Words Are Not Enough

Probably the most constant questions I will be getting asked are,

“How was it?” “Was it fun?” “Have you changed?” “What was your favourite place?”

These questions can simply not be answered. I am sorry, but too much has happened that has changed my life in ways I never thought possible.

At a personal level, I felt like this has changed me as a person. Yeah, that may sound absolutely cliché and cheesy, but it really has. I feel more aware. I feel lucky that I live in a country where I am free to be whoever I want to be. I got to see the ways other people live; I got to understand their culture. Probably one of the most life changing events that happened was in Panama when I ventured into the Darien Jungle. We were at a village where children were attending school. They showed us a dance performance that they had worked so hard on. This village had a population of around 30 and the living standards were definitely not near as luxurious as we have back home. They treated us like gold and they felt honoured to show us their village and their culture. I was in such awe and shock at the time. It was so beautiful. These words are not enough to express myself. However you thought it was, think of it like 200 times better.
I guess you could say that living with college level students made me also change. Now I know what you are thinking, but they truly had a good impact on me. They were sort of like brother and sister figures to me.

But the most rewarding and best experience on this trip was being lucky enough to share this experience with my father. I am the luckiest kid on earth to have a father that cares about me so much. He let me go into the Darien Jungle. He took me to the very top of New Zealand. He didn’t fuss when I got back in the room at 1 in the morning. He encouraged me to take photos and let me stay somewhere until I got the photo I wanted. He sped along the highway in New Zealand to catch the sunset on the beach for a great photo op. He took me around the world. He cares about me that much. I probably wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun on this journey without my father. Sure, I had fun with my friends many times, but the times with my dad were the ones I will remember forever.

So having to say that to every person who asks me about this voyage will soon get tedious, and a lot of people will not fully understand. Like I said, think of these experiences, and multiply them by 200. That is how amazing they were. So if I had to tell people one phrase about my journey, I would say, “I could explain it to you, but you wouldn’t even get it. Words are not enough.”

Davis