The narrator reflects on growing up in Gaza as a complex, closed world where she straddled the line between childhood and adulthood, often engaging in adult conversations. After leaving Gaza at 17 to study abroad, she experienced a stark cultural shift in Cyprus, where her identity as a Palestinian was often misunderstood. The distance from Gaza felt surreal until the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, which renewed her connection to home and led to personal loss when her cousin was killed. Through her father’s journalism, she navigated the fear and uncertainty of the situation in Gaza, grappling with the reality of her homeland from afar.
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