Traveling Abroad

The Experience of a Lifetime

As I was driving down the road, I peered out my window. The sight was pretty boring. A sixteen-foot red wall ran parallel to the road, hiding huge mansions. When the wall ended, there sitting quietly in the dirt was a three-walled shack. Next to these hotel-sized houses surrounded by sixteen-foot barricades, was a three-walled shack. Its front being completely open. Seven young kids with no shoes or shirts, and an older woman sitting on an aged barrel stared us down as we drove by. When I accidentally made eye contact with the mother, I quickly looked down at my lap. I lifted my head back up to look at her again, but it was too late; another red wall occupied my scenery for thirty more seconds until we came upon the next gap between walls, only to find yet another shanty.

In the summer of 2003, I went to Haiti for eight days. Those eight days have affected my life since then in a huge way. I have not gone a single day without thinking of that trip. Not everyone can travel to another country. Travel expenses are not cheap. But, I can honestly say that it was worth every penny for me, and everyone should find a way to travel abroad sometime in their life.

My tenth grade year was one of dismal effort. Basically, my parents were happy with C’s, so that’s what I aimed for, nothing more and nothing less. I knew I could do better, but I just didn’t care, until that trip to Haiti.

The temperature was in the mid 90’s when I arrived in Belle-Anse ("Beautiful Bay" in Creole), a small village, on the coast of Haiti. I was tired already from the two-hour dirt road journey there. But, when I arrived there, I was welcome with open arms. A small boy, half my size walked up to me. His name was Maxito. After he introduced himself, the first thing he said was, "Can I come back to the U.S. with you so I can go to school?" I didn’t know what to say. The Haitian public school system, like the entire country, is very poor. Basically, unless Haitians go to an expensive private school, most kids never even learn to read. And, since the only real education goes to those with money, there is a huge gap between social classes. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. And I take for granted these things that almost all Haitians are not even offered.

What was I doing with my life? School was always a hassle to me. I didn’t want to go but I did because it’s the law. And in that brief moment with Maxito, I realized how selfish I had been all my life. A free, quality education is being offered to me and I am wasting it. My eleventh grade year I got straight A’s, and I don’t consider that a coincidence.

While I was in Haiti, I visited a school in Pichon, a small mountain village with no electricity or running water. When we got there, the second I got out of the car, this little kid asked if I was thirsty. I already knew they didn’t have running water so I was a little reluctant to say yes. But, when I did, he turned around and ran away. As I watched him, he stopped at a coconut tree, and just started climbing. Seconds later, three coconuts hit the ground with a thud. After he chopped off the tops of the coconuts with a large knife, he stuck a straw in each and brought one to me. This made me think of my grandma’s house back in Michigan, or any other house with a warm sense of hospitality. Whenever I get to my grandma’s house, one of the first things she asks me is if I want anything to drink.

I don’t know if I was subconsciously prejudiced before I went to Haiti, about other countries, especially third world ones. But, this single instance helped me to finally figure out that no matter where you are in the world; North, South, East, or West, everyone is human. If just a few more people in the world realized this, it would be the end of many negative issues in society. It would resolve problems like racism, sexism, stereotypes, and many more.

So, now I’m in college. Waiting for the opportunity to go back to Haiti, and looking for opportunities to travel to other countries. I am not the only one who believes traveling to other countries is so important. In fact, some universities, such as Michigan State, are starting to require that you study abroad in order to complete your major. This is because it is such a great experience and teaches you many life lessons. If you take advantage of these programs there are things such as financial aid to help you. So, basically, no matter what you do, the opportunity to travel abroad is almost guaranteed. Just remember that when you get the chance, do not turn it down. Everywhere you go has it’s own story, it’s own look, feel, and taste, and the effect each place has on you can be life altering.