Moving from one culture to another can be challenging for anyone, let alone moving across the globe after one year down of high school. Lauren Sfeir, a sophomore at Sandpoint High School, did just this. After years of a life settled in Beirut, Lebanon, Sfeir moved to Sandpoint over the summer of 2014.

Sfeir lived and was born and raised in the busy capital of Beirut, Lebanon, which lies along the coastline of Lebanon.

“My favorite part about living in Lebanon was my family and friends. My grandmother would make us a feast and the whole family would eat together,” Sfeir said.

The Lebanese lifestyle was not always easy for Sfeir, however, as a country in war for much of her time surrounded the country.

“In 2006, Israel and Lebanon got into a war and I spent that summer in the mountains listening to the fighter jets overhead,” Sfeir said. “In May 2008, the political television station that was connected to my building was set on fire by an opposing group and they started off by shooting; we could hear it as it approached from far away and we were camped out in our hallway for 2 days.”

The destruction was not over.

“In 2014, suicide bombings were everywhere including one across the street from my house. My sisters and dad were at home and had heard it go off and had started crying,” Sfeir said. “My mom and I had to convince a soldier to let us into our house as the area was sectioned off.”

Beirut worked to rebuild its city as Syria began to bring in more conflict to both nations.

“My school has been having more and more students due to refugees coming from Syria. Having the Syrian conflict has affected Lebanon because it has received over 1,000,000 refugees,” Sfeir said.

While Lebanon will always be a home to Sfeir, she still continues to adjust to a new life in the United States.

“I like that Sandpoint is a small community, where everyone feels included,” Sfeir said.