Reflection

After a coffee ceremony at our guest house, a trip to the Ethiopian In-N-Out, one last stop at Kaldi’s, a canceled flight, and many, many hours in the Addis airport, we arrived safely back in the States on Sunday, March 26^th, and the girls headed off for their COMPASS week adventures. Now that we’ve returned to school, they each took time to reflect on their experience in Ethiopia... some longer than others! Apologies for the delay in posting... senioritis may be getting the best of some of us!

Even though I was nervous at first, going to Africa was one of the best things I've ever done. The people there were some of the most genuine and kind-hearted people I've ever met.  I became close with people I might not have otherwise and I am extremely grateful for that. Having these people to share the experience made it a million times better.

The people of Africa showed me just how much I have to be grateful for and to count my many blessings. It was so eye opening to see how little they had, yet they were some of the happiest people I've ever seen. So many people asked me when I came back if Africa changed my life and I would honestly say it did. I wish everyone could visit it and see it like I did because I thought it was truly amazing.

-          Anna Allen, ‘17

    

Ethiopia was such an amazing experience!! I loved having the opportunity to travel abroad, to meet new people, and to see a different culture. Although there were so many incredible moments from this trip, my favorite ones were the two days we spent with Destiny Academy. The kids who go there were so sweet and welcoming towards us when we visited their school and also when we went with them to the fistula center and the animal reserve. I really loved the opportunity to sit in on a seventh grade biology class when we visited Destiny. I found it really interesting to see how a school in another country teaches students. Overall, I had an amazing time and loved getting to know all of the people we met and would go back in a heartbeat.

-          Julia Bell, ‘17

As soon as we got back everyone continued to ask, “How was Ethiopia?” and all I can respond with is that I loved it. Travelling and spending an entire week in Ethiopia was life changing. Seeing kids that had an appreciation for school and learning was amazing. Many of the people we met had such a positive outtake on life and were always in the happiest of moods. I think that many of us came back to America with changed perspectives… we even continue to say our “Glums and Glows” of the day. We also became closer to each other; we never fail to slip in a “Selamno” when we pass each other in the hallways or especially on the way to East Park! Now, I can’t pick just one thing that I enjoyed about the trip, but I could give you a narrowed down list:

1.           Kaldi’s Macchiatos!!! (nothing else needs to be said)

2.           Seeing all the smiles on the children’s faces

3.           Hanging out with brother, Dougie

4.           Haggling in the market with Bini, Dani, and Abi

This trip has given me the chance to explore different cultures and even gave me a different view on life. I think that sometimes we are kept from the things we can’t see so we try to ignore them. But this trip gave me an opportunity to step out from behind that wall. To be honest, when I first heard about the trip I wasn’t going to go because trying new things isn’t my ideal situation, but I have broken out of that bubble and would gladly go back in a heartbeat!!

-          Lauryn Durham, ‘17

Seven days was most certainly not enough time in Ethiopia.  In these 168 hours, I was filled with more genuine joy than I have had in my 17 years of life.  Not only was I filled with joy, but I absorbed a boat load of knowledge about Ethiopian history, traditions, culture, and the people.  The connections with the people we met on our journey were ones that will never die.  I want to talk about so much in this reflection, but let me outline this for myself.  I want to talk about the authentic nature of the people I met, the precious children, and the lasting affects that this trip will have on my life. 

The people that I met in Ethiopia were some of my favorite people that I have come into contact with.  Dougie, Bini, Dani, Abi, and even Josh: These were not only our guides, but they were just like our best friends.  It is rare that I can be myself fully with people I have just met, but I felt so comfortable around them all, and I was able to really let my personality show.  Dougie, my blood brother, was just overall such a good human being, and it was so hard to adjust to life without seeing him in the morning and at night during glums and glows.  Abi was someone else who was just one of those people who didn’t have to talk much or be the center of attention, but his presence was just so nice to have around us.

The children, ages ranging from infant to my own age, were my favorite part.  The infants were the most innocent little beings I have met, and I was so lucky to be able to spend time with them.  It was difficult to know that the orphans did not have parents in their lives, but they still stayed so happy.  Their happiness and laughs were contagious.  The coolest thing about the kids our age was that we could play a good game of soccer and the language barrier didn’t get in the way of us having fun.  The way that they valued their education was also a lesson I learned while I was there.  Education is such a privilege, even though it should be a right for everyone.

Learning about the unfortunate issues that people struggle with every day was extremely humbling.  I never even knew that fistula was a medical problem that existed.  Fistula does not only affect a woman physically but it affects her mentally and emotionally.  It can ruin someone’s life, and the fact that she can be shunned from her family and friends is so upsetting.  The documentary about the landfill also hit me hard. 

This trip has left a great impression on me and my perspective on life.  I have carried my Amharic language skills all the way to the United States, and I use them every day now.  I have also gained a new set of friends that have shared this experience with me.  Ms. Turlington is also a new friend that I am so lucky to have gone on the trip with, and her love for Ethiopia has transferred over to me for life.  I feel like I have so much more to say, but I need to stop talking now so signing off!  Ciao!

I am so going back sometime in my life just by the way.  Ameseginalo everyone.  Khat 4ever. 

