The day after our arrival, I began to notice that my initial

perception was greatly flawed. Unlike the United States, Egyptians were extremely welcoming and accepting to their beautiful country.

Egyptians opened their arms and hearts to us while we were visiting, inviting us to share tea and great conversations with them. While at the High Institute of Social Work, students met with our group as we discussed important matters like lifting weights.

I met a student whom I attempted to thank in Arabic, although I think I butchered it because another student responded by offering Arabic lessons in exchange for English lessons. We had a great laugh.

As I began to fully embrace these wonderful people, it wasn’t long before cultural acceptance took precedence over historical landmarks. That’s not to say that seeing and learning about the Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, and Khan El-Khaleli wasn’t fascinating, because it was. However, these wonderful people were more accepting than I’ve ever felt in an initial greeting making this the best experience I could ask for.

One gentleman asked me what I would tell people in the United States about Egypt and the Muslim communities.

I simply would say nothing less than they are the most wonderful and genuinely caring people I’ve ever met and this wonderful experience has changed my entire life in more positive ways than I could ever express.

BY: Robert Gray