxor, and Cairo. I'm super excited. The only downside is I'll be spending less time in Austin over the break, but I think this is a once in a lifetime type of trip that I can't pass up. I have so little knowledge about this area, so I'm really looking forward to learning more!