By: Sandra Jones

It has been an amazing trip in Palestine. We were lucky to visit so many different cities in the West Bank and Jerusalem. But it was not only about Palestine, this program gives you the opportunity to meet people from all around the world.

For you, who will come soon, be prepared to meet amazing and welcoming people here in Palestine, be prepared to see fantastic places but difficult ones also. Sometimes, you will be separated from the locals who host you just because they are Palestinians and they are not allowed to go in some places or streets especially in Hebron.

I have never been to a desert in my life, so it was really amazing and the view was perfect. People were super welcoming and we were playing with the children. It was really relaxing because the most important thing in the country is the conflict, but in the desert there is not conflict, it is just relaxing and peaceful. The Dead Sea was beautiful, but the sad thing is that it is not really Palestinian anymore, so we had to go to the mountain. The locals cannot go to the sea, which is the sad part of it.

In Bethlehem, I was shocked, because in France we heard a lot about the apartheid wall, but the graffiti on the wall was really nice. At the Banksy museum, the thing that shocked me the most was picking up the telephone and hearing the Israeli soldiers say “we will destroy your house and you have five minutes to take what you want and leave”. These are civilians and the Israeli army is destroying their lives because homes are lives. This is the thing that I will remember all my life.

But don’t worry about one of the most important things in life: food. Pretty sure that you will enjoy it. Don’t worry about security, food, water and so on. Just relax and everything will be fine.