A Changed Perspective

I was born and raised in the United States, so when my family decided to visit Yemen for the summer, nine year old me was skeptical about the lifestyle differences I would have to experience. In many ways, my family made me aware that we were materialistically more privileged than our family back home, so I was nervous.

My flight on the way there was extensive. When we finally landed, I had one last chaotic trip to take. My family lived outside of the city, so we had to drive up the side of the extremely rocky mountain to get to our destination. This was a startling welcome, and I was worried for what was to come.

As soon as we arrived, I was met with family members who I had never seen before. They welcomed us with lots of love and warmth. The first couple of days was spent getting used to different way everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, and even showering. There were no stoves and water had to be fetched ourselves.

As weeks went on, I got to experience exciting trips to volcanoes and mountains, while learning more about the uniqueness of Yemen's culture and ancient history. I learned that it is home to one of the world's oldest inhabited cities, Sana'a. Its extensive history can be seen by the rich architecture.

I also learned that mocha coffee is named after a city in Yemen, where coffee production took place thousands of years ago.

I celebrated extravagant weddings and holidays, which were much more festive than what I’ve experienced in America.

By the end of the summer, I was grateful for the memories I had made with my family. My country may lack materialistically, but through this eventful and meaningful experience, I realized that what matters most is intangible.