Hello Everyone! My name is Maria Osman, and I am so excited to share my story with you! I grew up in Iowa, a state in the Midwest of the United States that is famous for its cornfields. Even though Iowa is known for its small-town feel, I grew up in a neighborhood filled with people from all over the world! My family is from Sudan, so I grew up surrounded by Sudanese culture, but my neighbors came from places like Mexico, Korea, Egypt, Ethiopia and beyond. It was amazing to learn about so many different foods, holidays and languages just by stepping outside my door! Living in such a diverse community made me curious about other countries and how people live around the world.
Even though I loved hearing stories about other countries, traveling felt like something I could only dream about. Growing up, I could not imagine going to a country where I did not have family--it seemed way too scary! I remember thinking, “How would I even know where to go or what to do?” I thought living in Iowa meant I would never get to explore the world. But that dream of exploring the world never left me.
When I was not dreaming of far-away places, I loved doing fun activities like roller skating, playing the violin, painting, drawing, reading, being outside in nature and watching movies.
