From the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America, your writer, Rashid, embarked on a scholarship trip to study abroad – a journey in which he tasted the sweetness of success and the bitterness of failure, the pain of alienation, the beauty of travel, the magnificence of Arab identity, and the richness of connecting with others.
This was not merely a period of study abroad, but rather a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Through eight pivotal moments on his adventure-filled path, Rashid narrates the lessons he learned – insights that shaped his four-year experience and enriched his understanding of life.
As part of his commitment to passing on his experiences to future generations, Rashid includes a special message for students, ‘A Scholarship Message,’ at the end of this book. In it, he shares the key factors that helped him achieve academic excellence and build a life filled with knowledge and enjoyment.
I invite you, readers, to immerse yourselves in this narrative – written from the heart of experience – between the covers of this book.