The Foreign Exchange feat. Darien Brockington - "Take Off The Blues" from The Foreign Exchange on Vimeo.
Recently I've been thinking about experiences I've had over my lifetime. In the grand scheme of life, 22 is not long, at all, and I can only imagine the life lessons I'll have in the coming years, blah blah.
But, more importantly, I was thinking about how my current life would be different if certain experiences would have been had under other circumstances (time, place, etc etc). My evolution as an individual has been because of the way the plans have been laid (or how the dice have fallen), but I can still wonder.
There are two experiences that come to mind immediately. The first would be my trip to Africa, Ghana and Cameroon, specifically.
I visited Africa for 3 weeks when I was 13 years old. Without a doubt the trip sparked my curiosity for culture and adventures beyond the world that I saw day to day. It was an experience that my parents knew would change my view on the world, and for that I am grateful. But as a 13 year old, I was in Africa. That's it. I knew I was lucky, but to what extent or why I was lucky was beyond my comprehension. I've always been "mature" for my age (whatever that means), but at 13, just how mature can you be?
I wasn't completely able to appreciate the soil on which I stood or the people I came in contact with. Looking back on the memories I hold onto tightly, I have been able to make deductions and see the implications of the trip. Having Traveling in recent years and formulating new opinions (internally and externally) I've evolved beyond the realm of that 13 girl traveling on a plane for the first time. Among other corners of the world, Africa calls my name again.
