On July 24, 2000, a newborn baby came to life; that baby just happened to be me, Ammar Fatihallah. I was born in Mosul, Iraq. An amazing country with its astonishing history. A history full success, justice serving, wealth, beauty, and successful people. Unfortunately, I wasn't born at that time. I was born in an era where my country wasn't at its best, it was full of war, hatred, and poverty spreading around faster than a disease. Growing up in Mosul, my dad would take me with him from time to time to downtown. We'd go to a small restaurant where they'd serve us some good kebab. The downtown in my city wasn't really the same as the downtown you'd expect. It was crowded, small, and not that clean; but there was something about that place that made it fall in my heart. I don't know what was it; was it the people? the smells? the food that I ate? I don't know what was it but it made downtown a special place for me. Anyway, as my dad and I walk in downtown, my dad would tell me about every place that we'd walk by. The 4 bridges that we had in Mosul, the big markets, the beautiful mosques, the beautiful churches that there are. He told me about how he grew up being around these places. Something really caught me up with how my dad was explaining these places. He was speaking with such passion that made me feel that everything he said came right from his heart. Anyway. Growing up in Mosul as a kid, it was an amazing life, even though there were bombs thrown over us, even though we'd have a bomber on the daily basis; having a family and relatives to grow up with is such a blessing. Do you know why so? because at age 10 I experienced something called being foreign. My dad thought about leaving the country to provide a better life for us, me, my two brothers, and my sister. We left Mosul, Iraq on 6/15/2011.I still remember that day till today. We went home for the last time to say goodbye to our relatives. I remember how my grandma was crying knowing that we’d leave for a long time. We left the house at 11:00 AM heading to the big bus that will drop us of in Turkey.