In Sha Allah...I'll be Back

I was a little hesitant what I would be doing, and if I would like it or not before coming at the Excellence Center. To be honest, I was a little hesitant the first few days I arrived. I think the first time I truly felt at home was the first time (or I guess the second) I met with one of my classes. Most of them struggled with pronouncing, "Danielle" but that didn't stop them from the warm greetings I received. I think the same thing can be said for my host family. I only stayed with them for two weeks, but only a few days in we all realized two weeks would be far too short for all of us.

I studied Arabic for 3 years in college, but I think the few weeks that I stayed in Hebron drastically improved my language skills. I had never had the opportunity to speak with so many native Arabic speakers, especially in the Levantine dialect.

I think the best part of my experience was learning so much about Hebron, Palestine and the Occupation. It's very different to hear over the news about the events in the West Bank versus actually being here. You not only see but feel the Occupation and how it manifests itself in everyday life.

The Center took us to Fwaar Refugee Camp and we had the opportunity to see how the camp is run by the UN and all of the atrocities that have happened there. Again, it takes a while to truly comprehend what is happening here, but it's enough to want to tell every person who know.

There was so much learning for me the entire time, and it's been an experience that I wanted to be longer.