Exploring the Art of Embracing New Experiences
From Discovering Music to Forming Connections and Welcoming the Unexpected into Your Life
I found myself listening to The Cranberries’ 25th Anniversary Edition of To The Faithful Departed, which came out last October. While I was aware of the new editions of both their first two albums, including demo and b-side tracks, their third album wasn’t among my favorites. As I listened to demo versions of some of their songs, a thought crossed my mind: am I actively engaging with these tracks, open to the possibility that one or some of them might become favorites, or am I listening with the predisposition that this is not my favorite album?
Life is too short to waste time on the ‘what ifs.’ My motto is to experiment while I still can. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, and that opportunity you have today might never reappear. Adulthood, unlike childhood where imposed limitations restricted my dreams, offers a wide window to try anything and everything. Once I stepped outside of my comfort zone, I realized that I was forging my own future. When I left my social bubble, allowed myself to be exposed to drastically different ideas, lifestyle rituals, worldviews, spirituality, and social classes by physically leaving Chile and traveling to the opposite side of the globe, my eyes were opened.
Traveling changes us. We are never the same after a journey, but that change is dependent upon how open you are to the unfamiliar. The most transformative trips aren’t the ones where you relaxed on a beach but the ones where you struggled. Whether because your expectations were not met, you ended up worse than how you started, or because the trip altogether was a nightmare, the memory of such a trip can be retained as if it had just happened yesterday.
When I embarked on my trip to Egypt, I was aware of the difficulties that I may encounter. Traveling in other countries had prepared me for this, I thought. Culture shock, customs, daily life, language, weather, in each category, there are items where our personal views and experience will be challenged. Nevertheless, I had never experienced such a heavy burden when moving to another place as I did when I moved to Cairo. From the very first moment, I became wary of interacting with others, I didn’t take things for granted. The day I landed at Cairo International Airport, a taxi arranged by my university was waiting for me. As we drove on the not-so-paved highway, I was immediately shocked by seeing the desert. We were not far from the city, yet the desert view merged with the poorly-finished buildings, piles of trash, and no sign of vegetation. The heat was unbearably hot. It was still summer in Egypt and temperatures reached up to 40°C. I was coming all the way from Malaysia, where temperatures are similar, except that the latter has a tropical climate, very humid, and covered in green vegetation. Air conditioning was another issue. While you could find AC everywhere you went in Kuala Lumpur, in Cairo it barely existed. The heat made me feel extremely ill, lightheaded, and unable to focus on anything, let alone dedicate hours to studying for my classes. I began to question my decision of coming here for a semester.
How could I make my transition and stay here smoother? My life was becoming a nightmare from which I just wanted to escape. Indeed, I booked a weekend-long trip to Athens just a few weeks into the term. Leaving Egypt for a moment provided the relief I needed to return and analyze my stay critically. I imagined that if I incurred in activities or went to places that were similar to those I had prior to coming here, a sense of familiarity would alleviate the painful distress I had to endure. In this sense, cafes became my safe haven. By going to Starbucks, Dunkin’, and the local Espresso Lab, I found a comfortable air-conditioned place where I could relax, delve into my reverie, and appropriately study. I didn’t want to leave these cafes. Outside, all bad things waited for me. Harsh situations, scenarios, landscapes, you name it. Despite these downfalls, I am proud I was able to provide myself a balance between my immersion in the culture and my much-needed time alone.
I live a life with no regrets. Imagination significantly influences our openness to what is different. Artists possess a sensitivity through which they experience the world. You don’t have to be a writer or musician to have a similar experience. The key to being open to diversity is being exposed to it. I have taken the road less traveled, and I am proud of it. In high school, when I was interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, I joined the national debate team, which seemingly had nothing to do with or nothing to offer to help me chase the dream of becoming a doctor. During sophomore year, I fearlessly switched majors to study sociology instead of focusing on neuroscience, though I was flooded with criticisms. Every time I’ve needed a break from life, I’ve taken leaves from school to focus on and prioritize my well-being. It’s taken me more than ten years to graduate, but I wouldn’t change any of the things I’ve done to this point.
So, next time you listen to new music, watch a new movie, or engage in a cultural or artsy activity, ask yourself, am I open to having my likes, interests, views, and beliefs challenged, even if that means going through a rough process of readjustment? The results you will see from this will be worth it.
