It’s a hot day in the deserts of Egypt and senior Devin Hogan is cruising on the back of a camel.

On Feb. 16, Hogan and her mother embarked on a plane to Cairo, Egypt.

“My mother wanted to experience the revolution first hand as well as introduce me to a whole other world and see history being made. She has also been in the process of writing a book for a while and said she wanted firsthand information,” Hogan said.

A few friends expressed a bit of concern for her departure, however Hogan feels that she was not in danger at any time during the trip and it was well worth the sights she saw and events she took part in.

“[The Egyptians] love Americans and are such nice people. I never felt in danger and was completely safe,” Hogan said.

“It was such a great experience to learn and see another culture right in front of my own eyes, a revolution; that is history. I learned some Arabic when I was there and went to a mosque. I also saw the Pyramids of Giza and went to the Egyptian museum,” Hogan said.

Hogan recalls fondly many favorite memories that she is able to treasure back here in America.

“I went to a bazaar and bargained for things to buy. The thing about America is there is no trading. The price shown is the price; there is no exchange or bargaining. In contrast, many other cultures historically learn to trade and bargain,” Hogan said.

At one point during her stay, Hogan was amazed to see that there was a meeting at her hotel of over 400 “intellectuals of the revolution who met to discuss” future plans for Egypt.

Hogan learned many facts about the culture, people, and traditions of Egypt while she was there.  According to Hogan, 90 percent of the people are Muslim, and they dress in head scarfs called hijabs, as well as face scarfs called burqahs.  She recalls driving to Tahir Square after the revolution, where she saw “thousands of people packed together celebrating, yelling and cheering, and giving out Egyptian flags.”

Afterwards, a scene that moved Hogan was the citizens of Cairo “picking up the trash and cleaning up the area from where they protested, people painting the bridges, even painting the curbs on the road because they love their country. They were volunteering themselves because they love their land” Hogan said.

Hogan feels that she will always treasure this trip above all of the other ones because of the many new cultural experiences she was exposed to as well as all of the knowledge she gained.

“That is what is so wonderful about traveling. We are able to open our minds and not just see the world as Americans who take things like freedom for granted. I am so excited about the Middle East and the people in Libya fighting for freedom as well.  It is great news and I hope one day they can be free like us.” Hogan said.

Grace Kim is a Managing Editor for “The Patriot” and jcpatriot.com.