Tomorrow I leave for Palestine. There’s a lot of things on my mind as I prepare for my trip: calling friends and family to say mygoodbyes, running last minute errands, getting all the logistics in order for my arrival, and finally packing up two suitcases to last 3 months. It all feels surreal. I’ve been trying to return to Bethlehem for almost a year now to finish up research for my MA thesis in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. Now that this trip is a reality my mind does not recognize it. I wonder when this moment of realization will be. When my sister drops me off at the airport? When I get on the plane? When I arrive in Tel Aviv? As I write the butterflies in my stomach are getting stronger. My butterflies not out of fear, but of apprehension for my projected goals working with the Palestinian refugee community- in a way that is beneficial to them. I’m not scared to go to the West Bank. My family and friends who have never been to the Middle East are worried for me but they shouldn’t be. News reports seldom cast this land in a positive light, but I return to Palestine knowing that we have more in common than you know. Violence does not define it. If you get a chance to visit, you’ll find the Palestinian people are the most inviting, warm, and welcoming people you’ll ever meet. I'm excited to return to Bethlehem.