Write To Your Senator!!

Thank you to everyone who has been thinking of me, writing to me, and calling my parents. Here is a quick update and a way that you can help me!

I am currently in Ain Sukhna, about 1 1/2 hours outside of Cairo by the Suez Canal. The school is paying for everything and they took care of transportation, hotel accomodations, etc. We are staying at the Radisson, and it's very nice. There is no curfew and my body isn't used to being able to be outside and wander freely! It's nice to be outside and to not hear gunshots.

On Monday or Tuesday, I am traveling to Istanbul Insha Allah. I have a friend that lives there (who is also a teacher in Cairo), and we are going to be staying with her for a while. If things don't settle down here.... then I don't know.

What can you do to help me? E-mail your senator!! The US evacuation plan is shitty, to say the least. They are charging over $600 to go to close places in Europe. You don't know where they are taking you, and once they drop you... you're on your own! Also, you are not allowed to bring a pet with you. A lot of people I know here refuse to leave without their pet. What are they supposed to do? Leave them here to die? And I just learned that there is only one child allowed per parent. Ummm.... so they have to choose the best children and leave the rest behind? A couple I know here has 3 children. What are they supposed to do?

My friend who lives in Turkey called her embassy. There were flights to Turkey at 1 and 2 AM, but she said that she had 2 friends with her. One American (me) and one that is Italian. Without hesitating, they said to bring us with her and we would get a FREE flight to Turkey. Tell me why Turkey is willing to give me a free flight, but my country would charge me over $600 for the same flight? Unfortunately, we had no way of getting to the airport in time because it was after curfew. But I was furious with my country. I have been backing the US this whole time... but I am losing faith.

I will update my blog on everything I've experienced during this revolution. It has been very scary, but I am living through history. Please write to your senator about the evacuation plan if you have time!! Thanks for your help! More updates on the revolution to come.