Too Much to Wrap Up
This story was published on February 11th 2020. It was written by the IMAESC Students (2018–2020 Cohort)
You know how people sometimes say “All right, let’s wrap it up!”?
Have you ever wondered: What does that even mean? Does it mean to put everything into a box so it’s easier to be taken home? Does it mean to make something look nice by putting some pretty wrapping paper around it? Does it mean to tidy up all the pieces of information and learning lying anf lying around in the room?
Whatever it means, “warpping up” our experiences as IMAESC students of the third cohort (before we pass on the blog to the new students who just arrived in Malta and after we have all split up between the three countries) is extremely difficult. Probably impossible.
One and a half years of experiences, good ones and bad ones, can’t be easily wrapped up. All the love, the confusion, the happiness, the desperation, the sadness, our pride, our new perspectives, our learning, our inner and outer struggles… That is never going to fit in a box. There will never be enough wrapping paper in the world to wrap all of this. There will never be a blog post that could capture it all.
But some of us tried, anyway. Here is a small collection of some of our most memorable moments or reflective thoughts. Enjoy and thank you for having accompanied us on our journey!
JUE
After three semesters in IMAESC…
First, I shall say I’ve never met such a lovely group before! Never ever! I feel very much loved and being taken care of all the time. All those warm little moments between us, I will keep them in my mind always. The love I received in this group will always be the warm light in the darkness. I hope the love will give you guys the strength too.
Whenever I read our manifesto, I feel like we are doing something really great. “And WE ARE.” Thanks, Jordan. Yes, all the things we are doing now are really something. We might not change a lot of things, but at least we’re on the way.
It’s never late to get started. For whatever! World changers, come on now!
BOUNA
My favourite moment is when people ask us where we’re from and then we reply “We’re from everywhere”. I like seeing confused face and hearing our giggles.
KATYA
IMAESC 2018–2020: What a journey! Each stopover — Glasgow, Malta, Penang, Tallinn — has transformed me in some way. I am especially grateful for my time in Penang and Tallinn where the settings, culture and the locals helped me to achieve deeper self-reflection and more maturity as an agent of social change.
Cheers, fellow IMAESCers!
Katya
SOLACE-ROSE
My IMAESC experience is one that can safely be described as a roller coaster. I found friendships that will last 10 lifetimes. From infatuation to spiritual freedom, depression to toxic relationships, to finding love and going on incredible adventures, and finally finding a place that I can call home in Tallinn, I got my groove back!
Lesson 1: Build meaningful relationships. But most importantly, put in the work to maintain it. Bond over things that matter and when you find those people who make you have faith in humanity, hold on for dear life, for they are rare. Cherish those who show you what family really means.
Lesson 2: If you have suffered any type of trauma or abuse in the past, it’s ok to struggle. However, If you have low self-worth and insecurities, WORK ON THEM. No one deserves to pay the price for the evil that befell you in your past. and NO ONE is responsible for “fixing” you. You are. Others, no matter how well meaning they may be, can only help. You are you own major responsibility. Take it
Explore ! Laugh ! Cry and Love hard ! What’s the point of doing anything half-measure?
P.S: Stay hydrated, don’t forget your moisturiser or sunscreen, say what you mean and feel, and remember: you cannot save a drowning man if you cannot swim. Take care of You!
Shalom!
KATHRIN
I cannot believe the last 1.5 years were only this, only 18 months. So much has happened in this time, it feels like it has been the entire life of someone.
I learned so much in this time that if I listed it here, you would still be reading this post in two days. But I think the biggest thing I learned is that learning and growing can feel REALLY uncomfortable, that it can hurt, but that I still know it’s worth it. Where there is shadow, there is light. And if you can’t find the light for a while, get some night vision goggles and you’ll be fine ;)
