Photo: Moroccan and Tunisian YES students wave their flags at the YES orientation in DC in August 2016.

By: Meriam Moujahed (YES 2016-2017, Tunisia, hosted by World Learning in Silver Spring, MD)

Unlike the other posts that I saw on the YES website, my story is going to be a little bit different. I'm not going to talk about what I achieved during my first days in the U.S. I'm not going to talk about my host community or host family. I'll talk about the DC Orientation.

During my first day of school, my English teacher asked, "Can anyone tell me what the best part of his summer was?" Without even taking the time to think, I answered "My DC orientation with the YES program". Nobody knew what was I talking about, so I got up from my seat and explained.

Before coming here, I had an orientation in DC with the other YES students from Palestine, Morocco, Bangladesh, Lebanon, and other YES countries. I met people from the four corners of the world. I still remember how I felt as I first stepped into the 4-H National Center where I had my orientation. I stood there remembering myself a few months ago, sitting with my family or hanging out with my friends and having no idea that one day I would leave to chase my dreams. That one day, I would have such an opportunity.

I was amazed to see people from different countries, different cultural backgrounds, and different lifestyles, all meeting in one place for the same reason - to get out of their comfort zones and explore the world.

I saw the YES students moving from one place to another talking to each other, trying to know more about each other's cultures and countries - everybody was willing to learn about YOU. I joined them. I was extremely excited to be with such people. I just couldn't believe how awesome they are. I had the best days of my life with them.

I still remember our last night together. We were exchanging traditional dances of our countries. We danced together. We laughed. We sang. We hugged each other. No one could believe that it was the last time we would see each other. And I was wondering, how did we become friends in just three days?

I spent my whole last night crying, because those people became my family and I didn't want to go away from them. It's just crazy how we can fall in love with people in minutes. And today, if I had one wish, I would go back to DC and fall in love with those people again.

I'll be grateful my whole life for having the chance to meet the international YES students.