By: Taha Ferfir (YES 2018-2019, Libya, hosted by Ayusa in San Antonio, TX)

February has been a blast so far! I got to meet new people, visit new places, participate in a contest, and many other things that made this month so special to me. It started with participating in an art contest between a lot of schools for the district regional. My school had 56 students participate. I ended up with perfect scores for my two paper entries; I used charcoal for one, and for the other I used graphite. 

This month I also had an event with my placement organization to go to the Rodeo of San Antonio and it was on the 14^th, the same day as Valentine’s Day, so I dressed up in a suit and everybody loved it! Usually we use magic words like, "please, thank you, excuse me", but in the rodeo there are four magic words, "Let's rodeo, San Antonio." I enjoyed my time watching the shows, I also tried to do some flips just to show off!

February the 17^th was the national day of the Libyan revolution. The significance of that day is when the Libyan people went out with a united word saying we want our freedom. People forget their sorrows on that day and go out to meet people from all over the country and have fun together. I dressed in my traditional costume the whole day. It was Sunday, so when I visited church everybody was wondering what I was wearing, and some people invited me for coffee and baklava the next day. It was amazing speaking with them, and I also volunteered on that day too! 

In conclusion, this month has given me the best days of my life. I wouldn't have done without the support of my family, host family, and the YES program. It was my honor to meet all of the new people who I have met and get time to speak with them. It was also a pleasure to participate in activities and highlights throughout the month. It has been an honor to represent my country and the program, giving them the image that they deserve!