Last night I was so excited I could barely sleep. I must have woken up three or four times during the night to check the time. Finally, at 5am I rolled out of bed and started getting ready. I was glad that my 6am flight had been moved to an 8:25. As anxious as I was to begin this adventure, sitting in the Phoenix airport for four hours did not sound very appealing. For that matter, sitting in an airplane for 7 hours from Phoenix to Honolulu wasn't all that exciting either, but at least I wasn't alone. I'd met up with two other girls from the program in Phoenix and we were able to move seats around to be next to each other. I also slept most of the way so that helped.
Right now I am sitting in the UH library. I have another hour and a half or so before orientation begins and have met most of the other students. We took a shuttle from the airport. It was driven by an Iranian/Persian. I think one of the best parts about travelling is the people you get to meet. This guy, Nate, moved to the US when he was 14 1/2, has lived in numerous places around the country but Hawaii for the past 33 years. He's held numerous jobs including working as a buyer for Saks, owning his own import specialty stores, has a CD of his own music, owned his own magazine, done tours...you name it he's probably done it. I feel like there is so much you can learn from people like him. He has two daughters- one is an anthropology professor and the other is a financial advisor for another college in California. So often at school or in life you end up surrounded by people who lives, while different, are at the same time also so similar. It's the accepted journey- college, work. You tend to associate with people who are similar to you and so miss out on hearing the adventures of so many other people.
I met another guy at the hostel. 24. Never finished college. Day job is a financial planner. He works at the hostel so that he can live there for free. Spends his free time surfing and meeting people who come through the hostel. There's more to learning then just books. Everyone you meet has a story. Something to share with you if you'll only take the time to listen.
1 comment:
I concur! :) I've always been taught that traveling is just as much education (if not MORE so) than books and classrooms... and traveling is the setting in which you so often meet such people as you talk about.
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