I've seen the sunrise and sunset in Africa (rise and set in SA, set in Ghana), Brazil, India, Cambodia, China, Japan, the ocean, and Hawaii/San Diego. I've seen unspeakable poverty and the memories still bring me to tears. I've seen children who, obviously do not go to school, rely on selling gaudy items to tourists. I've seen religious ceremonies, sites, and pilgrimages. I've seen sites of historical significance, significance to my childhood, significance to my future. I've met, fell in love with, been impressed by, made connections, and been hurt by many people. I've acted like an idiot, acted in reverence, rapped, danced, sang, and eaten my heart out in every port. I've learned to enjoy new foods, new places, new climates. I've done things I never thought I would do. I've hiked the Great Wall, taken a bullet train, caught fish in the Amazon, successfully bartered in Ghana.
I've found it so much easier to express my feelings in words but trying to sum up this experience is leaving me with writers block. I can only sum up this experience as amazing. I'm coming out a different person. If I cared about my appearance before, I sure as hell don't now. Yes, I will always love my India pants and will carry my Ghanaian bag around with me. My room will be graced by the shotglass and figurine collection I have amassed.
I understand that this experience is physically over but the friendships and memories will last a lifetime. It's hard to accept the reality. I would give anything to realize that dinner stunk, the pasta combination isn't normal, the meat is unknown, the fish is just labeled as "fish" and to, silelently agreeing with J&J, run upstairs to deck 7 and sit, eat, and talk with the crew. Insanity on deck 2 will always be a fond memory, inviting whatever crew, students, faculty, staff that passed to join us. Understanding that communication is brought way back, cellphones are non-existent and to get in touch you rely on e-mail, room calls, and notes. If you don't know where someone is, a quick (long) walk is always worth it. I will keep with me the feeling of community we formed on the ship, knowing that whether or not you had spoken to someone before didn't mean you couldn't talk to them in port. There were so many nights spent playing games and really getting to know someone without the outside world, who you were, what you are, getting in the way. You are who you are, your house, hometown, activities in school didn't matter. And it was beautiful.
Nowhere will I ever have the connection to faculty as I did on that ship. My extended family made me so comfortable. I never felt out of place, I always felt wanted and loved. My friends became my family, going longer than I ever had without seeing my parents' face. I ate meals with my teachers, called them and visited their rooms when I had a question about exams. All things that one can't do at a land university. I've spent time pretending that professors don't exist when I see them in Publix or at a restaurant in Sunset but here, they add to the experience.
I've had the extreme pleasure of spending my semester with 570 students who I would kill to spend just another day with these people. Sitting outside by the pool, all avoiding our classes, putting school supplies on our chairs as not to use them. Watching the boys weightlift during prime tanning hours so they're seen. Seeing the piano bar teeming with energy and life at almost all hours of the day. Walking up stairs and thinking you're going straight, only to find yourself on the opposite side of the staircase. Only getting internet in the hallway because our cabin doors are too thick. Swells so large that you can't shower without leaning against the wall. Being rocked to sleep and then hitting a large wave and having everything come off your dresser. My wonderful cabin steward dealing with K & I on a bi-daily basis.
Our semester was summed up by "#sasproblems", from everything that happens can be solved by malaria, no internet, no clean clothes, or peeing on your leg because the ship's rocking too much. Signing maps like yearbooks became the "next big thing" because no one wants to not have all their memories written down for the next forever.
This experience is incomparable to anything else. Your country you study abroad in is a ship. You travel to countries as "vacations". You learn more than you could imagine. You're immersed in a culture, learning and adapting to fit in. My thassological semester has outstanding. The theory of Ubuntu has changed my life: "I am because you are". We are all connected, in ways that some can't imagine. Whether you attended sleep away camp with someone in the second grade, your friend from kindergarten's good friend at college is on your trip, you meet someone in Hawaii who knows your family. Even though it's stupid and cliche for me, certain songs from Pochahontas and The Lion King just ring so much more true. Life is cyclical. Things come and go, but the things that survive are the friendships you've made, the places you've visited, the pictures you've taken, and memories you may or may not have made through looking at said pictures.
So thank you, each and every person who has impacted me on this trip. Because of you, I am truly thankful. I have grown, I have changed, I have witnessed so many things. I am eternally grateful for this trip. These are my last posts until I update with the presents. I'm sure that I'll continue with my thoughts as this all starts to settle in. But, honestly, thank you mom and dad for giving me the world. I love you and I can't thank you enough. Until the next time, SASholes. Can't wait to reunite and party like it's Mauritius (c) Amanda Grond, 5/2/12.
No comments:
Post a Comment