As I wrote this post, I'm currently on my bed looking at my two suitcases and my backpack and how I probably should rearrange how I'm packed and reconsider what is in each bag and how I can't wait for my dinner to be delivered to my apartment. But that thought also makes me think about how lucky I am: how lucky I am to be going on this trip in the first place; how lucky I am to be going somewhere new; how lucky I am that I have enough stuff to even fill those bags; how lucky I am that I'm even getting food and not making it myself; how lucky I am that one of my only worries right now is whether I have everything I need and whether the lines for the TSA tomorrow will be as long as the news claims them to be.
In Jamaica, the people we are helping don't have nearly as much as us: school supplies are scarce; clean clothes are an occasional amenity; and food needs to be worked for at all times and doesn't just show up in the hand of another when he rings your doorbell. When the stresses of school are really getting to me, I sometimes forget how privileged I am. I don't need to worry about having clothes for the next day, a pen to take notes in class, or if I will go to bed hungry. I admit that I take it all for granted, on occasion, when life seems to be spiraling out of control around me with classes, extracurriculars, and family and friends. But now I get to take a step back from my life and care about the lives of others. During this trip, I won't have a care in the world until I get back, and I will only have a few stressful thoughts about how hot and humid it is and to remember to put on sunscreen so I don't look like a lobster, but also hoping that we get as much done as we can in our work.
Throughout our time, I will take note of how different things are where we work, eat, rest, and travel, as I do with most of my travels. While I don't usually announce my observations, I reflect on them later with my travel companions, as I intend to do during this trip as well. Life is different for every culture, and even within every culture, social classes determine the daily lives of those within the community. Where you live, what you eat, where you go to school, where you work: it's all determined by culture and class, and when different ones overlap, you either have conflict or understanding.
My time in Jamaica will be devoted to understanding the culture while improving the way of life of the communities we are helping. I want the kids to be able to go to a school with abundant supplies but I also want to learn about how they live and enjoy themselves while bringing them knowledge and improving their conditions of education. While working in the sun, I will soak up understanding of how these people live their daily lives so I know why it is so important to help them out but also know that they have a culture of their own they intend on keeping alive, as they very well should. Our method of helping them out is allowing them to keep this culture while improving the conditions of learning and living. Some might say how lucky these people are to be helped by such a caring group of students, but in reality, we should feel so lucky to see a culture not many get to see up close and bring this awareness back with ourselves to continue to improve the lives of those not just abroad, but at home as well. I will bring back the cultural understanding and the motivation to improve the lives of those around me, whether they are down the street or across the world.
-Caroline Culp
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