One love! This trip to Jamaica was one of the funnest events as a family that we have ever had. It was nice to eat and drink (pina colada virgin shakes!) at an all-inclusive resort. Even the sports facilities were amazing and very social indeeed.

Finally posting my wedding photos for the first time. This is a traditional Syrian wedding that starts with a chant as the groom among a pack of men doing a sword dance has to ask for the bride’s hand from her home and take her to the wedding hall; the rest is typical dancing, food, and fun! (August 4, 2008)

Life in Syria revives my spirit and reaches my innermost feelings of belonging and patronage to a country I have learned to love. I may be going to Syria this summer!

It’s like in 1 split second the weight of responsibility shifted from one man to another. It is him saying this is the daughter I raised all my life and poured every ounce of love into her and I just hope you can try to do the same.

It is an immense over pouring. It is a quantum leap of faith and security. This is the beginning of my life as a married man.

I like the direction my life is going, for the most part. I am in charge of my life. I owe it to God for my success. I am full of ambitions. I am lavishly blessed. I am a bashful individual. I am proud of what I have. I am confident that only with the help of God will I prevail. I am devoted to helping my community rise.

I possess a high tolerance for pain. I watch more than I talk. I am introspective. I am in touch with my feelings. I am a good listener. I sometimes have a hard time understanding people. I enjoy learning. I enjoy applying what I learn more. I admire smart people. I like to read biographies of successful people. I love my mom – she is the perfect woman. I love my brother and he is my role model.

I am full of contradictions. I strive to thoroughly understand myself and the world around me. I am a pragmatist and a dreamer. I am an artist and an engineer. I am passionate and I am passive. I am talkative and I am quiet. I am simple and I am complex. I end up enjoying advanced things yet I always admire people who live a simple life. I believe I can live with few things.

I am wasteful. I am self-serving. I consider myself generous. I have a hard time making decisions. I like to take my time. I like to listen to my voice mails before sending them. I like to perfect my sales pitch. I like to learn and share knowledge. I sometimes have a hard time working in a team. I work better as an individual sometimes.

I love my hobbies. I have great friends. I am a proud Muslim. I am a proud Syrian. I love my culture and my country. I am also an American. I want to make a deep impact on Earth. I believe in the power of one. I believe it takes one person to make a difference in this world. I pray that God helps me and protects my family. I pray for forgiveness and guidance. Allahu akbar.