Teen Ink

Jordan F. posted this thread...

 
Books are vital in the learning process. However, we learn about cultures of the world and people out of textbooks as if those words on a page really represent the life of a people. I can’t feel the rhythm of Latin America through a few colorful pictures. I can’t see the everyday struggles of Moroccans through a well-crafted paragraph. I certainty can’t smell the sweet aroma of Cape Town through second hand stories in a book. I strongly believe the way one becomes a real global citizen is by walking the streets of a country not their own and learning from a people different from them. I’ve started my journey to a global perspective by studying in San Ramon, Costa Rica for two months. I learned the importance of opening yourself up to others and fully immersing yourself in another culture. My journey is just beginning and I’m ready to continue with my process with Semester at Sea at the center of it right now.
            Semester at Sea will provide me with the opportunity to further my awareness about people around the world. With this specific voyage I’d be traveling to the Latin American region, including Argentina. Because I’ve gained experience and knowledge about one Latin American country, Costa Rica, I can use this port as an opportunity to create a larger discourse about Latin America as a region. I’ll be able to experience and witness the similarities as well as differences between multiple countries in the same region, forming a more comprehensive perspective about the region and the uniqueness of the individual countries. Furthering my global awareness, this voyage travels to Russia. It’s assumed that this country’s culture is different from the cultures of Latin American cultures. This sharp contrast will allow me to draw conclusions regarding cultural universals. Also it will show me a different perspective of the world. I’ll be able to see the world through the eyes of a group of people from halfway around the world. As an aspiring cultural anthropologist, I want to be knowledgeable about different cultures from around the world. Through visiting countries and witnessing these cultures myself, I’m able to determine the structure and nuances of the unique cultures, thus being able to use this information to better address specific problems within each culture.
            I won’t come home a complete global citizen with all the knowledge about the world and people. However, I’ll come home with new perspectives and ways of thinking about problems.  I’ll be better equipped with knowledge and tools to respond to the needs of others from around the world, which will be an important as an anthropologist. From my past study abroad, I know how to be open to stepping out of my comfort zone to learn about others that I share the Earth with and how to embrace the challenges that come with being a global citizen. I know Semester at Sea will enable me to do all of this and things I couldn’t imagine.