Exchange Challenges

My really good friend Jorie and I were talking about seeing the world when you’re young and she said,

*“[T]here’s a brief window of time between being too young to actually do things for yourself, and being too old to get away from responsibilities wherein exploring the world is an option”

I feel that university is the period which many of us leave home for the first times and are forced to take care of ourselves. Additionally, it is one of the only times in which we have some freedom to explore the world and are given the choice to travel for longer times. I have been lucky enough to travel throughout my life, but it has always been on a predetermined vacation with family. Exchange is the first opportunity I have to travel the way I want to. I have been given the freedom to see a remote part of the world and really try to understand a new culture. This is truly a blessing, but it will probably be the only time I will be able to do this.

Realistically, after starting work, I won’t be able to take months off to go see the world. And even just to travel for a couple of weeks never feels like enough to really get to know a country, not to mention the financial costs of travelling.

In a way, exchange is not just an opportunity, but also a challenge. It is a chance for me to see Morocco, but it is more than that. Exchange for me is a chance to really learn about a new culture. One which is vastly different from the one I have been exposed to all my life. It is a chance to interact with people, both Moroccans as well as other exchange students, from a different worldview. A close friend of mine told me he wants to dedicate his life to sharing his story and learning about other peoples’ stories. I think this is an opportunity to do just that.

Furthermore, exchange is a challenge to really learn about myself. I think of exchange as if I were a soldier being airdropped into the middle of nowhere and having to survive on my own for a year. Exchange is a HUGE opportunity to prove to myself that I can live thrive in a new city. And I feel that by being able to flourish in a new city, it will help me grow as a person and discover what I want to do with my life.

Finally, exchange is a challenge to really find my own way. I am lucky to have such incredible friends throughout my life, but this is the first time that I will have to start fresh and make an entirely new group of friends. It is also a challenge to keep in touch with all my friends back home. I think this is one of the toughest things I have to do this year, but deep down I know it’ll be okay. I know my friends are incredible and will all be there when I get back. That’s the true mark of friendship. It’s like the saying goes:

I am so excited to go away on exchange, I know it will be an unforgettable experience, and I am so glad you are reading this and are along for the ride. Cheers!