I learned…..Addi Kessler Class of 2019

I learned…

We wrap up the school year in a flurry—APs, finals, and packing for our trips. At home, we have schedules and deadlines, but once we board that airplane and take that first breath of foreign air, time loses all significance. Of course, we need a watch so that we are not late for breakfast, but days of the week become irrelevant. When on the trail we walk, we breathe, we eat, and we sleep. Life becomes something else, something far from what we know. We are plucked into a new line of sight and we try out best to embrace this new perspective. It is easy to think of home, the people we miss, the food we miss, and the lives we have left behind, but we learn to live in the present. We cannot think of home because for the moment it is the past and out of our line of sight.

When asked why do we travel, I said it is to gain a new perspective. I believe that a new way of looking at the world will enrich our lives. Travel offers us a new perspective on our homes—when we are gone we learn to appreciate what we have, and we are able to miss what we need which we often take for granted. Travel also offers us a new perspective through a new culture. Being a visitor and observer lets us understand how people live; I have observed different clothing, different foods, and different languages. For example, there are Lays chips in Nepal but instead of being vinegar or BBQ flavored they are mountain masala. Small things like this—a universal brand, a chip– are shaped to specific cultures.

As I have traveled the world—to Europe, to Central America, and now to Asia—I have gathered perspectives. What I do with these perspectives is still a question to me. As I compare the different cultures and the pieces that make them unique, I realize that everyone lives in their own bubble. In Guatemala the people know kindness, they know colorful clothing, and they know how to make tortillas. In Nepal the people know sharing, they know masala tea and momos, and they know how to relax. Each and every person has their own set of traditions, values, and rituals.

I know people say it is bad to think of yourself as the center of the universe, but how can one think otherwise? We are our own bodies; we walk with our own feet and see through our own eyes. Even if we are gathering new perspectives, we are gathering them through our own lens and through our own interpretation. So, let me rephrase, none of us are at the center of the universe, but we are the center of our own universes. Everyone has their own universe because everyone is living with a slightly different perspective. Everything we do and see branches out of our own interpretations and our own point of view. I have learned that I am the center of my own universe. As the world happens around me I can only see the small bit that is in my line of sight. Traveling widens this line and makes my world bigger. Being at the highest lake in the world made my line of sight seem endless. Looking out at the towering glaciers, and rolling mountains that belong to the Himalayas made me feel on top of the world, or rather on top of my world.

My biggest challenge in to remain present in my line of sight. I learned to do this in Nepal, and especially while trekking. Nepal is calm. The energy, the people, and the air give off a mellow aroma. The O2 reader detected a decline in my heart rate when we arrived in Pokhara—whether this is because of the increase in altitude or because of the relaxed nature of this culture, I do not know. When we first started the trek, I wanted to know when we were leaving, where we were going, and when we would get there. Then my mom said to me, “You need to relax, this is a loose culture. Learn to trust that everything will work out.” After this, I stopped worrying about how much further we had to go or many miles we had covered. I honed my focus down to my line of sight, which let me live in the present. I immediately noticed a distinct change in my attitude and experience, I even noticed more waterfalls in distant valleys.

– Addi Kessler, Class of 2019

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