Atlas Corps fellows: on the right Diana from Uganda, Katy from Kenya, Anna-Kim an Atlas Corps alumni and Ali from Lebanon
If I can describe my feelings in words, honestly I felt I own the world.
My roommate Ali Atallah the first Atlas Corps fellow from Lebanon, Was preparing discreetly the party and in collaboration with some colleagues and fellows, since we live in a very small apartment I thought I wanted to invite few people to grab a drink, I already knew few people since I arrived to Chicago.
I start to think of the invitees, of course nothing could be done without the 4 awesome fellows that located in Chicago (Diana, Lourdez, Ali and Katy) are the main special invitees, then I thought of couple of colleagues from the office and then couple of Arab/American queers I met in Chicago as well as couple of friends that I’ve been introduced to them from back home … Ooops we are are 20 persons in a tiny living room that has two couches.
Pausing by the painted Ladies in San Francisco.
Photo Credit: Ali Atallah
Community leader turned to an Artist turned to a Fundraiser turned to a Model turned to a Traveler.
Why not?? it’s my birthday and I just mentioned that I want to own the world, I always wanted to do an art exhibition, however my paints always have been called ugly, discussing and awful by everyone sees them. But that did not stop me to make an art exhibition in my party, I painted and hanged all my paints all over the house.
I made fundraising for a queer and trans community housing back home, first fundraising goal was 500$ and I successfully have achieved it in few hours, and then I expand it to 1000$ and it went more successful than what I expected, I’m good fundraiser, or maybe people for the first time have a chance to send me gifts and they did.
I booked my ticket to San Francisco for my birthday and the best photographer in the world went to San Francisco and took an amazing photos of me, I thought for a while enjoying being model, or at least for the amazing Castro Street that has the best history of the world.
Pausing front of Castro Theature in Castro Street, San Francisco.
Photo credit: Ali Atallah
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