The Trip on Trips

Recently I went to China on the school trip with a group of other grade twelve students and Miss Cheung and Mr.Rama. In short, the trip was absolutely phenomenal, life changing, eye-opening, and very humbling. From touring around the vast and wondrous Beijing, China and its busy streets, signs, culture, traditions, and monuments to the little village outside the city we helped start to develop a water irrigation system for, all of it was amazing. On the positive side, by going on this trip I was able to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity and be able to help and teach people, which I passionately love doing. I made countless memories with new people, gained a new perspective on my own ideals, my habits, and where I wanted to make a change in the world and in myself. The children in the community were absolute sweethearts and their whole way of being happy despite their circumstances and what little they had was truly inspiring. The trip had far beyond exceeded my expectations and fantasies and I have never been so rattled at such a marvelous experience in my life. Even as I walk in the hallways, talking to both my family and friends I feel as if no combination of words could ever express the profoundness and extent of amazement this trip held.

To contrast, the thing about taking trips is the overwhelming feeling you get afterwards. A plane ride away from what seems like home and your warm bed turns out to be piles and piles of homework that you missed, assignments to catch up on, and tests to reschedule. In light of this trip, we were lucky to only have missed a week of school and the rest of the trip took place during the March Break but the workload still weighs heavy. I sit now here at the computer, trying to catch up on my blogs, since internet access did not make my packing list on the trip. Around me, there are all subjects scattered across my desktop table. From labs, worksheets, assignments, of all sorts for calculus and chemistry. One week of school during senior year is a hard gust of wind. All of the content everyone else learned before the break came at the regular pace but sitting here it feels like an overwhelming force having to learn it in one go, in addition to what we are learning now. So, like the hard gust of wind, the lessons and the work and senior year keeps on continuing to blow whether I choose to be carried by it or not. That's the downside to travelling, or being sick and away for too long. Also having had missed not only academics but what your friends are up to, and what occurred while you were gone. Nothing gives you quite the same awkward feeling when everyone around you is reminiscing about something that happened that you can in no way attempt to or pretend to relate to.

All in all, I suppose the best alternative would to be travel during holidays and breaks but sometimes it can become inevitable. Despite the contrast though, I would stay up countless nights stressing over missed assignments and trying to catch up just to see those children in the community again. They along with the rest of the parts of the  fantastic adventure that included our group, the teachers, the city, our tour, the laughs, the tears, the bonding, the love, the generosity, the gratitude, and the determination in that cornfield and beautiful smiles of the children would be worth all of the pain of the returning gust of wind.

-Han Van