Real Life
Man, I thought freshman year was a busy one, but sophomore year is giving it a run for its money. Between work, classes, homework, TA office hours, and friends, it’s sometimes hard to believe that I ever left at all, or that there is a whole world out there beyond the sphere of my day-to-day life. Since I’ve come back to school, nothing has come close to the experiences I had while across the sea.
We recently had a reunion for our study abroad group. We convened at the instructor’s home and enjoyed the traditional Moroccan meal we’d all come to know so well while abroad. Over Moroccan couscous we talked about our current lives and reminisced about our adventures together. I’ve been fortunate enough to see a good number of people in the group this year, but it’s strange seeing them outside the Spain and Morocco setting. It’s easy to forget that they also have lives outside of the trip and that these people didn’t just exist during those four weeks (that sounds strange to say, but it’s true!). Our inside jokes still come out in conversation, and I find myself repeating them to my friends who weren’t with me and expecting them to laugh when instead all I get is a questioning look and a half-chuckled “What?”. There is certainly a bit of a disconnect between those who stayed here and those who traveled.
An interesting behavior that I’ve picked up since coming back is tending not to take sides in debates about issues. I find myself thinking that I “haven’t been there myself” or “the facts may be misrepresented” so I tend to take a while to decide where I stand. I seek out the other side’s opinion and doubt anything that is being told to me with utmost conviction. How can anyone be so sure about anything? I’m not sure whether this behavior is a good thing or a bad thing, but I feel that it comes from my experience abroad. The trip showed me that there are aspects of a place or culture that I can’t understand until I immerse myself in it, and therefore I can’t make a quick judgment about what it’s like to live there or about what problems are the most pressing there. The upside to this is that I see the importance of local participation in forming sustainability solutions; the downside is that I feel caught in the middle of issues that I once thought I resolved for myself.
As this year progresses it will be interesting to see if this behavior continues, or if being surrounded by so-called “real life” eventually reverts me back to previous opinions. Right now, I can’t imagine that happening.