A connection triggered. Lovely and almost ethereal.

I was nervous that I didn’t have anything interesting to say, but it turned out that the simplest topics of conversation are still profound when you are talking with someone you’d never otherwise have the chance to meet – soccer, shopping at the market, jobs, family. I felt honored that someone would want to take time out of their day to connect with me, and I hope to do it again sometime soon… thank you!

As an educator, constantly opening my students’ eyes to current happenings in the world is something I consider one of my duties. Before I can do that I need to open up my own. Thank you for such an eye opening experience.

Today is my birthday and I thought the best way to spend it was to “go” somewhere else. That somewhere else is here at the portal. I spoke to a wonderful artist who was photography as portraiture and projection amazing conversation about the process that we use as an artist to make work and what it means and what it can look like. I ful like and made a friend today. Best birthday present I could get.

So full in the light. Here. The Portal is a gift of presence, connection and oneness. I am so grateful to begin this day – in this way with a connection to a community of artists, a family of free thinkers. What a reflection of intention! What a powerful medium. So happy to be a part of this quiet, personal, passionate revolution of connection. So moved by the practice of our oneness. In the light. So full. Here. Best as ever, Sharese Bullock-Bailey

Can you please portal make all over the world! The longer I stayed inside, the more I realized the power of communication especially because people we’re told we shouldn’t communicate with! Art can change the world – and this project is an epic fresh step. Thanks for letting me be a part of it.

The Portal is a place where you lose yourself — however momentarily — and exist in a space with no time, place, language, constraint. The Portal is a type of control that allows for the most authentic human exchange — a conversation — so simple, yet undeniably profound.

This was the best hour of my life.

This has changed my life. We need a forever Portal!

Portals is a game-changer for global education.

As a senior at Georgetown, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how conversations have been the defining part of my college experience. This conversation is certainly one I’ll remember, even if it was only fifteen minutes. Muwaz and I broke the ice by discovering a lot of things we have in common – we’re both attending university far from home, we both care about access to education, and we’re both 22-year-olds unsure of exactly what course our lives will take. But as we got talking, I also realized that he had had many experiences I never will. He was sent to Pakistan when he was nine to work on a construction site and he worked as a translator for foreign troops in Afghanistan. These moments of difference were uncomfortable for me, not because they surprised me necessarily, but because I realized that despite 22 years of interacting with people different than me, I still don’t always know the best way to respond – support? consolation? more questions? I’m reminded of a quote by anthropologist Clyde Kluckhohn (or something like that) that says, in essence, “Everyone is the same, some people are the same, no one is the same”. We’re all human, we’re all part of a culture, and we’re all individuals – all at the same time! Thanks, Portal team and Merwaz reminding me of that. H F

Today is my 46th birthday so I wanted to do something special to mark the day so here I am! It’s such a great idea to connect people from different parts of the world. I really enjoyed my conversation my partner in Iran is a 3rd year engineering student who plays blues guitar! We exchanged contact info so I look forward to continuing the conversation in the future. Thanks so much for setting this up. I’ll never forget this day!

Intimate – awkward – human – blessed. What a wonderful experience!! I was drawn to this because I realize that small “inconsequential” moments between people have the immeasurable capacity to bind us together. Not all that can be counted counts  – and much that cannot be counted very much counts. This very much counts. I wanted to reach out and touch my stranger in the portal – but was so grateful for the chance to connect. What would make his day better? coffee and more time to spend on his own. Me? Solving a problem for a ?? – where there is no perfect solution. All so human! I am so grateful to be a small mustard seed in what I hope will flourish in its own organic way. Thanks so much.

It changed the issues currently facing our world so much more real. This experience will stay with me forever, maybe for positive pleasure but also negative reasons from my own misconceptions. This changed me. I am so grateful for this deeply unique experience.

Thank you to the cute guys we met! Best first date ever. Glad to hear about your experiences. Lots of love, Tatiana.

As the translator, this was an amazing and the most eye-opening conversation I’ve had in so long. As an Iraqi refugee in the US, it meant so much for me to be the connection between regular American citizens and Iraqi people. This is exactly what we need today to start the conversation and to help the American public understands a little more about Iraq and the Iraqi people. Love portal! Taif

It is a jarring and real experience.