The Room Where It Happened

To be 100 percent honest, when I first heard we were going to Tunisia, I was a bit nervous. The embassy had been closing on and off, and everyone was talking about all the security concerns after minor terror attacks around the 2nd. But the second I landed, a lot of my fears disappeared. And I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to go to this gorgeous country.

Driving around Tunisia genuinely felt like the supercut of some aesthetically pleasing Mediterranean film. Tunis, Carthage, and Hamamat were stunning. With the clear, cerulean sea and blue skies framing the landscape of white houses, it was like looking through a postcard, but in real life.

As a country in North Africa, but also on the coast of Mediterranean, Tunisia has a rich history of colonization and conquest reflected in the architecture of the buildings. Each governmental structure seemed to be hand-crafted and strategically designed. From the parliament building to the Prime Minister’s office, everything was so beautiful.

On a less superficial level, we also had the opportunity to see the room where it happened — it being the place where the first constitution was signed. We visited the site where the Prime Minister gives speeches and greets other Presidents, Ministers, and foreign officials. We were able to see the room where Parliament creates new policies, and he behind the scenes conference rooms where the Prime Minister’s advisors discuss their next move. Seeing all these historic, iconic sites in Tunisian history was one of the highlights of the trip.

My all-time favorite part of the trip was meeting all the people playing a role in the current Tunisian democracy. From meeting a former ambassador to health economist and political communications consultant, we learned the ins and outs of the Tunisian governance from a variety of perspectives. We visited Tunisia at a really opportune time when their democracy is finally being formed after years of dictatorship. The democracy young, evolving, and something happening right now. We got an inside look into history in the making. The officials we met this week are helping to set the foundations of democracy that will last for the foreseeable future. And that’s not something everyone can say!