A year has passed since I shared my first blog post with P.P.B volunteer community. I was super excited to have it posted but at the same time, I was displeased about the date as it was my ex’s birthday.

At that time, I was labouring under the illusion that our story should have continued, no matter what. I’m not anymore. I liberated my mind and soul from the cage of that story. Now, I fly freely and I don’t hold a grudge. It’s why I felt confident to ask Chinthi to post this blog on the same day. From now on, the 26th of April is my anniversary of posting on P. P. B’s blog. Also, in Egypt, it’s the day after the Sinai Liberation Day, when Egypt got Sinai back in 1982.

I’ve always loved writing. I remember the first time I got praised for an essay I wrote in Arabic was in the third year of preparatory school, almost at fourteen years old. It was when I became a frequent visitor to the school library. I started to delve into history books. One of the books I read at that time was about life after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. I was puzzled with how evil humans could be, and unfortunately, still are able to as I’ve just read about news in Gaza. I was always curious to learn about wars and conflicts to understand why people fight and liquidate each other.

I started writing in English when I wanted to improve my English skills. It was like hitting two birds with one stone; working on my English and having writing as a therapy. As my family didn’t know English, I felt secure writing in English, knowing they wouldn’t find out about my thoughts and secrets. That was when my mindset started to change and develop day after another, fortunately for the better. After having my English improved, I kept writing in English because I wanted to share my writings with my friends whom most of them were non-Arabic speakers. Now, I share my writing with you, the great P.B. community.

Providing me with a sense of freedom, freeing me of judgement and reaching more audience, writing in English has been the perfect tool for me. I write my experiences as a hard-of-hearing woman, about my solo travels, meeting people from different cultures with different customs, volunteering locally and abroad, using hosting services and staying over with people I have just met, which wasn’t a good idea all the time. For instance, one cold night in Nepal, a host asked me to share a blanket with him! Long story short, I was so lucky that he didn’t do me any harm. It was a lesson to search and read profiles and feedback thoroughly before accepting offers to stay over with someone on these services.

Nevertheless, one day, I’d love to write in Arabic. I’m sure that out there, many Egyptian and Arab women and girls are in the same position as me, with whom my posts would resonate. Many women who seek their rights in a patriarchal, traditional community where they have to fit into molds of this community will connect to what I recount.

In the end, I'd like to get you engaged by asking you, which one of my blogs did you like the most? Is there something you would like me to change in my writing or to keep? Is there a specific topic or point you’d like to read about in an upcoming blog?