Assad's police threatened to bury me and my reporting. Now I'm back, and free

There's a sense of joy in the air in Damascus, despite worries about Islamist rebels being in control and whether they'll ensure safety in the country. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters have protected public institutions from looting after mobs stormed the presidential palace, and prisoners have been freed.

An HTS group met with Christian residents of Bab Touma, a neighbourhood in Damascus, to give assurances they were not seeking to limit their freedoms.

Some in the Alawite community - who long supported Assad - are worried about what will happen to them, but so far there haven't been any reports of sectarian violence.

Since Sunday, friends and family members who fled have been texting me, saying they are coming back. It seems everyone wants to return home.

My central Damascus apartment was destroyed in 2013 when I left, after authorities deemed me a traitor and banned me from living there. Security forces and local officials broke in and destroyed its walls and ceilings.

Last month I was able to regain ownership of it after paying thousands of dollars in bribes. It will take time to rebuild it, but that's what I will do.

And perhaps when it is ready, Syria will be ready for all of us to come back.