As the time approaches for me too, to leave and renew, I have become consumed by my re-entry strategy; thinking about what I should pack, what I would say, how I should act, and what I will wear. My situation is noticeably different than those of my other international peers – I have an Arabic sounding name, come from a Muslim family who spent time in the Middle East, and wear a head scarf. When I was first planning on coming into the country, I asked a lot of different people for advice on how to best ensure being allowed entry, especially given my background. These were the basics: Find a contact in Israel to vouch for you, do not mention anything about visiting the West Bank, and act as American, or as western, as possible. Some even suggested I take off my scarf. Although interesting, it was not an option I was willing to surrender to and believed it was ultimately unnecessary. It was this last piece of advice that has eaten away at me. It enrages me that I am made to feel that I need to try to cover up my “Arab-ness” or “Muslim” identity in order to satisfy the Israelis who have the power to deny or allow me entry into a country they illegally occupy.