An experience like no other
CATHERINE O'DONOGHUE writes:
I went to sleep on an airplane and woke up halfway around the world. Setting foot in another country sparked a real need to embrace the unexpected and led to a flurry of experiences that are like snapshots in time.
First of all, the mere fact that I am living here. Second, the knowledge being gained from it all: corresponding with the FCB Prague agency and affiliates; working on an independent project to market a famous Czech glass company; meeting with Ambassador Graber; learning Czech phrases; communicating non-verbally; translating ideas across cultures; realizing universal languages; understanding history; discovering values; taking away useful theories on environmental resourcefulness; learning about government; being face-to-face with oppression; gaining further knowledge from museums; going on city tours; meandering cobblestone streets of wonderful unfamiliarity; using the transportation system; calculating currency; sparking interests; climbing castle towers; crouching in a dungeon bar; waking up in a new time zone; reading the Prague Post; viewing art galleries; strolling through rose gardens; writing poetry; talking philosophy; understanding a new psychology; curiously examining every detail; hearing music that connect worlds; spending afternoons in a glorious park down the street; going off the beaten path; wandering through bazaars; antiquing; espresso tasting; café hopping; analyzing grocery stores; adding life homework to an ongoing list; gaining historical curiosity; meeting new people; exchanging stories with expatriates; Sunday brunch; market hunting; weekending in Budapest; dancing hand-in-heart on the pages of a fairytale; and being exposed to a light of so many possibilities.
I could expand on each and every one of these ideas and add many more, but at this point it's a bit of sensory overload in the best possible way. It's like Disney World for adults. Everyone should do this. Why? Well, going to another country and breathing it in frees your senses and ignites your curiosity. It can change the way you look at the world without compromising your core values. When you're in another country every day becomes an adventure. People going about their work-a-day school life don't typically wake up asking themselves, "What should I do today? Where should I go?" because … well, they're probably either on their way to class or work.
At this point in the journey I have more questions than answers. I'm living life to its fullest and embracing the unexpected. It has been a learning experience like no other!
Catherine O'Donoghue is senior Marketing major.