من أكون “This is who I am.” هذا هو أنا. The phrase that constantly repeats in my head during olive harvest season in Palestine. At 8:00 AM, my family and I gather around the trees, picking each individual olive piece, with much love and care. While this may seem like a regular harvest, it is, however, a time of collecting all the stories of our land, honoring the brave individuals before us, and cherishing something deeply meaningful. While working, the women on the other hand would be preparing warm food on top of a hand made fire pit using rocks for boarders and wood to create the fire. The tea breaks are taken around the fire pit with the traditional yarghool playing. We admire the beauty of all the olives picked and processed after a year of careful tending. As we sit around, we begin telling stories that keep our roots alive in our memory. Even in the most challenging times, our land gives us warmth and peace. Although we aren't given freedom of speech nor the freedom to fight for ourselves, our lands are what pushes us to keep moving forward. In these moments, I feel strongly connected to my people, my roots, and my purpose. Yet, I’m not just a Palestinian. I was born and raised in America, I lived north of Chicago. I struggled with keeping a balance between the two different cultures in my life. In the U.S., I had opportunities and a future that was easy to achieve, unlike the struggles my cousins deal with back home. Although it offered a lot to me, the stereotypes of being viewed as a terrorist or stared at for being a hijabi is something continuously present. Visiting my homeland, I’m labeled as “too American” meaning that I'm not viewed as a Palestinian in their eyes. The result of this is being overly charged on items, being lectured about being a trader, and being constantly excluded by others. It seems to me that I’m too much of something and less in the other. Today, I speak loud and proud expressing that I have embraced these differences. This experience taught me how to adapt, hold multiple truths, and listen to my heart all at once. I am an American by chance, Palestinian in perseverance, Muslim in belief, and Arab in traditions. This challenge has shaped the person I am today and will continue to shape me in my next journey. I have witnessed the difference of attention to healthcare in Palestine and America. The lack of trained doctors and nurses in Palestine due to the ongoing war that has affected education generally in Palestine, has resulted in many complexities. My dream of becoming a nurse is not for my achievement or my personal use, but rather for my people and my roots that I strongly deny to betray. I will offer care, love, kindness, and pure intentions and the rest is in the hands of Allah. I’m not just one thing, plus I never have, and now I have accepted that, and no longer try to make it seem that way. “This is who I am.” هذا هو أنا. I have embraced both of my identities and ready to bring both along my next chapter and journey in life.