After three months, three countries and a whole tidal wave of epic experiences, we have reached our final day of this incredible journey. As we, your OE’s, sit at Brisbane International Airport, we can’t help but reflect on these past months and the amazing adventures we have had.
We have seen the sunrise from Uluru and watched it set on the snowy peaks of Mount Ruapehu. We have crossed paths with farmers, Fijian fishermen, outback rangers, and giant sea turtles. We have feasted on traditional Maori Hangi’s and Fijian Lovo’s. We have climbed mountains and traversed ravines, swam through reefs and mangrove swamps. We have witnessed you, our students, as you learned about each other and yourselves in ways we never expected. We have seen you challenge and push yourselves as you grew into the best versions of yourselves that you can be. We are so proud of you all, even those of you who left us early.
In an attempt to capture the last three months and everything we will take with us, we asked you last night, during our closing ceremony, to think of the senses you have felt on this journey. What smells, sights and sounds will you hold onto and cherish always? These, our fine travelers, were your thoughts:
Hannah: “I will miss seeing the faces that I have come to love so much. The smell of the farm, right after we came in from work and how the living room always smelled like fire, Rachel’s cooking and tea. The amazing taste of fresh caught sea creatures, cooked on a fire in Fiji. Most of all, I will miss waking up, listening to everyone’s voices and knowing what an amazing new family I have found.”
Bridget: “I hear the sounds of the Daintree Rainforest coming to life as I close my eyes to sleep. I see the faces of everyone’s lives we touched, in one way or another, departing from Togalevu village. I feel the snow seeping into my layers of clothing after spending the day playing on the mountains of New Zealand. I taste the food cooked over a campfire, in the middle of the outback, while sitting on a swag. I smell the cow manure and rotten milk that covered our bodies after morning chores with my domestic crew!”
Claudia: “I will miss the beautiful scent of the frangipani flower lightly tickling my nose as I breathed in air. I will miss the call of the rooster that woke me each morning in Togalevu, as well as the pitter-patter of chickens clambering on the roof. I will miss the sensation of all types of earth beneath bare feet; sea sand, desert sand, green grass, damp dirt and jungle floors. I will miss the taste of freshly made sourdough bread, possibly even more delicious as I helped make it. I will miss the sight of baby Andi, running arms wide open, face shining with a smile, towards me through the courtyard of the village, filling me with joy.”
Olivia: “I will miss the way the clouds in this part of the world look like they’re from a fantasy. I’ll miss listening in on another universe, known as the rainforest. I’ll miss the smell of salt and fruit and sweat and dirt on my skin, that comes from living an adventure. I’ll miss the taste of warm, sticky, sweet juice of a mango just plucked from a tree. I will miss the feel of rocks, sand, grass, sticks, pebbles, cement, dirt and leaves under my feet, from experiencing the world barefoot.”
We are so proud of you all and have been so privileged to be part of this adventure with you. Words can’t explain what we have experienced together, so for now, our road weary friends, we will leave you with a quote that has guided us both in our own travels and will hopefully guide you in yours.
“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again — to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” –Pico Iyer