HUNTER: Journeys of a Lifetime

I have been on many journeys throughout my life. It all started when I was nothing but a toddler and followed my parents on many of their trips to different countries around the world. Yes, I am ashamed to admit that at one point in my life I was one of those annoying babies that Murphy’s Law always manages to situate near you on those especially long and frustratingly exhausting night time overseas flights. Those little whiny creatures (and I’m trying to refrain from calling them the ‘devil’s spawn’ because, really, what else could shriek so loudly for the sake of preventing you from getting a little sleep on some uncomfortable airplane chairs) might give you the urge to throw them out the window, but at least they’re fortunate enough to be making discoveries and getting new experiences at such an early age.
That’s what journeys are all about, after all. They involve leaning, exploration and discovery. Going to new places and obtaining new information and new experiences. Visiting different places in the world, and noting the different cultures and their different quirks. Calculating the diameter of a foreigner’s personal bubble. Watching the reactions of people of different cultures as you step into a metal box and share an awkward meter squared with them. Observing the different culinary experiences you can obtain in different places, and enjoying the many different amazing foods each country has to offer. Becoming an expert in the different ways to travel, be it by land, sea, or air, and admiring just how many options you can choose from in order to travel from your house to your final destination.
Note that I have chosen to use the word ‘journey’ rather than ‘trip,’ which would be the more common term. This is not merely for the sake of using a big fancy word or in order to embellish this last article (though in part, I must admit that’s also true). It’s also because I’m not just talking about physical journeys that require transportation and displacement – I’m also talking about the kind of journeys that we go through even without moving our feet. Sure, that might sound a little cliché, but we all experience some kind of inner journeys that, although may be heavily influenced by the physical, displacement-based journeys, still involve some sort of learning, exploration, discovery and experience that might permanently change one’s perception of the world.
Even now, I’m beginning several such journeys and ending some old ones, both physically and psychologically. I’m starting the journey of returning to my home country in just a few weeks, which simultaneously finalizes the journey of my first semester in a brand new country. And my, this has certainly been one of my most memorable journeys. I came to a new country not really knowing what to expect, and I’ve been through everything from surviving stressful all-nighters to forming long-lasting friendships. And throughout all this, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to see many interesting things during my stay here, and it has been my pleasure relaying these observations through words and paper to anyone who was ever interested or simply cared enough (or was bored enough) to spare my words some of the overpriced commodity that is time nowadays. Of course, this is all far from over – I’m already looking forward to what I will encounter next semester and the several other semesters to come.
Sometimes I catch myself wondering why I take up some of my free time to write all these words to an anonymous audience anyway. I’m a procrastinator by nature, and giving myself more things to do in a week not only adds to the already present stress, but also takes away from the already lacking time. But then I think back to the different things I’ve written, and the many observations and conclusions I’ve made based on the things I see on a daily basis, and I realize that, all in all, this little journey was more than worthwhile, and was an amusing little way of sharing little random thoughts with other strangers who might share those same thoughts as well.
Well then, this specific little journey ends with these final words, so…farewell. Though in truth it isn’t quite a farewell, because for all we know we could still run into each other without realizing it as we each continue on our own journeys within this crazy world of ours. And even if we don’t meet some way or another, the little quirks and human thoughts we all share will always keep us together in the grand, human group conscience. In any case, whether society ever brings us together or not, good luck on those journeys you are taking or will be embarking on soon, and continue to keep an eye out for the little amusing quirks of life that make our species the amusing little thing that it is. Michelle Hunter is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences and a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. She can be reached at mhunterg@bu.edu