Here are my ramblings, in hopes that yes I did learn and grow from this experience…but really how could you not!
I was most impressed or surprised that I never felt like we did not belong or fit in despite the fact that we did not blend in by any means. The people that we met everywhere were welcoming and accommodating and how well people spoke English. I was also surprised at the lack of cell phone use; I guess like everything else, Americans are the largest consumers!
Life doesn’t stop. Still wondering where the road I’m on is going to end up but more importantly what am I going to do and see along the way, I will try to be ready for anything, most of the time I am! (sunscreen, medicine, umbrella, blanket, nail clipper, food). Despite that I know there will always be that bump in the road that I did not predict, and I guess knowing that is all the preparation I can make. I know I like to try to be prepared; maybe it is the attention, the need to be needed, the need to be in control, being aware of what I’m headed toward, making the best out of any situation…yes probably all of that. But I have confidence that this experience has prepared me for more bumps in the road and unexpected turns. Some of the mystery of meeting people of different cultures and customs languages has been replaced by excitement for the possibility of more such meetings and interactions. Fear of the unknown replaced by great experiences and friendships.
When you are travelling, you are put out of your familiar and normal comfort zone. You are forced to go with the flow and push your limits of physical, mental, and emotional abilities. We all came on this trip as individuals with no real connections with each other, people from our own school that we met only a few times, people from another Wisconsin school, and people from a different country. This trip helped us grow personally which I feel will carry over into our academic and professional lives. We had to demonstrate many critical life skills at one point or another during our trip. Every day we needed to exercise self-management skills to be ready and on time for the many planned activities. But we also had to be able to balance that with our use of free time. Our communication skills were vital to being in the right place at the right time and to be able to effectively interact with people of different cultures and languages. And our ability to communicate also allowed us to demonstrate our citizenship skills, appreciating and learning the customs and culture of the areas we visited. In the process of interacting both in a social and academic capacity, we were able to build close relationships with people of varying backgrounds not only in our own school group but with those from another city and country. Looking at these skills, I thought, wow I don’t think I had to make many critical thinking skills, but know I think it was just the opposite! So many times when the communication was not at its peak, there were choices that I made to try to bridge the gaps between people and groups and try to make things right. Luckily, there were not any major problems that I encountered, but I feel that the use of logic and analytical thinking kept this from happening. For example not getting lost while exploring new cities and adjusting or making plans to meet the wants and needs of other people.
All of these critical life skills come down to the understanding that no matter who it is or where that person comes from, at the end of the day we all look for acceptance, love or friendship, a sense of purpose, and a little fun. And having respect for each individual on how they find these things goes along way.
Thank you WCTC and its instructors for allowing me this wonderful life growing experience, I am truly grateful.