I wanted to talk briefly about some unexpected challenges that I experienced on this trip. My goal is writing this post is not to complain, rather I would like to think upon these experiences so that I can be better prepared in the future.
One experience is the language barrier. I never realized just how important it is to be able to communicate simple things with the people around us. Knowing s few simple phrases such as “please”, “thank you”, and “excuse me” can make a world of difference. I am very thankful to our tour guides who helped us overcome some of the language barrier challenges. In the future I would like to prepare more ahead of time. I would like to have some language skills ahead of time so that I am able to fill in the gaps and spend less time lost in translation.
Another challenge was lack of sleep. When the options were sleep, homework, or experiencing local culture, sleep usually got pushed to the back burner. Sometimes this lack of sleep would make me frustrated or snappy, and I would like to take the opportunity to apologize for my occasional testiness. While I don’t regret any of the amazing cultural experiences we had, in the future I would like to remember that taking time to rest helps to enjoy the whole experience more. If I had had more sleep I could have paid better attention to the sites while touring.
Coffee is usually my weapon against fatigue, but on this trip it turned out to be a double edged sword. Coffee might help wake me up, but it can make long bus rides really painful. I think you know what I mean. Once again my solution for the future will be to get more sleep.
Before this trip I really did not appreciate the convenience of reliable Internet access. Occasionally we would have a hotel with very poor Internet, or the Internet would be very expensive. This led to oodles of frustration, and in the future I would like to remember not to take Internet for granted and not to expect it at every hotel. That way when it does work well it turns out to be a pleasant surprise.
Another lesson: procrastination is damaging to the body and soul. Occasionally, I would put off a reading or assignment and give in to the fatigue. This did not work out well for me since the next day I ended up being tired and having twice the amount of work. This usually resulted in one assignment turning out below par. Sometimes it’s better to just work through the tiredness and get stuff done.
On a lighter note, I learned that water and food can sometimes be very expensive. In unfamiliar countries it’s sometimes best to ask for a menu before walking into a restaurant. I learned this the hard way sometimes. Food sold by street vendors tends to be a lot cheaper, but it can be difficult to find a spot to sit down and eat.
All in all, I had a lot of difficulties arise that I wasn’t expecting. This is fairly normal. Life throws us lemons so that we have the opportunity to make lemonade. Life would be stagnant and boring if we didn’t have challenges to overcome, and long journeys like this one tend to throw a lot of punches. Personally, I’m thankful for the growth.