By Moaiad Aljamal (YES 2018–2019, Gaza, placed by Ayusa in Juneau, AK) 

My year in the United States was a life-changing experience. It all felt surreal at first. Some would say that the different geography and politics influenced my first impressions as I come from a country in conflict and crisis. On the other hand, others might say that the cultural differences influenced my first impressions. I think it was a variety of these factors.

I would say almost 70 percent of my behavior was culturally influenced at the start of the YES program. As the year progressed, that percentage started going down. About halfway through the year, I noticed that I automatically perceived others to be different. So, I had been treating all my interactions under this assumption. Later, I realized that we weren’t so different after all. All the interactions I had in my host community made me realize that despite a few differences in our cultural norms, we are all just trying to get through the day, be productive, and have fun. At some point I started believing that if I was born in the same circumstances as another other person, I would think and behave similarly.

There were a few reasons why I focused so much on differences. First, I had my cultural misconceptions about life in the United States and assumed my friends would act a certain way. In turn, they had their own misconceptions about me and so we both acted on these misunderstandings. Since we treated each other differently based on our own preconceived notions, ultimately this left me feeling alienated. Second, although I am a proficient English speaker, there was a language barrier. The English words that I used didn’t elicit the same feelings for me like the words I would have chosen in Arabic. So, I had a harder time reading the room, which also made it difficult for me to develop friendships. As I pushed through the first couple of months, I started making more friends and I reached the revelation that we are not so different from one another.

Some of my most meaningful friendships came from my time on the track team. Since we spent a lot of time together as we traveled to different competitions and ran side by side, I got know my teammates well. I realized that my friends from different countries like the United States and Mexico can be just as loving and caring as any of my Arab friends. These relationships helped me understand that wherever I go, all I need is to surround myself with people who truly care.