I like to think that I have learned a lot on this trip. I’ve figured out how to take a bucket bath. I’ve navigated new city streets, where drivers were on the “right” side of the car, and the only traffic rule seemed to be drive as fast as you possibly can. I’ve eaten foods I never thought I’d try (chicken foot soup for example), and I’ve learned words in new languages. I’ve realized what the United States looks like from outside our borders, and I’ve had the privilege of watching people work to change their communities. These last months have been packed with lessons, and I know there’s even more to learn in the months to come.
However, out of all the things I’ve learned thus far, I think learning to be thankful has been the biggest lesson. I like to think I was a grateful kind of person before I set off on this adventure. But, the reality is I took a lot of things for granted. Sure, I was grateful when news reports of struggles around the world reminded me of all I had. I was grateful when I scraped out the grade I wanted in a class, or managed to make it through that yellow light before it changed to red. But, there were lots of little things in everyday, normal life that I forgot (and still forget) to be thankful for. Having been thrown into new situations where a new normal had to be learned and where poverty has taken on a whole new meaning, I’ve realized how fortunate I am to have all of those little things, and that I need to be more conscious of the blessings in my life.
So, this Thanksgiving, here’s a short, and nowhere near complete, but nevertheless list of things I’m thankful for:
1) My Family
snapshot from this summer
I’ve always known I was fortunate to come from a loving, supportive home. However, these last months, and these last few weeks in particular, have made me realize just how thankful I ought to be for the people related to me. I grew up in a house where I never doubted that I was loved. I was never made to feel like I was a burden because I’d been born a girl. My brother wasn’t given a place of honor while I was cast aside. Instead, we were, and still are treasured. Our dreams are supported, and we have the comfort of knowing we can always go home. That is a precious gift; one that I am realizing has not been universally given. For this wonderful gift of family, I am thankful.
2) My Education
classroom in Tanzania
A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to email back and forth with a high school senior who was trying to decide where she wanted to go to college. She wanted to know what my experience at Wofford had been like. I told her, and I meant every word, that deciding to come to Wofford was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Sure, there have been times when I’ve struggled to grasp a key concept in chemistry or remember the 8th step in the glycolytic pathway. There have been late nights and early mornings finishing assignments and studying for tests. But, Wofford has taught me how to think. It’s made me critically analyze the world around me, while giving me the tools to go out and be an active citizen in this world. I’ve been blessed with professors, who with the patience of Job, have answered my questions and helped me figure out what kind of adult I want to be. I’ve been blessed with friends who’ve stayed up listening to my crazy ideas and then helped me turn those tangled thoughts into a tangible reality. I haven’t been spoon-fed information. Rather I’ve been challenged and encouraged, and ultimately, educated. Such an education, both formal and informal, is a priceless gift, one that I am thankful for.
3) That I have never known hunger
ugali and stew
This trip has not been without its adventures with food. And while I can’t say I miss Ghana’s fish stew or Tanzania’s ugali, or that those meals left me feeling full, I can say that I’ve never truly known hunger. I’ve never been in the position where my priorities have had to completely shift to focus exclusively on where my next meal would come from. That can’t be said for all the people I’ve met on this trip. Hunger isn’t just a pain you feel in your stomach. It consumes your thoughts. Planning for the future, planning for tomorrow, can’t be done, when the question of what will I eat today remains. I’m thankful I’ve never had to face this question. I’m also thankful I now realize the magnitude of its effects.
4) The chance to travel
view from the bus on the way to Huanuco
When Dr. Dunlap made the announcement I was going on this trip in April, I had no way of knowing what a tremendous impact it was going to have on my life. Even now, almost three months into this adventure, I don’t think I can fully grasp what an incredible opportunity I’ve been given. Being abroad has challenged me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. It’s made me rethink things I thought I knew. It has strengthened and tested my faith in a way I don’t think could have been done in the comforts of the familiar. It has given me the chance to meet incredible people, all of whom have willingly shared their knowledge with me. For all of the gifts this trip has given me and for all of the people who made this journey possible, I am thankful.
Wherever you find yourself this Thursday, have a very happy Thanksgiving!
P.S. I’m also thankful that I finally figured out how to include pictures in my blog post! More pictures to come next week!