THE CHANGE AFTER THE EXCHANGE

THE CHANGE AFTER THE EXCHANGE

Author: Tamara Z. Salih

November 19, 2012 at 10:27

It started after I returned from this awesome exchange program the IYLEP (Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program) to my home, from the first step I take I've started to cry. At first I didn't know why, but after few days, I realized it's a "cultural shock". Unfortunately this is what happened, At first I started to escape from the reality by sleeping, but of course my parents put an end to this, because they were concerned about me, they didn't like that their daughter sleeps for hours during daylight and back to sleep again at night, so I don't know why I hated everyone around me, I hated myself, because I felt as a stranger in my house , in my room, with my family or friends not because I really do not love them, but cause I felt like I'm the only one how've changed, can you really imagine how I felt ?? I'll tell you how I felt, I felt lonely isolated and unwanted.

Thanks to God and thanks to my family and, of course, thanks to my friends who were with me on this journey I found my "comfort zone" between the people who've passed this before and they knew how to overcome it, so my mental status improved and I went back to my normal life, but 100% better than before and I realized that this was the worst part of the journey. Well I do not want to say that this was the worst thing that happened to me. Absolutely not this trip was the best thing that happened to me at all. I might say that this trip is the journey of a lifetime at the beginning of my life has, or I can simply say it's awesome !!

Read more: http:// http://blogs.worldlearning.org/iylep/2012/09/21/lost-in-between
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