By: Tala Zalloom (YES 2019–2020, West Bank, hosted by ACES in Sioux Falls, SD)

As of today, I have completed one month since I have started this wonderful journey. A month ago, I was sitting alone in an airplane, after having left my friends, family, and country, while wondering what’s waiting for me on the other side. My plane landed early in Sioux Falls, but my local coordinator was there to greet me while I waited for my host family. When my host dad arrived with a balloon, I immediately felt welcome.

On our way home, my host mom noticed that I was feeling a bit down since I was missing my friends. After introducing me to different American stores, we went home, and I met my two lovely host sisters who were very sweet and welcoming too. After I had dinner, I was starting to feel more comfortable and relaxed. It was a bit hard adjusting to the different environment at first, but everyone in my host community was very nice and willing to help even with the smallest things. I was also really scared of dogs, but now, after a month I think dogs are the cutest things ever! So when I visit neighbors and friends who have dogs, I’m very eager to play with them.

When I first started school, the first thing I noticed was how huge the school was - I got lost every time I went to class, but now I know the route by heart. The students and teachers were all very eager to know more about West Bank, and I was more than willing to tell them about its culture and traditions. I joined the school band and drama club which helped me make lots of friends too. I even got the chance to help teach Arabic at a nearby mosque and volunteer at a church which is actually really fun. So far I’ve done lots of new things and some of them I never imagined myself doing like having a food fight! With my host family, I tried s’mores and visited the wonderful places of Sioux Falls like Falls Park.

Throughout this month, the key that helped me the most was communication. In my opinion, to be able to solve any problem, communication is the best way. This month has been like a dream to me, my host family is really kind and funny, and I already feel like part of the family. I can’t wait to see what the next months would be like and I hope I will let more people know about the West Bank and its amazing culture.