You Can’t Carry Everything in a Backpack – Katie S. in Southeast Asia
My backpack was bursting at
the seams, filled with chopsticks, coffee, and loads of elephant pants. Airport
security eyed me as I hoisted my cargo onto the scale, barely able to clear the
railing and send it on its way back home. Halfway through heaving my second bag
(an enormous, irregularly shaped black duffel bag filled with miscellaneous
clothing) onto the scale, I was interrupted by the man behind the counter,
“Excuse me miss, you’re only allowed to have one checked bag. Another one will
cost you $60 for international flight.” My eyes widened as I looked at both of
my possessions. I reluctantly removed them, shamefully told the ticket man I’d
be back, and dragged everything I owned at the moment to a bench in the back
corner of the airport. As I unloaded and repacked by bags, I pondered how it
had come to this. I had just traveled Southeast Asia for two months, living off
sparse showers, street food, and no air conditioning to be reduced to a silly
American bag lady on the last day of my trip, defined by my precious souvenirs
and the pictures on my camera. What good would these colorful articles of
clothing and delicious Asian snacks that I was bringing back for my family and
friends actually do? Smiles would be exchanged, a few stories would be told, but
the items I had so painstakingly picked out would eventually end up in the back
of a closet or tossed out. I had learned so much more than cheap souvenirs
would ever show, and somehow that needed to be incorporated into my life back
home.
How would it be possible to
relay the way my heart raced as I rode in a tuk-tuk for the first time through
the chaotic streets of Bangkok? Or the way rappelling hundreds of feet into a
cave made me feel infinitesimally small? Or the sense of hope I felt after
encountering such inspiring people that want to make a change in the world? I
learned so much about the distressing past – and present – of the elephants in
Thailand while volunteering for a week at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang
Mai. I participated in a Buddhist meditation course and spent a few days in
silence, learning so much about the Buddhist lifestyle and how to incorporate
principles into my life back home. I hiked for four days through the mountains
of Laos, staying in small villages with the most kindhearted and generous
people I had ever encountered. I saw some of the most incredible scenery
imaginable – the massive Karst formations looming out of the fog and water in
Halong Bay, Vietnam, the gorgeous limestone cliffs along the beaches of
Southern Thailand, and many parts of the diverse and economically important
Mekong River. I listened to stories about Cambodia’s tumultuous past, and the
strength people had to overcome such hardships.
As I looked around at all
my belongings strewn across the airport bench, I realized it would never be
possible to fully explain how much I had experienced on this trip - and that is
alright. I am incredibly grateful for the Harvey Scholarship to have allowed me
this experience, and I’ll forever cherish the lessons I learned, the people I
met, and the stories I heard. My time in Southeast Asia showed me that you can
bring back something far greater than the elephant pants in your backpack or
the nice tan from the beaches in the South. There is so much to learn from other
cultures and other people. Though it’s been 7 months since my trip, I’m still
applying pieces to my life and reflecting on the memories I made.
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