A Great Adventure
It’s time to go! After months of planning and preparation, it is hard to believe that this trip is finally here. Like many other Global Fellows, this blog post is being finished in an airport — so it goes.
After a hectic spring quarter at SCU, I’ve had to the opportunity to relax and reconnect with myself in the last month. I was able to spend my last day in California at Santa Cruz beach with some great friends. After that, I flew home to Minnesota and have spent the last few weeks catching up with friends and family, visiting some of my favorite spots, and spending time outside. A Minnesota summer is something truly spectacular and I treasure the time I’ve spent home. I’ve settled into a comfortable routine at home, which means it is probably time to disrupt that.
What could be more disruptive to a comfortable routine than traveling across the world and living in a completely different environment? I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to live and serve with Starfish International in The Gambia. I am truly grateful for all the people that have made this opportunity possible. Along with Kirsten and Lindsay, we will be teaching at Starfish International. Starfish is a nonprofit organization that is committed to “uplifting Gambian girls by providing them with a world-class education”. This education is guided by the values of nobility, independence, courtesy, knowledge, and service.
I am excited to meet the Starfish International team and learn what I can do to support their educational and social mission. I hope to learn more about the Gambian culture and what it’s like to be a young woman growing up in The Gambia. Furthermore, I want to learn more about what it’s like to live in a Muslim country. While I am very excited, I am also quite nervous.
There are many uncertainties and unexpected challenges that I will face in the next five weeks. However, I won’t have to do it alone. I am so thankful for the tremendous support network I have. My family and friends, the Starfish International team as well as the past and present Global Fellows have been an immense source of comfort and encouragement as I prepare to embark on this trip.
When expressing my anxieties about my time in The Gambia to a friend, he reminded me that what lies ahead is a great adventure. I think this is a fitting term for my upcoming experiences in The Gambia. An adventure makes no promises that it will be easy. An adventure is never a clear path. Instead, an adventure is exciting, thrilling, and challenging. An adventure presents the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and asks you to place yourself in a new environment. Most of all, I think an adventure is an opportunity to learn. As I leave for The Gambia, this is the mindset that I want to hold on to. With an open mind and heart, I am eager to see what the next five weeks have in store for me.
My friend’s message reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite childhood movies. Please enjoy this lovely gif of a young Jeremy Sumpter (Peter Pan 2003).
