You know, as excited as I get to go on a trip, I get equally excited to go home. 

We boarded the plane but once again, we were delayed. At least, this time, we were delayed by only half an hour. They gave us some dinner which consisted of chicken and rice, potato salad, a slice of cake, a bottle of water and a cup of coffee. I’d rate it a 2/10 where the 2 points are for the water and coffee. 

I really don’t like watching tv on the plane anymore so I switched on the flight info channel and then proceeded to use my sister’s shoulder as pillow. 

I spent the next seven hours in and out of sleep. I was ecstatic when the air hostess came to tell me to put my seatbelt on and my seat in an upright position. 

We were finally landing in ORT and for the first time, my soul didn’t jump out of my body when we landed. We collected our bags, got into the transfer car and were home fifteen minutes later. 

Before I sign off, I want to take a moment to reflect on a few things: 

1. It’s Free Palestine until Palestine is free. The Palestinian people have a special place in my heart – they have changed me in a way that I didn’t expect. Their ability to say “Alhamdulillah always”, in every circumstance, has left an imprint in my life and it is something I hope to carry with me always.
2. Someone told us that by being in Masjid-ul-Aqsa, Allah had chosen us to defend the masjid and that thought remained with me throughout my trip. It also gave me the strength to go to the next gate when we were turned away. 
3. Being in Palestine made me more aware of “Passport Privilege”. I used to think it applied to those with an EU/US passport but it also applied to me – my passport gave me entry into Masjid-ul-Aqsa but the Palestinians living in the West Bank can’t even leave their areas let alone visit Masjid-ul-Aqsa.
4. The reason for my blog: to share my experiences, to help someone when they’re unsure and especially with this one, to encourage people to visit Palestine. 
5. Please visit Al-Aqsa. Make it a priority on your bucket list. Go and travel through time and history and come back and tell everyone you love to also go and visit. 
6. Travelling makes me hyper aware of Allah’s splendour. I could not get over the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea and the sun setting in the Al-Aqsa compound and flying over the mountains of Sinai. 
7. To live without worrying about missing out on something is quite freeing. 
8. I am so grateful to experience life with my family – especially with my siblings – those two humans have my whole heart.

This trip honestly changed my life. Palestine changed my life. I am incredibly grateful to Allah for giving me the opportunity to see places that only ever existed in my dreams. 

Thank you so much for following my journey to the blessed lands, I hope that you learned as much as I did. I did my best to remember details but if I made an error, please forgive me. If you ever decide to visit, please reach out and I will be so happy to assist. 

الحمد لله دائمًا

All praise be to Allah always. 

Until next time, 

Radhiyyah 

Step count: 7 412