After her training as a music teacher, Natalie went to Palestine in 2018 for an internship with Musicians without Borders and Sounds of Palestine. She worked together with local music teachers to develop educational programs for children. During this time, her admiration for the people, the language and the culture of Palestine grew and she decided to start studying Arabic. Natalie has been learning Arabic ever since – at Taalhuis Amsterdam, during later visits to the region, and from her Arabic-speaking neighbours. She started teaching Levantine Arabic courses at Taalhuis Amsterdam in 2023.