Reflecting: The Trip of a Lifetime

Where do I begin writing a reflection on the best two months of my life? What memory do I forever define as the best or funniest one? Was canyoning with a complete stranger the best? Or jumping out of a plane in the best place to skydive? Or road-tripping to Mt. Cook and Lake Pukaki and the Blue Pools? Or the Twelve Apostles roadtrip? Or the Queen Victoria Market Food Festival? Or how about the time we held koalas and chilled with kangaroos? Surely The Shire in Middle-Earth has to be up there. Or the hot-springs in Rotorua? Heck, can't forget about the roadtrip in Tasmania - the place where even most Australians haven't visited...

Where to begin describing this trip is beyond me, but I do know one thing: these memories and so many more will be something I cherish until my last moments on my deathbed. I will tell my grand kids about the danger signs and current warnings we blatantly ignored for the greater good of an adventure, and how I was asked who I voted for in the Clinton-Trump election more times than I can bear to count. I will reminisce and show my friends/family/coworkers all the photographs and videos I spent hours taking and even more hours editing, and tell them about the time I almost perished while stubbornly attempting to reach the shore of Lake Pukaki for the perfect shot... Although thesis bogged the trip down at moments, and class wasn't the most amazing thing to experience while halfway across the world, it almost made the trip more enjoyable.

Class was informative, fun, and was a touch of reality in our dreamt up trip. We learned real, tangible, applicable lessons for becoming more effective leaders. Leaders who can think outside of the box, and leaders who show compassion to their superiors, peers, and families alike. We learned all the things I've wanted to improve but never made a conscious effort to do. I've since introflected on how I can become more patient, humble, and wise. Among the many things I learned though, one stood out and was reemphasized with everything we encountered during our trip. Seek to understand before being understood. In today's society, we jump to conclusions about others and even ourselves before we give anyone the chance to speak or for situations to play themselves out. When discussing politics, religion, gun rights, abortion, art, concrete, or any other topic: we give our view, then internally formulate our counter-response before the other party is even finished. The art of conversing and understanding one another on an intimate level has fleeted our daily encounters. We post/share our like-minded opinions to Facebook and ignore any opposing comments, and continually do so. Why?

This trip has made me question so many things about life and society. Most importantly though: it's made me question myself and the way I do things. It's made me realize that I can get through life doing what I'm comfortable with and what I think is right. And it also made me realize that I can go so much further and experience a more vibrant and diverse life if I just stop and listen to others. It's as simple as going to an opera or play. It's giving to the poor man on the side of the street, or volunteering to build houses, or feeding the hungry. It's pursuing my career with an open mind and a thirst for knowledge, and asking the tradesmen what their opinion is and how their day is going. This life is so easy to live in our small bubble, one that we know and understand from our perfect perspective. I never knew how much I'd appreciate my boarding school experience until I left it.

Growing up in a small conservative town of 1,000, then bluntly shipping out at the age of 14 to what is arguably the most liberal school in the state of Alabama was eye opening to say the least. I realized that I was racist and closed-minded in my own ways: not because I meant to be, but because I grew up in a bubble filled with ignorance with how things in the world are outside of my experience. I learned a lot about every walk of life: conservative, liberal, white, black, Asian, Hispanic, depressed, cocky, poor, rich, educated, uneducated, gay, straight, loved, and unloved. To say I was thrown and cast out of my comfort-zone would be the single biggest understatement of my life, but it is frankly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I made myself experience cultural events and make friends with people I judged harshly. I met people from across the globe, and ventured through a large city (Mobile) that was quite the opposite of Grant, Alabama. All of this impacted me in ways that I'm just now finding out about. I'm no longer afraid of trying a new food, or being single and staying that way until God decides I'm ready for the right woman, or watching a play in another language, or even watching a Maori tribal dance to experience how other cultures see this world. Walking through museums has only gotten more fascinating with age, and talking to locals about their views and favorite places is something I thoroughly love. Australia and New Zealand were by-far the most beautiful places I've visited, and I have a feeling they will be until I return in the hopefully-near-future. Although beautiful scenery and adrenaline-seeking activities were obvious perks of the trip, it's the season of my life in which I embarked with 11 other Auburn men for Down Under which already has and will continue to shape who I am at my very core.

Most wouldn't have thought this deeply into what they got out of a traveling experience, and I'm sure some readers will think I digressed into a diary entry rather deeply; however, I'm thankful that my studies have impacted me in such a profound way. I'm lucky enough to not consider myself like most people, and I know this trip and the memories made will carry me further in life than I can imagine.

Now..... To somehow finish thesis which I'm a week-and-a-half behind on, and is due in three weeks and six days...