Palestine: A Journey
April
30-May 20, 2013
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Two kids, three continents, and 15 years later, here we are looking over the rugged beauty of the Palestinian landscape.
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The Adventure Begins: May 5, 1998
When I met my husband, Raed, 15 years ago on May 5, 1998, he told me he was from Palestine. Embarrassed, I asked, “Where’s that?” I was in college at the time, and I was certainly no geography or political buff, so I hadn't the slightest idea where Palestine might be. The only thing I vaguely remembered was seeing images of young men throwing rocks with black and white checked scarves on their heads in the late 80’s. That was my Palestine.
In the years since, I've tried to eradicate my ignorance of
most everything Palestinian or Middle Eastern for that matter, and I've recognized and worked to change my own skewed and prejudiced misconceptions of
the region and its people. Sure, it’s not perfect, but Palestine is so much
more than some seemingly crazy rock-throwing teenage boys who only want
conflict as I used to think.
I won’t bore you with an elaborate history lesson, nor do I
want to pursue a political agenda through writing this. I simply want to write honestly
about what I've learned and experienced here on this trip to Palestine, and
through my previous two visits over the past nine years. I hope to record some
of my impressions to share with my children one day and to share with my family
and friends who might be interested in learning more about this part of the
world.
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