T-Minus 8 Days!!

Colorado Bend State Park, Lampasas, TX

As I mentioned in my previous post, I know I would not have had the confidence to spend a semester 8,547 miles away from the place I consider my second home, had I not spent the summer in the Keys. The concept of living in paradise for an entire summer seems great to an outsider, and while I was completely excited and incredibly grateful to do so, before I left I had some reservations. These feelings lead me to occasionally consider if I had made the best choice of how to spend my summer, and romanticize the summer everyone else would be having while I was gone. Shamelessly I’ll admit my main hesitation was rooted in the FOMO I had about being away from my friends for so long. I was slightly nervous about other minutia of what lied ahead, such as potential problems I might face with crews, but no force was holding me back quite like the FOMO. All that being said, my tensions were close to relieved in their entirety within a week of being there. I am working towards a point here, I promise!

The realization that three months a little over a thousand miles away, had the ability to prepare me for four months over 8 thousand miles away is groundbreaking but simultaneously quite simple. I spent the last ten days in Austin visiting my boyfriend, and while it was almost purely a vacation, I covertly doubled my time there as practice for Africa. I tried to the best of my ability to transform my mind into an empty vessel, for lack of a better word. My intention in doing so was to truly adopt the mindset of an “Austinite” (as they jokingly refer to themselves) to fully appreciate all the things I got to do. This was not my original plan of action however, and it took one small experience to show me that this was what I needed to do. The following is a mundane example, but I feel it illustrates my point.

Trey, (my boyfriend) is obsessed with everything Austin, ranging from the religion of football to the unique cuisine. Being completely clueless about sports, the tangible aspect of Austin he aimed to sell me on the most was the food. After picking me up from the airport we had burritos at a local chain called Freebirds. While he likes to say they have the best burritos evaaaa, after eating one I was somewhat underwhelmed. After listening to him rave about it, my expectations were high. I have had great burritos (maybe even better burritos, hehe) in Iowa City, but that’s not the point. Trey loves this restaurant and to genuinely appreciate it the way he does, I had to take a step back and look at the bigger picture as well as release my predispositions about what this dining experience should be. The restaurant in its entirety is what makes the place so great and very special to many people. All of the workers had awesome personalities, there was fun music playing and supa cool art all over the walls. And to be fair the burritos were pretty tasty, I just overloaded mine with too many tomato products LOL.

I did not face this inconsistency, so to speak, with expectations and reality in Florida because I went as a metaphorically speaking, open book. I cherished the memories of all the family vacations spent in Florida when I was younger so I was fully prepared to love everything about it. Everything I did there was carried out with a completely open mind. I went out of my way to engage in activities I usually would not have, such as eating fish (another LOL) solely because of the culture there. And much to my surprise, I am now a seafood fiend. In Austin, when I let go of all the predispositions I held upon arrival my time became much more meaningful. Another quick example: Trey is fascinated with the UT Tower, it was his background on his phone when I first met him and he brought it up numerous times in conversation through out the semester, before I ever visited him and had a chance to see it myself. He gave me a tour one day and it was exquisite. Almost every night, from whatever our location through out Austin was, we could see it. Each time I looked at it thereafter, it became more beautiful. That being said, I probably would not have even noticed it had it not been important to him.

Considering the insights I gained from both of my somewhat recent trips not only about the places, but about myself, I have a hard time putting into words the importance of embracing new things, experiences, places, people, etc. with a lens tailored to the culture. The ability to do this warrants the power to make any and every experience exponentially more meaningful with an added component, in most cases, of self growth. All of this reflection has provoked me to share what I have learned with you all as well as offer some advice. Live in the moment! This is easier said than done, but take opportunity you have to function with an open mind and offer yourself to the experience at hand. When things make you uncomfortable, let go of your inhibitions and take the opportunity to learn. And do not feel you have to travel a continent away, or even to another state; everyday life can instantaneously become much more interesting when you look at it from a new perspective.

~until next time~