Learning Journal 16

Often times I run into people who ask about my field study, where I'm going, what I'm doing there and for how long. I will explain it to all to them, and then at the end of the conversation their final questions tends to be; why? Why Tonga? What made you decide to do a field study. Or you're just a freshman, why not wait? And for the longest time I haven't really known how to answer these questions.

Why Tonga? Well, typically I will respond with 'why not Tonga?' It's there so I might as well go, and besides I've always been very interested in the South Pacific. But that's only the surface. I think that really I chose Tonga because it is so isolated, seemingly so far away from the rest of the world. And I have always wanted to go far away, to get out into the world like that. I mean, if it hadn't been for the money, I would have gone to college in New Zealand, and Tonga, well, it was closest to there. But as I have attended my Tongan language class, participated on the womens cougar rugby team, and studied more about Tongan people, culture and society, the more I have fallen in love with and gotten excited to research in this country. I believe I can honestly answer 'why Tonga' now by saying that they have a beautiful culture that I will feel honored to be a small part of for one summer with  people who I will be lucky to spend time with and study.

Why have I decided to go on a field study? And go at the beginning of my college career as opposed to the end? Well, honestly I hadn't even heard of a field study before I arrived fresh at  BYU last August. I knew already though, that I wanted to travel that summer, that I wasn't planning on going home. I first heard about the field study during freshman orientation but didn't really give it a second thought, coming up with a project on my own and stuff sounded like a lot of work. But then I went to the International Studies Fair and browsed, and ran into the Tonga booth. I asked some questions and picked up a pamphlet for one of the information meetings and there and then I decided 'let's do it', a field study this summer. And that was that.

I still didn't know what exactly was required of me, and the whole of it all seemed slightly daunting but exciting. I remember calling my Dad after I had made up my mind to go and telling him 'so dad, there's a pretty good chance I'm gonna be in Tonga this summer...' and he replied with 'where's Tonga'? and was 100% supportive after that. Now that I am halfway through the prep course and have most of a project figured out and am beginning to draft my proposal, I really think that Tonga was a good choice for me and I am excited to be there. Going on and participating in the whole process of this field study as a freshman has been and (as I'm certain) will continue to be a huge learning and growing process for me as a person. It will help prepare me for future field studies, future careers, and teach me how to better deal with people and situations in my life that are different. So once again why Tonga? Because I really believe that I can learn something from the culture and the people both in my field of study and outside it. I'm ready.