-          Leann Kelly, ‘17

When I decided to go to Ethiopia, I was really nervous about travelling without my family with people I had never met.  It wasn’t long after we got on the flight from Boston to Dubai, sitting in between Anna and Mary Ashburn, that I realized that I would be completely okay.  Not only was I blessed with an amazing opportunity to see Africa, a place I had never thought I would go, but I was blessed with meeting the most amazing girls I’ve ever had the chance to spend time with.  I feel a strong connection with the country of Ethiopia and the people there, and an even stronger connection with the selfless, kindhearted people I spent my 10 days there with. I had never felt more myself than when I was staying in a crowded, 6 person bedroom talking with people I had never spent time with before. 

After this trip, I have been cherishing every moment that I spend with the seniors from this trip, and cherishing the friends I have, food, running water, and other everyday things.  Being in Africa really gave me a perspective on American life that I take for granted every day, and made me especially grateful to live here.  I hope my relationship with everyone from this trip, and my relationship with Africa, continues for a very long time.

-          Grace Kempson, ‘18

Ethiopia was an extraordinary experience, and I truly feel that I have learned so much from just a short trip. I learned a lot about not taking for granted everything that I have in my life. I have never thought about having drinkable water access all the time, and I have never worried about if I will have a meal when I am hungry. These are legitimate concerns for some of the people that we saw, and my heart hurt knowing this is their reality. I also learned that sometimes it's the little things in life that can mean the most. When I was the age of the children in the orphanage, a balloon would have maybe excited me for a minute. The balloons put the biggest smiles on those children's faces and that has really stuck with me. It is not about the object, rather about the thought the giver put into it.

I am sometimes not the most carefree person, and breaking loose to have fun can be extremely hard for me. My experiences in Africa made me not care as much what others think of me, considering I got up on stage and danced an African dance. Although I was terrible, I showed myself that just having fun in the moment is awesome! Kids have always held a special place in my heart, considering they look at everything in life with a fresh perspective. This trip reminded me looking at life through the eyes of a child can be super helpful sometimes! I have always dragged my feet to school every morning, but in comparison, the kids in Ethiopia skip to school smiling. I've always known education was a privilege, but that really sunk in on this trip. The people in Ethiopia left a mark on me in so many ways, and I could only hope to have left a fraction of one on them.

-          Langdon Kennedy, ‘17

I loved Ethiopia and I would go back in a heartbeat! Coming back and trying to explain the trip is a genuine struggle. The new friendships I made on this trip and all the memories made will be something I will cherish forever. Here are some of the highlights of my trip:

1. Dougie (#macchiato), Abi, Danny, and Bini

2. The many van rides with Mashburn as our DJ

3. Meeting baby Sammy, the cutest baby at the orphanage in my opinion

4. Yod Abyssinia and the AMAZING dancers

5. Prestige

If you ever have the chance to go to Ethiopia, take it! The amount of joy and happiness that was present there, especially among the kids, was such an amazing environment to be around. From this trip, I have really learned to be grateful for what I have and the opportunities that are given to me. I want to work on living my life as happy as the kids were in Ethiopia. Ethiopia, thank you for this experience. This was truly one of the best trips ever.

-          Mackenzie Logan, ‘17

Before leaving for Ethiopia, I was extremely nervous and questioned if this was how I wanted to spend my spring break. I’m not going to lie, I was very hesitant about the group I was going with, but I think that this group was chosen to work together better than peanut butter and jelly. It is practically impossible to fit my experience in Addis (Adidas), Ethiopia into a journal, let alone a single reflection.

Upon entering the beautiful country of Ethiopia, which by the way is not like what you see in the Lion King, I was immediately filled with joy as we were welcomed with opened arms by who at the time were strangers. Having the opportunity to meet the happiest people with little to nothing really puts into perspective all that I am blessed with and makes me think before taking everything for granted, such as flushing toilet paper. The fact that we all had to unplug from the constant use of social media, although it was a struggle, allowed for us to grow as friends and become closer on a level that is not experienced back home.

I learned so much about the history and culture of Ethiopia, but I am most thankful that I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I can survive a flight across the Atlantic Ocean (thanks Turlz). I learned that the best and most true version of myself comes out when playing with the kids and goofing around like no one is watching. Although we experienced a language barrier with most of the kids, something about kicking around a soccer ball, can bring people closer than ever.

I would like to thank Bini, Dougie, Danny, and, of course, Abi for making this the best experience of my 19 years of life. The bonds made through singing our lungs out in the van (sorry Abi), reading to kids, glums and glows, and, of course, eating through the course of our 10 days in the Washington D.C. of Africa is something I could talk about for hours at a time and will cherish deeply forever. Ready to pack my suitcase and head back with my chat girlies J !!!

-          Mary Ashburn Mann, ‘17

Although our trip to Ethiopia was short, it was also jam packed full with experiences and adventures that were truly eye-opening for all of us. When I am asked “Hey, how was your trip?” I am constantly struggling for an answer other than “good”, but good always seems to be my default answer. It is hard to describe our trip without going into depth about the details that would take hours without even telling the entire trip.

When I think of Ethiopia I remember how blessed and lucky I am to live such a privileged life. In particular, I realized this when we visited Destiny Academy. When we visited the school, the children were so excited to be there and to learn new things, whereas I have a bad habit of thinking of all the negative aspects of school and take my experience for granted. Berhan Yehun is another place where everyone was filled with excitement and gratitude. The afterschool program gives children who live in extreme poverty a place to go and have fun after school. Games like Four Corners, Soccer, and Simon Says made everyone excited and giddy no matter how old they were.

Those are just a few places in Ethiopia where there was abundant joy, but at every place, we visited joy radiated from the smiles that people were flashing around us. They are so appreciative for everything they have and that is something that I should strive to do in my life.

-          Suzanna Wason, ‘17