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| Writer Stratton Lawrence |
For many young people, a semester abroad is their first
opportunity to truly discover a new culture and way of life ('Greek' university
culture doesn't count). I can't honestly remember what exactly drew me to
Durban, South Africa for the first semester of my junior year. Surf had
something to do with it, but I also liked that I already knew the language
(English, in the Natal region) and that the exchange rate was favorable to the
dollar (I was perpetually broke).
The ability to converse freely definitely made my experience
richer, but in the end, my lasting memories had little to do with surfing.
Within days of arrival, I had my eyes opened to a world in a way that nothing
short of travel can provide, and the lessons I took with me have helped guide
my path forward and my career, even 12 years later.
As the world's eyes turn to South Africa to remember the
country's (and the world's) hero of freedom and equality, Nelson Mandela, I'm
also looking back on my experience and reflecting on what I learned.
1. If You
Are Lucky Enough to Be Reading This on a Computer, You are Luckier than a Lot
of People
I came into my South Africa experience feeling well-traveled.
My father was in the Navy, so we lived in Italy during my high school years,
and I saw much of Europe, including fairly serious poverty in places like
Slovakia and rural Italy. None of that can prepare you for Africa. The dichotomy of a
flashy shopping mall surrounded by hills filled with plywood shacks will humble
anyone. My first view of true squalor gave me a new desire to help others in my
daily life, and helped me to count my blessings every day.
2. The
World is Small
When I was a child, my family sponsored a boy in Kenya named
Makau. Although we called him our brother in Africa, I didn't really think he
was my brother. He was a long way away, I'd never met him, and he looked a lot
different than me. Arriving in Durban, I moved into a dorm where all of my
friends were South Africans, many of whom had benefited from sponsorship
programs as children that helped them get to college. We liked the same music
and laughed at the same jokes. I realized for the first time that we're all the
same, and I understood that as a writer, the right words have universal appeal.
3. The
World is Huge
I lived in South Africa on September 11, 2001. It made the
news, of course, but within a few days nobody was really talking about it.
Honestly, it wasn't until I came home in January that I realized the gravity of
what had happened. In a place where people witness violence and suffering
daily, a world event across an ocean just didn't affect them like it did us. Even
the biggest news story of our generation didn't have legs in South Africa. The lesson? When the world seems overwhelming, focus on the
impact you can make on the people directly around you.
4. Spread
the Word
It was in South Africa that I truly fell in love with
photography. I carried my camera everywhere because I wanted to tell these
stories when I got back. The pictures and stories that I wrote later inspired my
brother to travel to Durban three years later. A decade later, he lives in
Uganda running a health clinic, and the word has spread through his network to
others who have gone to visit and help as well. By taking compelling pictures
and writing down our experiences, we truly can inspire others to help as well.
5. Attempt
the Ridiculous
I wanted to visit Fish River Canyon in Namibia while I was
in South Africa, but that required crossing the African continent. When fall
break arrived, I had eight days free. With a group of seven friends, we covered
nearly 3,000 miles in a week, camping under the stars at the second biggest
canyon in the world and enjoying one of the most amazing natural travel
experiences of our lives. Whether it's an assignment that seems impossible or adding
another deadline to the pile when I'm already underwater, I know now that if
everything I'm doing is something I want to do, I can get it done and enjoy
doing it. And sometimes, it's important to drop everything and head
out the door without a plan. The experiences you return with will make you
stronger in your career and in your daily life.
Stratton Lawrence
is a freelance writer and editor who covers a wide variety of topics related to
travel, photography, outdoors and camping gear for eBay.com.
