I’ve heard it more than a million times throughout my 21 years of life and I’m sure you have to but never has it felt so real...
Holy. Crap. does time move fast!
The packing has finally ended (with the guidance and patience of my brilliant grandmother!) and after an overwhelming week of last-minute preparations, in just one day, I will be on a 24-hour flight toward Chiang Mai,Thailand. This upcoming semester, I will be studying abroad there through the International Partnership for Service Learning and Leadership (IPSL). Aside from being a student in the Thai and Southeast Asian Studies Program at Payap University, I will also be a service participant at Grandma Cares Partnership Program, a volunteer organization for children whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS and are being raised by their grandparents in rural areas of Chiang Mai.
During my research for the perfect study abroad program, I barely looked over Thailand. The truth is, it wasn’t even an option but as the study abroad application deadline got closer, I realized that IPSL had the perfect program for me. IPSL is dedicated to putting forth programs that connect volunteer service to the host community (in this case, Chiang Mai) with academic studies. Their mission supports a valuable and necessary skill in the field of human services, one that I am eager to practice on an international level- cultural competence- the ability to interact effectively and respectfully with people of different cultures. As somebody who has had little experience traveling outside of the US, except for my native country of Ecuador, I am excited to practice this skill in a culture that before my decision, I was completely unfamiliar with.
While I recognize that living in a country with a different language, culture, form of government and religious influence might be a challenge, it is exactly what I am looking for. I am going to Thailand because I believe that immersing myself in a culture so different from my own is significant in gaining new perspectives and ideals that could enhance the success of social movements and projects on this side of the world. In my studies of sociology and human services, I have come to value the interchanging and sharing of ideas as a form of social unity, and social unity as a powerful tool toward achieving social change. While I am in Thailand I look forward to working with organizations such as Grandma Cares and gaining a fresh way of doing things, and possibly a better way of doing things. In addition, Thailand is a Newly Industrialized Country and while there are many modern conveniences around...cellphones, wifi internet... I am curious to see how the absence of overdevelopment influences Thai culture and everyday living.
I’ve received a number of puzzled reactions when revealing my very far-from Europe study abroad destination. Luckily though, I've also been told that this will be an unforgettable adventure, full of learning experiences and how could I forget, the nicest people I will ever meet. But as the hours pass by (quickly), I can’t stop thinking about how much I will miss my family and friends, how fast time has passed and how I hope that I am asleep through the whole entire flight!
To my dear family, friends, classmates and professors, I thank all of you for the inspiration to go abroad and I look forward to sharing my journey with all of you throughout the semester. Please feel to e-mail me at pamviv27@gmail.com.
New York City and my oh so pretty New Paltz, adios until Dec. 24!
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