You might not think that moving to Libya is such a good idea right now – with the rebel uprising and all. But, that’s not quite what 21-year-old Chris Jeon thinks.
The UCLA math major decided to drop $800 on a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to Cairo and then travel across the border into war-torn Libya. He’s been there for a couple of weeks and is pretty relaxed about the whole thing. However, he hasn’t told his parents that he’s up and moved to Libya! We wonder what they’ll have to say about that.
Oh, Jeon doesn’t speak Arabic – not a bit. He’s been staying with families in the area as well as rebel fighters. He has centered himself right in the front lines of the fight. The rebel fighters have given him spent ammunition to wear around his neck and a black and white scarf for his head.
So, why did Jeon make this crazy move to Libya? He just wants to be in the middle of a real revolution. This is a far cry from how he spent his last break from college – a stint in Quebec. Now he is wielding weapons and traveling with the Libyan rebels.
Although he cannot communicate verbally with the rebels he travels with, he is able to get by through broken Italian in some cases as well as sign language. While we’re all for revolution and personal freedom, we question Jeon’s decision to relocate to Libya in the middle of a civil war. However, if he makes it through it – and he definitely thinks he will – what a story he will have!
Jon Huser
