Global Grant recipient, Lillian Bisantz, is currently studying at the American University in Cairo (Cairo, Egypt). Read about how her experience has been so far!

I have been in Cairo, Egypt for just under a month and it has been a whirlwind to say the least. Already I have visited the pyramids (twice), spent a weekend in an oasis in the Sahara desert, been to an Egyptian engagement party and spent the weekend with a family friend’s grandmother, been on a Nile river cruise for dinner, had a party on a boat called a felucca on the Nile, wandered through the leafy neighborhoods along the Nile in the city, attended Cairo Photo Week, and navigated language, transportation, and cultural differences (for example: I am not allowed to have any of my male friends over for dinner or lunch). I am caught between the desire I have to create a routine for myself while I am here and the reality that my time here is fleeting and it is possible for me to be busy every weekend and even every evening. Cairo is truly the city that never sleeps.

I am living in campus housing about a five minute walk from campus in an area called New Cairo. Unfortunately this neighborhood is about an hour away from the city and there are a lot less cultural outlets here for me to explore so I find myself in buses and Ubers 4-5 times a week as I head downtown. This has however given me an intimate look into the seeming chaos that is driving in Egypt. 

Although I have taken three years of Arabic at CU, it turns out the formal Arabic I have been learning does not help me much in navigating the Egyptian spoken dialect. This has been a humbling experience. I have signed up for an additional “Pre-Semester Survival Arabic Course” through the American University in Cairo that is focused on the basics for navigating Cairo which I am very much looking forward to starting. I have class four days a week on AUC’s beautiful campus and even while it is an American University I have found the differences between student’s study habits and general campus vibe to be very different. 

I have connected quickly and easily with many of the other international students which I feel so grateful for and living in campus housing has also provided an outlet for meeting others. I have also been in contact with some young Egyptians outside of the university that are related to one of my friends back home which has been an invaluable contact. 

There is a feeling of aliveness here that I have missed in my life thus far. I am already falling in love with this city. In the coming month I will be running the Cairo 10k; hopefully visiting the coast (Alexandria); and starting the celebration of Ramadan. 

Thank you Lillian for sharing your story with us! If you would like to help other IAFS students study abroad and enrich their CU education, you can learn about the Global Grants scholarship or donate here.