Tonight we hosted an event on campus called The Dream Share Project. Basically this event is the story of two individuals who graduated college in 2009 and after working in jobs that were really only to pay bills and weren't their passion, they decided to save up money, quit their jobs, and follow their dreams heading on a cross country road trip experiencing life and talking to others about how they have achieved their dreams. Most of the people they spoke to talked about how there are challenges and big risks to going after your dreams, but that if it is something you are passionate about you can take those risks, overcome the challenges and things will work out. After our students viewed the film, the two speakers (Chip and Alexis who were the ones of pursued their dreams)led our students in a workshop to help them start thinking about what their dream is, what they want to achieve in life and how they can start working towards that dream. A lot of the students I work with here are first generation students and a program like this has such a huge impact on their development and helps them realize that they don't need to just think about getting a job when they graduate, but rather having a career and following a dream that they have.
In a way, Semester at Sea is part of my dream. For as long as I can remember, I have always loved to soak up cultural things. I think part of this has to do with my learner strength in that I love to learn new things and by exploring other cultures and going to other places, I get to experience something new. I don't remember quite when it happened, but my dream is to travel the world. If I had the money and wouldn't feel guilty about just up and quitting my job, I seriously would give up everything and just travel. Now, let's be honest, I'd need at least six months to a year to prepare. Those of you who know me understand that I'm not the type of person who could just backpack their way around the world. I would need a plan. Realistically, I don't know if my dream will ever come true, but at least this summer with working on Semester at Sea I will have the opportunity to taste part of my dream.
Some of you who know me will be surprised to learn that I am actually an introvert. As an introvert, it can be very difficult for me to find my way into groups or to become comfortable in a room full of strangers. I'm more likely to sit back and observe rather than make myself the center of attention. It is also hard for me to get up the courage to talk to someone I don't know and if you mix in very large crowds in small spaces then I become overwhelmed with anxiety. Like most introverts, I'm able to fake being an extrovert when I need to and in housing that has to happen a lot but there are times when I struggle to break free of being an introvert and it causes me to miss out on some amazing opportunities. I've done a fair amount of independent traveling over the past few years and on my last trip I had a situation happen that shows the anxiety I can sometimes have in a new place when I don't feel comfortable yet.
My first night in Dublin I was starving and had no idea where to go for food or what to do. I tried asking the person working at the front desk of my hostel but they weren't very helpful as they thought I was crazy for asking where I could go since I was by myself. Their response was that there were plenty of bars I could just walk into, get food, and socialize with others. If there is one thing I can teach you about the Irish, they love to socialize and if you walk into an Irish bar (especially one that isn't in the Temple Bar area) you are bound to have a local strike up a random conversation with you. I left my hostel and anxiously walked around the corner to where several bars were located. I tried three different bars but they were all so crowded and no one else seemed to be alone so my anxiety started to build. After trying the fourth bar I was ready to cry, ready to give up, and ready to get on a plane and leave Dublin. I couldn't get passed my own fears of being by myself and trying to fit into a crowded place. The funny thing is, if you were to fast forward two days from this story after I made two friends on a day trip I was on, I instantly became the person who was willing to yell out after two random people, meet them, and continue our night with their group of friends. When I'm not alone, and when I find people I'm comfortable with, I can easily come out of my introverted shell.
This summer my goal is to bust out of my comfort zone. This is not going to be an easy task at all and its going to take a lot of bravery on my part and a lot of support from you all and also from the people on my voyage. I want to have an extroverted summer. I want to talk to strangers and learn about their lives. I want to be fine going somewhere completely alone. I want to have fun and have incredible once in a life time opportunities. I want to have conversations with locals in every single port that I stop at. I want to immerse myself into the culture of the places that we are going to visit. I don't want fear to hold me back from trying new things. I want to be able to make someone I've just met smile. I want to make new friends who can make me smile. I want to have confidence. I want to live in the moment. I want to be okay with not having plans or straying from the plans that I have made. I want to experience a part of my dream.
So this is where I want you to help me. Below is a list of the places I will be visiting over the course of my journey. I want you to dare me, to challenge me, to help me bust out of my comfort zone (but within reason...nothing illegal and nothing that will give me a heart attack). If you have an idea of something new, exciting, and again, out of my comfort zone that I can do please comment here or on facebook and let me know. It can be something general, or something specific to one of the places I am visiting. Once I've gotten feedback I'll put a list together and will update you all on my accomplishments throughout the voyage :)
Here's to new adventures!
Places I'm Visiting:
London
Casablanca, Morroco
Antalya, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey (with a visit to Cappadocia hopefully)
Athens, Greece (with a majority of the time hopefully in Santorini)
Florence, Italy (during my birthday!)
Rome, Italy
Malta
Marseille, France
Barcelona, Spain
Cadiz, Spain
Lison, Portugal
Come visit Scotland...it would be nice to see you after all these years!!
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