Around the US!

The Fulbright experience is one of the best things that has happened to me. I'm so thankful for having the occasion to nourish my passion for civil engineering in one of the best universities in the world, Virginia Tech. I'm equally grateful for having the chance to live the Fulbright journey side–by-side with my other half, my husband Khalil Benali. We two Fulbrighters are living and enjoying this experience to the fullest.

Since Khalil and I are both devoted travelers, we are continuously seeking out opportunities to check out the next destination on our long "places to visit in the U.S." list.

From DC, to Florida, California, Arizona, and Nevada, these adventures have had a cultural significance for us and have given us a new perspective about America and how diverse this great country is. We have met so many new people and learned much more about the rich American culture than if we had spent all of our free time on campus. We have also significantly increased our resourcefulness by living in situations we would never have encountered back home.

In addition to skylines in the big cities and enormous bridges and highways, we specifically fell in love with Williams, Arizona, which we had the chance to visit on our way to the amazing Grand Canyon. Williams is an original mountain town in Arizona located along the historic Route 66. It is an insanely beautiful small city. It reflects an authentic image of a Western village and celebrates the historic Route 66 through different vintage car shows and absolutely eye-catching cowboy settings.

Our trips around the U.S. created memories for a lifetime. Now, we have many more nice as well as crazy stories to tell people. However, the adventure doesn't stop here. There are still many other places in the U.S. where excitement is waiting for us, and the best is yet to come!

Amal Bouraga is a Moroccan Fulbrighter pursuing a Master’s in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech.