Schiavoni Files

I'm making it official. Las week I gave my one month notice from iJordan and Jordan. In a few weeks now I'll be packing my bags and saying goodbye to the Middle East most likely forever.

It's freaky really. Much different from leaving D.C. from which I know I'll likely return to at some point. I am leaving Jordan to go back halfway across the world. Of course, I hope to come back someday perhaps to show my children but it's not likely I'll be splurging on a $1,000 ticket anytime soon.

I'm very sad. I admit that I love it here. So why am I leaving? I guess it's just time to go home. After a year of being here I still feel like I'm on vacation. Even though I have a good job, great friends, and the best boyfriend who I'm going to miss like crazy until he joins me on the west coast soon inshala, I miss my career path, my lifestyle, and my family.

The main reason I'm leaving is that I've found a great new job. After all the smack I've talked, I'm going full throttle back into progressive politics. I'll be starting as the Membership Director for the New Progressive Coalition (NPC) on February 13 in San Francisco.

NPC is an amazing new organization that brings together progressive entrepreneurs and organizations with political investors to help strengthen the Democratic Infrastructure and harness the left's potential. It's the brainchild of my former boss at NDN, mentor and friend Kirstin Falk and I'm so happy to be working with her again. I'm even more excited because in simple terms I will be helping good progressives to organize and get their act together, which is a cause I'm extremely passionate about.

So to all you Americans, watch out for me. Not to brag, but I'm feeling a bit more worldly. My eyes are open and I'm more fired up than ever. I'm ready to get back in the game and keep on fighting the good fight, even if I'm more confused than ever about what the good fight is. I'm also ready to live in beautiful San Francisco and have a normal salary again and not have to feel like a jerk for still not speaking good Arabic because it's sa'ab khatir and you try to speak to people bes culhom ba'aku englese back to you.

And to all you Jordanians, you have an amazing country. I'm really going to miss the laid back lifestyle, tough and passionate personalities, and a daily surprises from a country so rich with variety. You have a permanent new embassador who will tell everyone that they should come here at least once to visit Petra and Wadi Rum and spend time to get to know the real Arabic culture not just the propoganda fed to us by our fear-inducing administration. I will never forget my time here and how much I've learned.