Final reflection paper for Solya:

 I had an excellent experience in Connect Express because it was something that I felt was specifically designed for me. Even during the first session, when we started with greetings, and when people present in the group were telling what they value and what they believe in, I noticed that I was really close to the people. It fostered deep and meaningful conversations, unlike regular discussions, where interactions often focus on  practical matters, Connect Express centered around values, beliefs, and cultural experiences. This made it unique and impactful, as participants shared personal stories and vulnerabilities, creating a genuine connection that is rarely found in everyday conversations. During the second session we focused on food and travel. I enjoyed the concept of describing different cuisines and countries, where I described my favorite food to other cultures and places that I love in my country and recommended places around the world from my colleagues. We really have an interesting topic when discussing the relation between food and travel especially in terms of culture. I remember when we were discussing limitations and challenges to going out to different places. It was surprising and comforting to realize that, despite coming from different backgrounds, we all agreed on one thing: Put differently, money and language are two issues that individuals face when it comes to travelling. Most of us might be financially constrained to afford exploring those other countries while language barrier apprehension is yet another huge barrier.

These shared opinions made me think about how these barriers can cause people to feel socially excluded. So, it made me realize that these problems are global, not cultural. The third session that I really enjoyed was when we had to pretend that our lives are the movies. That was all I took; comedy and drama and it was reassuring to see how many others felt the same way. The most interesting activity was to draw something that others would recognize as an elephant but in fact, it was something different. There Is much to learn from this activity, especially the fact that one should take some time to understand the situation or thing before making an impulsive decision and I have to say that this was the most important thing that I learned from this program that supports the active listening skill. By the time it was the fourth session, I felt comfortable enough to be honest. For, I expressed similar personal goals, such as wishing to give my children good moral standards and faith and raise them mainly on religion.

 One of my colleagues then suggested an entertaining game in which we were to each draw something and the others were to guess what it was. The group was filled with laughter and excitement as a result of this playful moment.  Then came my favorite part of the whole program, the last breakout room. Even though it started off a bit awkward, my Kuwaiti colleague knew that I love speaking in different accents. This led to us switching accents, I tried speaking Kuwaiti, and she attempted Egyptian and we couldn’t stop laughing. It was such a fun and healthy way to bond. The host’s final questions, such as “Who is someone that made you laugh?” and “Who would you like to keep in touch with?” were the most emotional parts of the program. Hearing my name mentioned multiple times for both questions overwhelmed me with gratitude and emotion. It made me feel truly appreciated and reminded me of the connections I had built during this program. Through this program, I got the best lessons regarding myself and other people as well. I found out that I love to relate with people. In the future, I would like to adapt this approach for myself, not only to listen and make other people feel cherished as I sometimes did in Solya.

In conclusion, I learned that I am an empathetic and active listener who values meaningful interactions. Through the program, I discovered my ability to relate to people from diverse backgrounds and create a comfortable space for dialogue. The activities highlighted my strength in connecting with others on a personal level, as well as my capacity to adapt my communication style to make others feel valued and understood. I would definitely recommend this program to my friends and relatives in order to make them feel the way I felt and give them the opportunity to try something new that could help them discover themselves, because at the end you do not know yourself unless it is a real experience.