It has been just about three weeks since the start of Ramadan, the ninth and holiest month of the Islamic calendar, and there is much that I have learned about myself in that time.

For most Muslims, Ramadan is not just about fasting throughout the day for 30 days straight, although that is a large part of the month; it’s primarily about strengthening your connection with your faith and growing closer to your community through acts of service and kindness, which is something that I have always found so beautiful about the month.

For me, I’ve always felt closest with my faith and my community during the month of Ramadan. 

I feel that though my relationship with my religion is different than what it may look like amongst other Muslims my age, each year when Ramadan rolls around, I try to connect as much as I can with others in my community and also with myself. 

I talk to other Muslim friends at UK, I watch the videos that my lovely mother sends to me about what to take away from this holy month, and I feel peaceful.

Still, celebrating Ramadan as a college student away from home during the majority of the month is difficult at times for a number of reasons. 

For one, it’s hard fasting for an entire day only to break my fast during iftar (the meal you eat after sunset) at the dining hall each night, especially when the food options are incredibly limited and lack any sort of variation. 

Granted, there are nights where I’ll eat with friends, and sometimes we’ll go out to nice restaurants, too. But when your fondest memories of Ramadan include elaborate and intimate dinners with your immediate and extended family, the table covered with your favorite Syrian dishes and your cousins and aunts and uncles all around you, it’s difficult not to feel sad and reminiscent of those times.

What I’ve learned, though, is that you need to cherish the things that make life good and worth living even through change, and believe me, a lot has changed since the first Ramadan I remember celebrating.

I still get to have iftar with my family every once in a while when I drive home to Louisville, where I get to feast on shawarma and lentil soup and kibbeh and all my other favorite foods from back home. 

Even when I’m not at home, though, my friends here in Lexington and the Islamic community here at UK are enough to make me feel like I’m not alone. I know I can turn to the Muslim Student Association here on campus if I need support, and my friends — both Muslim and non-Muslim — have shown so much compassion these past couple of weeks, and I’m grateful to have that kind of support system available to me. 

Besides, a Chipotle bowl to break my fast at the end of the day gets the job done well enough for me.

Fasting is always challenging, and I’m constantly reminded of it when my non-Muslim friends react in shock and wonder when I tell them, “No, I can’t even drink water,” and, “Yes, sunset is indeed quite late this time of year.”

“That’s crazy, Rana. I don’t know how you do it. I could never go that long without eating or drinking. You’re so strong.”

I always found these comments funny and sort of endearing, but also that I was somewhat undeserving of them. For a long time, I felt that my non-Muslim peers made me sound stronger than I really am — me not eating or drinking for an entire day can’t possibly be an act of strength when I’m constantly expressing my struggles and how hungry and thirsty I am throughout the day.

It took some time for me to come to the realization that, actually, my discipline and endurance while fasting during Ramadan is a testament to my mental and spiritual strength. 

If you’re a Muslim college student reading this, do me a favor: don’t sell yourself short for all that you’re accomplishing this month. Remember that you are extremely strong for dedicating yourself to your own self-improvement and faith; I only aspire to have that kind of perseverance throughout the entire year.

These final 10 days of Ramadan are the most important of this holy month. Eid-al-Fitr will mark the end of Ramadan and the revealing of the new moon, and there’s a lot to be grateful for. I think what I’m most grateful for this year is the love and support that my friends have shown me during this time. Thank you for accompanying me during iftars, for being so excited to learn more about Ramadan, and for encouraging me throughout this entire month so far. Ramadan kareem and eid mubarak!