My trip to Washington D.C and Florida (August 2008)

It has been three years since I left Gaza and the sanctions against it continue to prevent me from going back home to Rafah. It was late July when I decided to spend my annual leave. My dream was to spend my vacation back home with my family and friends but I had no hope that the borders will be opened anytime soon. Therefore, I thought if I can not make it home, at least I might make it back to my “home away from home”. It was a blessing that I was able to get a visa to US, and I decided to go to D.C and Florida.

It was an eighteen hour flight from Khartoum to get to Washington D.C. The flight was so long for me, not because of the long time it took, but because I was looking so forward to getting there after one year of being gone. Finally I got to the National Airport in D.C, and I took the metro to the centre of the city where everything looked familiar to me. I had a feeling that I have never left there. I felt that I was a way only for one week or so, it was a very nice feeling though.

I am not a tourist in D.C, as I lived there for about two years and have already been to most of the tourist places in the city. The first thing I wanted to do, after I woke up the next morning and had my breakfast, was to go to school. American University is my home; it was the place where I learnt new things, found friends and had a great time. It was my academic and social life. I took the bus and went to school; it was a great feeling to walk in the quad again and to meet my professors, supervisors and friends again. I did this for two weeks; I spent most of my time in meeting friends. I also celebrated my birthday in D.C. with some of my best friends. It was so nice and I had a good time. The only tourist place I have been to in DC was the Capitol. Oh, and I finally had Mexican food, which I missed so much.

After two weeks in D.C, I flew to Orlando, FL for a week. I have been to Cocoa Beach, NASA and Disney Land. Cocoa Beach was a relaxing place, where I enjoyed swimming in the ocean and watching the lightning. I did many enjoyable things: went on a kayaking tour in the lagoon, watched manatees and jet skied.

At NASA, I was really impressed by the highly advanced aeronautic technology of the USA. I actually learned a lot. My trip there put a new lens on my eyes to see the entire globe, and to see how we are only small part of the whole solar system. It was great to see REAL rockets which had been to the moon, and how the launching process takes place from earth to the International Space Station. I also have been to the point of launching the rockets. I also got to do the simulation of the space shuttle launch.

Disney Land was amazing. Starting from the Magic Kingdom building, passing through different exhibitions of nice articulated arts, you feel the whole city is a toy. After waiting for an hour, I managed to take a photo with Mickey Mouse. I liked the adventure land and “It’s a Small World.” I also liked how everything in the kingdom reflects the place in that everything there tells you that you are in Magic Kingdom like the cups, napkins, ice cream, etc.

At the very last day of my trip in Orlando, I just soaked myself in the swimming pool and the hot tub. I just needed time to relax before my eighteen hour flight back to Khartoum. My visit to the US was so relaxing and enjoyable.