Grecia López, Grade 12
UWCEA (Arusha)
Sweat, tons of sweat. Everywhere. Not a very catchy way to start an article, considering that surprisingly out of all the beautiful views and people singing “Sweater Weather” in the background, that is the first thing that came to my mind. The Outdoors Pursuit Program- OP for short- is a program that allows students to explore Tanzania through challenging outdoor activities. Although those days are full of energy, there were a couple of minutes of silence when we were walking slower because monkeys could get scared and run away, then I was fully present. Later I realized that moment meant more than I could have imagined.
I received the Welcome Package from UWCEA, and I saw a section called Outdoors Pursuit Program with pictures of people hiking Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest peak in Africa, located in Tanzania). I immediately asked people what was required to be part of the program. Even though my home country El Salvador is a mountainous country I had never climbed anything in my life, so you can imagine my excitement. I was determined to fulfill as many levels as my financial situation allowed me to and I signed up for a trip on the first week I was at school. But as I arrived late I had to quarantine and I waited until another trip. Months later I had completed two levels and I was beyond excited for the third one.
When the day arrived, students from both campuses gathered at the first campsite where we stayed for one night before going to the second location. Each tent had at least three different nationalities, three continents even. Among laughs, rain, and a lot of insects we shared dinner and I sat with a group of people that I did not know. I have learned that that is one of the best decisions one can make. In less than twenty minutes and one cup of hot cocoa down, I had met more than four new nationalities (another thing that I have learned, is that unless you have memorized all the countries in the world, you will always hear of new countries. Do not feel bad, they did not know your country existed either) as days and more activities passed, we got to know the group better.
I had a dream once when I was thirteen or so. There was a hill where I was standing, another one right in front of me, and the wind played with my hair. Even though visual arts is not my biggest strength, I drew that dream so I would not forget the moment and the feelings that I got. I tend to make reality fit my dreams, and sometimes I get disappointed when they do not fit, like that time I had a layover in New York, and going to Times Square did not feel like I was in Alicia Keys’ video. This time my dream fit reality, so well that I stood there and although it was not the same physical place, the feelings were the same. I thought of all the small steps that took me there, not just the hiking part but my entire life.
As I said before, that moment meant a lot to me. Although, UWC is all about learning as a group to unify countries and cultures, to learn how to live together peacefully and responsibly; at that moment it was just me listening to my respiration and feeling my feet sore from pushing my limits further to finish the level. And I reflected on how much I have grown as an individual. Changes, that is what UWC is all about for me, reinventing yourself through overcoming challenges, gaining resilience from failure, making lifelong memories meeting new people, cultures, and places that you could have never imagined looking with your own eyes, that become family and home. It is all about those skills that you learn with no obvious purpose right now, but that will help you achieve your dreams day by day, sometimes without even noticing. And the journey was just starting.
I received the Welcome Package from UWCEA, and I saw a section called Outdoors Pursuit Program with pictures of people hiking Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest peak in Africa, located in Tanzania). I immediately asked people what was required to be part of the program. Even though my home country El Salvador is a mountainous country I had never climbed anything in my life, so you can imagine my excitement. I was determined to fulfill as many levels as my financial situation allowed me to and I signed up for a trip on the first week I was at school. But as I arrived late I had to quarantine and I waited until another trip. Months later I had completed two levels and I was beyond excited for the third one.
When the day arrived, students from both campuses gathered at the first campsite where we stayed for one night before going to the second location. Each tent had at least three different nationalities, three continents even. Among laughs, rain, and a lot of insects we shared dinner and I sat with a group of people that I did not know. I have learned that that is one of the best decisions one can make. In less than twenty minutes and one cup of hot cocoa down, I had met more than four new nationalities (another thing that I have learned, is that unless you have memorized all the countries in the world, you will always hear of new countries. Do not feel bad, they did not know your country existed either) as days and more activities passed, we got to know the group better.
I had a dream once when I was thirteen or so. There was a hill where I was standing, another one right in front of me, and the wind played with my hair. Even though visual arts is not my biggest strength, I drew that dream so I would not forget the moment and the feelings that I got. I tend to make reality fit my dreams, and sometimes I get disappointed when they do not fit, like that time I had a layover in New York, and going to Times Square did not feel like I was in Alicia Keys’ video. This time my dream fit reality, so well that I stood there and although it was not the same physical place, the feelings were the same. I thought of all the small steps that took me there, not just the hiking part but my entire life.
As I said before, that moment meant a lot to me. Although, UWC is all about learning as a group to unify countries and cultures, to learn how to live together peacefully and responsibly; at that moment it was just me listening to my respiration and feeling my feet sore from pushing my limits further to finish the level. And I reflected on how much I have grown as an individual. Changes, that is what UWC is all about for me, reinventing yourself through overcoming challenges, gaining resilience from failure, making lifelong memories meeting new people, cultures, and places that you could have never imagined looking with your own eyes, that become family and home. It is all about those skills that you learn with no obvious purpose right now, but that will help you achieve your dreams day by day, sometimes without even noticing. And the journey was just starting.
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