I ran is a sentence. Iran, pronounced “ee-ron” for all you uncultured gringos, is a country. A very disliked and misunderstood country here in the U.S.

I had the pleasure of spending my three weeks of spring break (taking off an extra two weeks to add to the one) in Iran after not having visited for two years. This time, I took note of all the changes, people, and trends I observed to share with you.

I hope after reading this, you will have a better understanding and perception of my country, which for some reason, was put in the “Axis of Evil” by former President George W. Bush in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, in which Iran took no part.

Great logic there, ‘Murica, but let’s move on.

Let’s start by breaking down some stereotypes.

Iranians (again, “ee-ron-ians” and not “eye-rain-ians”) are Arabs: FALSE. Iranians are not Arabs. And don’t make that mistake because we take offense to that notion. In fact, Iranians are white. The name Iran is actually from Aryānām, which literally means “Land of the Aryans.”  Yeah, we’re white, so, you know, don’t shoot at us.

It’s a country full of conservative old timers: FALSE. Over 60 percent of Iran’s 73 million people are aged 30 or under. Everywhere I walked, I’d see at least one young couple with a baby. Most of those young people had their youth shaped by political, military, and economic crises, and are educated, liberal, and exposed to Western ideals.

Americans only see the hardline conservatives on the news because they make up a lot of the top positions in a theocratic government, and their radicalness attracts viewers, much like a report on a Justin Bieber DUI.

Terrorists: FALSE. I hate to break it to you America, but simply being geographically located in the Middle East does not qualify a country to be one filled with terrorists. The biggest threat you’d  faces there is being hit in the head with a volleyball or soccer ball in the park or being greeted to death by every person and store owner you’d see.

It’s a completely blocked off country: FALSE. Well, to the U.S., it sort of is for now. But I was shocked by how large the tourist population was in Iran, even compared to when I went two years ago. The largest tourist population I saw was in Isfahan, one of Iran’s most historical and beautiful cities.

There, I saw plenty of German, Chinese, Italian, Korean, French, and even Australian tourists. All of the tourists I talked to admitted to being completely disillusioned and praised Iran’s beauty and its people.

American Hate: FALSE. No flags burning. No collective chanting. Sure, everywhere you go, some people are going to hate a country. But let me put it this way: Iranian hate for America is much less than American hate for Iran.

I never once felt unsafe about telling people I came from America. In fact, everyone I talked to, young or old, greeted me and wanted to know more about the U.S. and hoped for better relations between our two countries so that they too could visit my country just like I visited theirs.

When an agreement was reached between Iran and the U.S. over Iran’s nuclear program on April 2, people of all ages poured out into the streets next day to celebrate. Horns were honking, music was playing, and the people were happy, unlike here in the U.S., where congressmen and senators such as John McCain are still busy complaining about diplomacy and singing: “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.” (Seriously, he sang that).

While there, I was saddened to see some fundamental problems that are hindering societal progress. Not many people seem to give a damn that garbage is flooding into the streets or that air pollution is worse than ever.

According to Time magazine, four out of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world, including the most polluted city, Ahvaz, are in Iran. A strong herd mentality lies within a population that complains about its problems but does little to solve them.

I can’t tell you how many historical sights we went to that were filled by people taking selfies and talking loudly, oblivious and not paying attention to the guides trying to explain to the people the significance of what they were posing to just take pictures with.

All that being said, I am glad to know that some people are looking out for the general population, and have been able to achieve a lot to make Iran the most advanced and developed country in the Middle East.

Keep in mind that all this has been able to happen despite brutal economic sanctions placed on Iran by the U.S. and other countries that will hopefully be lifted in the near future. In the last 10 to 20 years, Iran has been able to develop a decent highway system, a great cellular network, excellent metro systems in major cities, and build the sixth tallest tower in the world, Milad Tower.

I always enjoy going back to Iran. I love to meet new people and see new places. Every time I go, I learn something new, and I hope you’ve learned something new about my country and have a better understanding of it than what the fair reporters at Fox News could provide you with.