Razan Alaqeel's

Sending small messages to more than five continents and ten countries could be extremely hard.  But finding the people who would respond to my messages with open hearts and a loud "YAS!" to something that I had to say was a piece of cake.  Having those strong connections made my last few nights light with happiness, because I was reminded through my friends' words, reactions, and pictures that the future really does belong to those of us who care about making it a better place to live for all.  We all shared one similar past during our time as exchange students in the United States in the school year of 2014-2015.  We said "Yes" to a new life that was full of new adventures and wild experiences.  We agreed to cross the Atlantic and the Pacific, because we strongly believed in our power, future, and in our own selves.  Age was not an obstacle, for we drew an amazing picture of America.  Yet the most important parts of this whole year were and for...

First day of Eid Al-Fitr was like no other.  It all started with the same things that I've grown up to know. The excitement on the night prior to Eid.  The new clothes that are all ironed and ready to be worn for the first time. The sweets that are moved from the kitchen into the living room for the guests and family members who shall arrive early in the morning. The big basket of fruits that are recently bought from the store. The phone calls buzzing from every mobile to greet family about the arrival of Eid. My hair which was straightened to give myself a new look for the big day. My new perfume. My new shoes. My new earrings. And my new soul which may have changed during a year abroad seeking for world understanding through exchanging cultures.  Eid is much more than that. To me, Eid is a spirit that is felt from one heart to another.  It is a love that sparkles in the eyes. Eid will always carry memories of each previous year. We celebrate this day to apprec...

If this year was one of my dreams, then I would've said "Dreams do come true.", but since my scenario is a bit different, then I shall say: Magic will always cross the lives of everyone. Yet now I'm stopping to think, was this year magic which surprisingly popped in my life and got me into being an exchange student, or was it just time for my destiny to take a new turn and cross the lives of many other people?  I don't know to be honest, because the truth of what this year really did mean to me can only be felt and shall never be written down. For words don't have enough power to translate the way I feel, and magic has no interference in my description now.  I am currently flying over the Atlantic, and this is the start of a new turn.  When the plane's engine made that noise which used to make me search for my courage as a kid when I got on airplanes, because, well, noises like these freak me out. I don't know why, but I guess that they're just a f...

My strong heart beats started and that was my signal that my time to leave has arrived.  My last day in McDowell County.  24 more hours between the mountains and that Great Lake which was the source of my tan for the past week. The breeze, the fresh air, and the sweet scent that it carries.  The flowers and the different trees. The birds' songs, and the whole atmosphere of the glorious nature of McDowell County blends in together magically.  I gained the love to this county through its nature, because it made me wonder in peace when I needed silence, and talk in excitement when I needed energy.  The new paved roads, the big Walmart, and the mountains, that is McDowell, that is my Marion which stole my heart even when I didn't realize it.  My American family decided that we would go kayaking at Lake James on the morning of my last day, because who wouldn't enjoy that?!  I couldn't sleep that night, maybe because I was at the lake a day before and m...

The time of starting to wrap up my exchange year came with the idea of wrapping a gift for the superintendent of McDowell County Schools. I figured that one whole year that brought to my life the bitter and the sweet deserves to be finished properly. It's like being on a long vacation and buying souvenirs to be taken home with me. But, the reality of living each day knowing that you are going to a place to reflect a certain message is much greater than the thought of being at the beach and knowing that you have to reflect an image of a good tan and outfit.   Back to my main idea, the gift! Mr. Mark Garrett is the superintendent of McDowell County Schools. He has been supporting me ever since I met him. He has a personality that attracts anyone to talk with him. He made me realize that a great leader is a humble and caring person. He showed great consideration to anything I had to say, and this really is an important thing for me. When a leader listens to the young and ol...

Monday morning started with a very interesting discussion in my AP English class. We did not discuss how bad I am with topic sentences, nor did we compare our eight different points of view about narratives. We started our class by comparing majorities and minorities.  It was not a discussion about races, religions, or countries. It was a very impressive talk with our teacher about how a person, one human being, would fall from being a majority in a certain place, into being a minority in a completely opposite environment. What can we offer to ourselves to blend in?  How can we be recognized?  How can we rise from being a minority into succeeding in reaching the level of majorities?  I came from a school where I was known by mostly everyone, and believe me when I say that this is not an exaggeration. Al-Kifah Private School believed in each child, and it had an amazing connection with its students. I studied there for eight years. I grew up between its tea...

I googled the definition of death. It basically said that death is the end of a life. I looked up some synonyms, because the word sounded too harsh to me whenever I brought it up in a conversation or a text message.  One of the synonyms was "end". So death is the end of a journey. It is the end of everything. It ends the heart's beats, the lungs' breaths, and the eyes' sight. Death takes the human's soul and leaves the body vacant. It is the end.  If we believe that death will end our relationships with our loved ones, then we are wrong. Death ends the first journey of their lives, and it leaves us with memories.  Our loved ones shall always live within our souls. We have to see what they couldn't see. We have to hear what they couldn't hear. We have to laugh and enjoy life to the fullest, because they would definitely want us to behave this way.  It is okay to feel melancholy. There is nothing wrong with being sad over the death of a person who means ...