Let me share a quote with you:
"Adventures are never fun while you're having them" -C.S. Lewis
This is an idea that I have really reflected on this semester, and something that has been the basis of a lot of personal growth. Adventure is defined by Webster's online dictionary as an exciting or remarkable experience or an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks.
Traveling abroad in itself is a remarkable experience, as how often does one have the opportunity to live in a foreign country for 4 months? I was unbelievably excited to start my journey, and I remember jumping with excitement towards the end of January when I was only a week away from leaving.
But
It has been an undertaking. I wanted to live somewhere completely different than what I'm used to . Someplace that would place me outside of my comfort zone, a place where I would stand out. Boy, did I get more than I bargained for. The "danger" and "unknown risks" presented themselves when I learned there were 1001 ways to die in Malaysia, starting with heatstroke. I faced ungodly amounts of sweat, and sweltering heat, bed bugs, ruined clothes, and life back home throwing me for a loop in my first month and a half here. I endured stares everywhere I went, professors that didn't understand English that well, and food that hurt my stomach. I had to learn to live with no AC, on a huge campus, with busses that run according to no schedule but the driver's own. I learned what it means to live in a Muslim country, surrounded by women in hijab's and the Call to Prayer blasting 5 times a day. It has been an undertaking, and it wasn't always easy, and it wasn't always fun.
But
I've gotten to do some incredible things and meet some incredible people that I will remember forever. I've been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore. I've held bats, birds, fish, and reptiles, and I've gone snorkeling in one of the best reefs in the world. I've stayed with a host family, traveled throughout Malaysia, and have eaten some of the best food I think I'll ever have. I've learned about the culture and history of SE Asia and have grown in confidence, maturity, and self awareness. I can live in an Eastern culture, and feel comfortable in 90 degree heat. I've met wonderful local students and found some of the best friends I could have ever asked for in my fellow international friends. You know you're lucky when leaving people after only knowing them for 4 months still produces many tears and a feeling of being lost. It's amazing really, the change that happens when one steps outside of one's comfort zone and embraces the challenges that result.
So
To get the highs, you have to experience the lows. However, sitting in the Kuala Lumpor Airport on my 11 hour layover before my flight to Sydney, Australia… all I really remember are the highs. And that is why this great undertaking has been the adventure of a lifetime. It's been exciting. It's been remarkable. I've taken on those risks, and experienced some danger.
I always knew I would make it through the experience. I just never knew how much it would take out of me, and how much I would gain from it. I came, and I lived, but what's more, I thrived.
It's been quite the adventure, in every aspect of that word.
Traveling abroad in itself is a remarkable experience, as how often does one have the opportunity to live in a foreign country for 4 months? I was unbelievably excited to start my journey, and I remember jumping with excitement towards the end of January when I was only a week away from leaving.
But
It has been an undertaking. I wanted to live somewhere completely different than what I'm used to . Someplace that would place me outside of my comfort zone, a place where I would stand out. Boy, did I get more than I bargained for. The "danger" and "unknown risks" presented themselves when I learned there were 1001 ways to die in Malaysia, starting with heatstroke. I faced ungodly amounts of sweat, and sweltering heat, bed bugs, ruined clothes, and life back home throwing me for a loop in my first month and a half here. I endured stares everywhere I went, professors that didn't understand English that well, and food that hurt my stomach. I had to learn to live with no AC, on a huge campus, with busses that run according to no schedule but the driver's own. I learned what it means to live in a Muslim country, surrounded by women in hijab's and the Call to Prayer blasting 5 times a day. It has been an undertaking, and it wasn't always easy, and it wasn't always fun.
But
I've gotten to do some incredible things and meet some incredible people that I will remember forever. I've been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore. I've held bats, birds, fish, and reptiles, and I've gone snorkeling in one of the best reefs in the world. I've stayed with a host family, traveled throughout Malaysia, and have eaten some of the best food I think I'll ever have. I've learned about the culture and history of SE Asia and have grown in confidence, maturity, and self awareness. I can live in an Eastern culture, and feel comfortable in 90 degree heat. I've met wonderful local students and found some of the best friends I could have ever asked for in my fellow international friends. You know you're lucky when leaving people after only knowing them for 4 months still produces many tears and a feeling of being lost. It's amazing really, the change that happens when one steps outside of one's comfort zone and embraces the challenges that result.
So
To get the highs, you have to experience the lows. However, sitting in the Kuala Lumpor Airport on my 11 hour layover before my flight to Sydney, Australia… all I really remember are the highs. And that is why this great undertaking has been the adventure of a lifetime. It's been exciting. It's been remarkable. I've taken on those risks, and experienced some danger.
I always knew I would make it through the experience. I just never knew how much it would take out of me, and how much I would gain from it. I came, and I lived, but what's more, I thrived.
It's been quite the adventure, in every aspect of that word.
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