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NaqiyaHashmi, AFS Alumna, Turkey Short Term Program 2022-23

I participated in AFS program to Turkey from 23 December 2022 to 4 February 2023. I feel that participating in this program was one of the best decisions that I have ever made, as it was a really wonderful and life changing experience. I learned a lot from this program and also learned about myself. Travelling by myself with an educational motive helped me unlock skills that I didn’t know I possessed. During my stay in Turkey, I looked after myself and took charge of my own actions. Though it took me and my host family a few days to understand each other, we had a really great time together and we bonded really well. They made me feel at home, we enjoyed our time together, we ate together, we went out together, we laughed together and the list just goes on.

I also did things that I had never done before such as taking a bus and travelling through a metro within the city. The best thing that I remember is the celebrations that brought me and my host family even closer to each other. We celebrated the new year together and exchanged gifts, danced and had a blast. On the Republic Day of India, my host family and I dressed up in Indian traditional clothes.

Now I feel more confident, open minded and social, and I see myself as a person who can make it through all the ups and downs that life may bring.