Esraa Alkhateeb, 11
UWC Mostar
Hi, my name is Esraa Alkhateeb, I am a firstie from Jordan and now I’m living in UWCiM. The few weeks I have spent here have made me developed an idea of what living in UWCiM means. It has made me realize that this is a place where I can meet a lot of people, share a lot of ideas, and enjoy a lot of moments. What makes even more special UWCiM is that it doesn’t have a normal campus, instead, the school possesses residences spread around the city, making the whole Mostar our campus!
There are some iconic places around the city that are special for the whole community, but from these ones, my favorite places so far are the park next to the gymnasia, gymnasia building, and Mepas mall. I like the park because it is a really calm and nice place. When I am there, I feel that the world simply stops, letting me focus on every simple detail in the park; the birds singing, the wind moving my hair, my friends talking. And, when everything is stopped, I can finally connect with myself, thing that reduces the stress produce by the over warming but amazing UWCiM lifestyle. One of the best moments I had in the park was when I was laying on the grass with many friends and we started talking about the wedding traditions in our countries, which was pretty interesting and a lot of fun. This random conversation made me realize how amazing is to interact with such an open community. I like Gymnasia building because of the inspiration it gives me, letting me see myself in the future, a future full of bright opportunities. The whole infrastructure of Gymnasia and the enthusiastic teachers just boost this idea. I am really happy about living in Susac residence, even if that means having to walk a lot every day. One of the main reasons is the benches located outside the building. Is a place when you can finally have peace after an intense day of school, perfect for watching a movie with your friends without worrying about anything else. Finally, Mepas mall has a really special value for me because it reminds me of my hometown’s mall, bringing back so many memories and giving me a big opportunity of creating more with my new friends.
All of these places, made really easy for me to adapt to this new life, making me associate these places with a feeling of safety and of belonging to something bigger than me. But the places are nothing without the unique community UWCiM has, full of diversity, friendliness, and kindness, supporting the celebration of our differences UWC values encourage. So, even with the beauty Mostar has, it would be so far from being special as it is right now if people weren’t as amazing as they are. I can’t wait to keep exploring this city while I make a new family here.
There are some iconic places around the city that are special for the whole community, but from these ones, my favorite places so far are the park next to the gymnasia, gymnasia building, and Mepas mall. I like the park because it is a really calm and nice place. When I am there, I feel that the world simply stops, letting me focus on every simple detail in the park; the birds singing, the wind moving my hair, my friends talking. And, when everything is stopped, I can finally connect with myself, thing that reduces the stress produce by the over warming but amazing UWCiM lifestyle. One of the best moments I had in the park was when I was laying on the grass with many friends and we started talking about the wedding traditions in our countries, which was pretty interesting and a lot of fun. This random conversation made me realize how amazing is to interact with such an open community. I like Gymnasia building because of the inspiration it gives me, letting me see myself in the future, a future full of bright opportunities. The whole infrastructure of Gymnasia and the enthusiastic teachers just boost this idea. I am really happy about living in Susac residence, even if that means having to walk a lot every day. One of the main reasons is the benches located outside the building. Is a place when you can finally have peace after an intense day of school, perfect for watching a movie with your friends without worrying about anything else. Finally, Mepas mall has a really special value for me because it reminds me of my hometown’s mall, bringing back so many memories and giving me a big opportunity of creating more with my new friends.
All of these places, made really easy for me to adapt to this new life, making me associate these places with a feeling of safety and of belonging to something bigger than me. But the places are nothing without the unique community UWCiM has, full of diversity, friendliness, and kindness, supporting the celebration of our differences UWC values encourage. So, even with the beauty Mostar has, it would be so far from being special as it is right now if people weren’t as amazing as they are. I can’t wait to keep exploring this city while I make a new family here.
Edited by Diego Flores
www.unitedworldwide.co