Water: Necessity or Luxury?

Jordan: known for its beautiful Islamic culture, Petra (one of the seven wonders) and much more.  Because Jordan has a desert landscape, it does not have much of water for its country, so all Jordanians have to conserve water.  I didn’t realize how different water conservation in words was compared to in practice.  At The George Washington University, many extracurricular clubs and organizations promote recycling and water conversation.  In Jordan, water conversation equates to taking a shower three to four times a week and receiving a limited water supply for a week at a time.

I think the issue of water conversation first came into practice when I learned that I would be taking a shower three to four times a week at my host family’s house.  It was different from then what I was used to.  Yet, studying abroad is not about being comfortable; it’s about adjusting to and learning from a new culture. 

When living in the U.S., water conservation never seemed to be a very big issue.  There was always more water coming out of the tap, and there were endless amounts of water sources from reservoirs, rivers, lakes and the fertile soil.  Jordan, being a desert and only having one river (the Jordan River) and sea (the Red Sea) to pull water sources from, has to import much of its water.  This made me question the importance of water in my life and how many people do not have as much of an abundance of it in their lives as I usually do.

A common statistic told to schoolchildren is that approximately 70% of the Earth is covered by water.  Another statistic states that approximately 60% of the human body consists of water.  When we look at the food we eat, most of the food we eat contains water in some form.  Overall, water is essential to human life.  But how much water do we actually need to consume?  This is a question that I cannot answer, but it’s something that I should examine in my life. 

Overall, when it comes to consumption, I am considering how much of my daily activities and materials that I am consuming here in Jordan compared to when I live in Washington, DC.  I realized that I could pack four months (a whole semester’s worth of clothes) into my suitcase before coming to Jordan.  It makes me think, “Do I really need all the things I recently put in storage?” 

Coming to Jordan has begun the process of self-reflection and helping me to decide what kind of person I want to be.  It has also helped me to realize what’s more important than having lots of stuff (internet, iPods, café mochas, etc.): family and faith.  Being a very religious and family-oriented country, Jordan reveres piety and family as more important than anything in life, and when one does not have much, he always will have his faith and his family.  These are just two of the practices I want to bring back to the U.S. in May: moderating my consumption habits and focus on the more important elements in life.