It has been one week. One week since we took our final steps on the road out of Jenin, finishing into the welcoming arms of the Canaan Fair Trade Association’s members. Complete with a booming drum core and marching uniformed youth giving us salutes. Hugs and grins all around. For me tears accompanying an intense wave of emotions. Some of which I could not even pinpoint or describe and their only manifestations were tight embraces and more warm tears.

We had come across the West Bank of Palestine. On the first day, group consensus was that we might have to adjust the name of ‘Run Across Palestine’ to ‘Get Across Palestine’ as it became evident that the obstacles ahead were much more than our tired feet and muscles. If only it were that simple. There would be military, checkpoints, settlements, arrests, police, soldiers and opposition. But there would also be wonderful welcomes in every Palestinian village where we ended our days. There would be thoughtfully prepared meals to refuel our tired bodies, host families to take us in and make us comfortable, dancing and singing to lift our spirits, tea and coffee over which to share conversation. And in the end we did…get across Palestine and on that sunny afternoon in the joyous chaos of our reception party it was time to celebrate.

I thought I might have reined in my emotions and tears until Nasser Arbufara announced the dedication of an olive tree to each RAP member. At first I misunderstood and thought we were going to plant a tree for each of us. I was already thrilled at that, but when we walked around back into a walled grove of olive trees it dawned on me I was wrong. A group of trees each wore a large sash hugging loosely around the branches. Each sash was a different color and each tree wore a sign on a branch. One said ‘Aaron Dennis’ another, ‘Randi Lyn’, another ‘Chris Treter’ and so on. Each one of us had a designated tree with our name on it. Mine wore a purple sash. The base of the tree bowled out in a way that looked like the tree was seeping into the earth at the slowest largo although it had of course been growing from the soil for around the last 200 years. The knots and dimples in the wood portrayed the expression of age on the tree–much like on a human face–even though by olive tree standards, ‘my’ tree is juvenile. The trunk diverged near the base into two main leaders like the oldest of partners aging side by side through the years.

I kept myself in check long enough to walk around with the group as we all hammered signs into the ground in front of our respective trees with plaques stating they were in our honor for the Run Across Palestine. When the crowd moved away, I stayed behind in the grove. I sat with my back against my tree and I wept. I just needed to sit for a minute and let go. Feel the energy of this living thing that has stood for 200 years and enshallah, will stand for another 2000. I thought about what this stationary being had witnessed in the past centuries and what it might witness moving forward and I wished for it to stand and grow on in a peaceful land void of violence, pain and strife.

I felt like I couldn’t leave. Like I really hadn’t done anything. I felt like I needed to stay. And do what? I don’t know, but help if I could. I realized the real journey was now beginning.

Along the way, the long way from Atuwani to Jenin I had been collecting. I was collecting sights and sounds, thoughts and emotions, light and love, pain and frustration, hope, fury, stories, laughter, anger, faces and smiles and embraces. I was collecting the Palestinian people, their story, and my reaction to it. Right at that moment with my back against the tree, it was the heaviest thing I had ever carried.

And now we are back…to ‘reality’. I’ve thought to myself so many times over the past week, ‘this can’t be reality. This is too trivial. I just left reality behind.’ So, we are adjusting back. ‘I miss you all’ has been exchanged between the team more times in the last week via Facebook and email than I can count. Needless to say, I feel changed. Once our eyes have been opened we cannot shut them. I will get back to normal, but I hope never completely, or that means I have set down my collection. I want to carry it always. I feel our responsibility is to share our experience with as many people as we can. It is a story that is seldom told. While we were there, we were asked more than once to tell the story of the Palestinian people to the world. And so I will. I feel like we had the opportunity to see life, although very briefly, through the eyes of a Palestinian. They welcomed us with open arms and warm hearts. They are amazing communities. I was struck by their kindness and graciousness, their overwhelming desire for peace and their deep connection to the land and all this in the face of an oppressing occupation where their mere existence is seen as resistance.

It has been wonderful to come home to my community and supporters, friends and family. To know that so many people were along for the journey from afar was a source of inspiration. When people have asked, ‘How was it?!’ I stumble over clichés like, ‘amazing, incredible, wonderful and life changing.’ What I should say it how much time do you have and where do I begin?

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Meryl Marsh is a resident of Traverse City, Michigan where she has worked for the Michigan based non-profit Archangel Ancient Tree Archive as the Global Operations Coordinator since 2009. Before moving to Traverse City in February 2011 she lived in Europe for 2 years and worked on international projects for her current employer, sharing her time between Michigan and Belgium. Born in Oakland, California and raised in Hartland, Michigan, Marsh attended Western Michigan University earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2004 with majors in Music and English, focusing on classical piano performance and professional writing.

IDEA TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
- Host a Palestinian “dinner and a movie” party with your friends/family of pita, olive oil, hummus, cucumber, falafel, olives.
- But a case of the olive oil ahead of time from Canaan or Higher Grounds, and sell it at your party to help support the farmers livelihood.
- And of course- show the videos too!!

We have created a permanent page with all videos in order here.

Here are some thoughts from yesterday by Run Across Palestine runner David W Gardner.

Today was our third leg, approximately 27 miles. We all did very well, that is until the very end. The 6 miles inside Jerusalem was smooth, as was going through the wall. Having never seen the Berlin wall, I can only speculate as to its similarities, but how different can 16-20 ft masses of concrete and barbed wire be? Once beyond the wall Reuters or the AP, not sure, wanted to interview Meryl, and she did a great job.

I think I can speak for us all when I say that running was much better after the wall. Lots of support and encouragement from so many people we passed, literally hundreds, maybe thousands. I’m sure I have never greeted so many people in a day.
As I said earlier the end was not easy. After gradual long climbs and slow descents we came upon a beautiful view from what seemed to be the highest point for miles only to see a very long descent leading to the steepest climb so far.

Thankfully we were meet by some of the people and children of Arura that ran the last leg with us. We were greeted warmly, lots of cheers, hand shaking and good will, even the governor of Ramallah was on hand. The ladies of the town prepared a wonderful dinner of chicken, couscous, and soup, perfect after our run, which we shared with town elders.

Finally, we met our hosts for the night. Josh and I slept at a home even higher up the hillside where we could see the lights of Tel Aviv and the nighttime darkness of the Mediterranean Sea. This will be spectacular in the morning. Before bed we shared good conversation and we were brought to a neighbors house where Josh jammed with new friends.

After 4 days I have learned much, to much to tell it all here, but with absolute certainty I can say there are no invented people here, only real people.

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David was raised outside Chicago, David now lives in Benzonia, Michigan. He is owner of Westbrook Construction, Inc., a small custom homes building company. He has enjoyed athletic pursuits his whole life and recently has taken up jogging on a regular basis. Read about the rest of the RAP team here.