By Raymond Vickers
Compass points compass points compass points. Starting off with:
N, aka New Information, aka New Info,
Aka… what have I learned about my community-based interest? Well, starting off, sustainability is not so visible as I thought in Germany/Europe. Yes, I’ve seen some sonal panels, yes, I’ve seen trashcans (We have anti-bear trashcans back home so 1 point to USA), but there is not the environmental consciousness that I expected to encounter. I’ve only been over here for a couple days now, and I’ve gone through two countries, but it seems very similar to back home in terms of sustainability efforts and presence.
E aka environmental influences
The first environmental change is that I am now walking and breathing within a different culture. It has been very awkward, and I have been very shy starting off, but I’ve started trying to communicate with locals I pass by, with a simple hello, good morning, etc. in the language they speak. I’m in Switzerland right now as I make my way up to Germany, and so I’ve had to try to dip into both French and Italian (simple nothing crazy) on top of the German that I’m more familiar with. It has been very weird, awkward, and taken a toll on my confidence, but those feelings are imperative for this experience. A realization I’ve had from this is that, of course, no one knows who I am: I can make and mold my existence in this different culture however I want. I don’t feel small, nor do I feel big, which is very, honestly, comfortable. The environment has taught me also that I have to manifest the goals and success of this experience. I have to actively try and commit to creating something I can bring home. A good, academic report.
S…South… aka “Self-Reflection and Evaluation”
How have I changed since the start of the Global Scholars program? Simply? More relaxed. I think when I first joined this program, I assumed I had to CURE (?) climate change or magically shoot snow from my fingers or make an above 4.2-average-rating-on-letterboxd documentary to show anything meaningful…but as of July, I feel more personal in my experience. I still feel some pressure to find something meaningful, but I feel like that as long as I do stuff natural to my thought process, research, etc. – I can contribute to this program by bringing me to the table. Since the start of my summer experience, I’m telling myself to enjoy the process, and that as long as I observe and take notes on what I encounter – it will be perfect. I’ve realized that this could be first steps into my attempt to help this planet, first steps to contributing meaningful work, and another step towards becoming a whole human being.
W – Where do I go from here?
It’s been tricky to narrow down my capstone I know (two different locations across the planet), but I think the two different locations have influenced each other. Both come down to putting myself into a different culture, and the first experience in Europe is going to help me become perfect for investigating Alaska. One goal I have for myself is to declare two broad communities from combining the locations of my interest. I am still waiting for academic opportunities, such as scheduled interviews with locals or other uses for my language studies, but I believe it is all coming together in terms of a defined CBI. But nothing is truly defined until its set in stone, and I feel like at this point I’m like a rock standing, with a new river rushing towards me and my interest’s defined erosion. I have yet to start my program in Germany, and so most of what I’ve blogged so far has just been expectations… but I know the direction in which this summer is going.
Photo: from my 18 hours in Zürich – on a train heading to Munich currently while writing this. (Sorry for wearing the same shirt in two straight posts – will provide more variety in my fits from now on!)
HSF House Blogs 