Day 34: Last Night in the Middle East

The trip is now coming to an end, and I have a lot to reflect on. Most of my reflections will start to sink in after I return home, but I already know that this trip has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience and learn new things. I have met many different people, most of whom I will not forget and several of whom I hope to keep in contact with. I’ve climbed the pyramids at Giza, walked along the minefields of the Syrian Golan Heights, and visited the Al Jazeera headquarters in Doha.

All of these experiences have deeply moved me and changed my perspective on the world. I’ve learned how to interact in Middle Eastern culture, how to open my mind to people I wouldn’t normally interact with, and how to discern between a balanced and unbalanced news story. I have also seen a lot of things that have made me question my role as an American and what I can/should do to help relieve suffering and poverty. Visiting the Zebaleen in Cairo, seeing the destruction in the Golan Heights, and contrasting it to the excessive displays of wealth in Doha has opened my eyes to the injustices present in this region of the world. I don’t know if I will ever return to the Middle East, but I know I can and will take these lessons home with me to America and hope that all I learned will help me personally and professionally in the future.

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