Challenged. Confused. Thought provoked. Happy. Sad. Pleasant. Full (both my mind and my stomach…!). Encouraged. Apprehensive. American. Part of a group. Comfortable. Good.
All of the above. And then some, too.
There is no single word to describe all that I've been feeling on this trip. Every day is a new experience and the accompanying emotion just as varied. I'm not sure that I've ever felt such a vast array of emotions in such a short time span before. I go between feeling very foreign and sticking out like a sore thumb, to feeling incredibly welcomed and included by the people and organizations we've been working with. And then at times I can feel so happy to be here, meeting new people, learning, and having all these new experiences, but then also disconcerted about the issues we're facing and knowing that my presence here is a product of privilege.
The big question I'm confronting right now is that of, "What does this mean in my life and how will I use these lessons when I return home?" With this I feel challenged to embrace all that I'm learning. It's both difficult and confusing to make sense of everything and find a way to positively put knowledge into action when we return. However, this group has a great sense of camaraderie. Everyone is very supportive and I feel encouraged by those surrounding me. Things work themselves out and even my emotions find balance. All in all, I feel good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment