By Donovan Acevedo, Monroe Community College
This was the most awe-inspiring experience I will ever get to witness. I’m extremely grateful to have traveled that far and to do something I love while being there. This experience has definitely helped me know what it’s like to film at an unfamiliar location, with unknown individuals. Things don’t always go as planned. Traditions have faded, weather is bad, the area is dark. Figuring out how to work around those things is such a fun challenge. I feel the value of engaging with research in global contexts is how much you see that we are not different from one another at all. That was the most beautiful thing to see and experience, and I will never forget that.
The one thing that I will take with me forever is the experience of seeing a totally different culture and being able to view and live a totally different lifestyle. I definitely learned how to step out of my comfort zone greatly during this experience. I did it without even thinking about it, and it has helped me today with situations. A big theme on this trip for me was to never judge and keep an open mind about every little thing. The moment you judge is the moment you set yourself back. You won’t want to try anything new and want to just be completely comfortable the whole time. Sometimes that’s not always the case, to face the uncomfortable is to see every situation out no matter how unfamiliar you may be. I think everyone should be more open to trying new things and stepping outside of their comfort zone. You learn so many new things and gain such a deep understanding of others and their lives. Staying comfortable means staying limited to everything you do, and that will just not leave the doors open for anything new to come into your life.
I want this project to reflect on my creative ambitions and my passion for travel and filmmaking. I want people to see that I can do what nobody thought of me, to see the world through a new set of eyes and feelings. I want people to see how open I am with people I don’t know and who are polar opposites of me. This is only the start for me; this research trip is the steppingstone of my future travels and discoveries. This research trip has inspired me to travel as much as I can, and to see the world through a different set of eyes everywhere I go. To get to experience the art of filmmaking on unfamiliar ground and on the spot tactics was truly amazing and inspiring. To get to understand how to research in such an unfamiliar location and be able to learn so many cool new things is something I will truly take with me forever. This was truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and I will continue to set out to make more of my own discoveries.
