A desert flower must be strong and robust to survive, able to withstand roaring winds and drought-filled days. But it also offers optimism to those who encounter it; it shows the possibilities of life even in the harshest environments.

Zeinab Mourad relates to this flower. Even though she was born in Australia and hasn’t lived anywhere else, the climate here can feel, at times, unkind and raw. But it’s finding strength in herself and the symbols that inhabit her life – like the flower – that have given her the fearlessness to pursue a life full of meaning. From the poetic to the personal, Zeinab ruminates on what it means to truly be ‘Australian’ in a nation founded on violent colonial myth, asking those around her, what is home?

Like the desert flower, Zeinab’s exploration of home asks, how do you find hope in an environment that feels hostile?

The Ocean and the Desert Flower was produced by Zeinab Mourad with Bethany Atkinson-Quinton at Artful Dodgers Studios in Melbourne, Australia.

Braided is hosted by Agum Maluach and Aaron B.

For more information on this episode, visit braidedpodcast.com.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates and extras.