Time is an idea that constatnly boggles my mind. The rate at which it passes, the fact that it is always moving forward no matter what we choose to fill it with. Time is a guarantee, eventually it will pass. And all you're left with are the memories and learned experiences of what you once filled your time with.
I'm continuing to learn much on this field study in Tonga. My project is coming along, I've made friends and ultimately have the beginnings of a life here. People call out my name as I walk down the street and I don't feel nearly as out of place in social atmospheres as I once did. It's almost like as soon as you really start to get settled in here it's time to leave. And it simply becomes that time I spent three months in Tonga. When I leave here, these people will continue to live their lives as they always have and I will return to mine. I haven't done anything exceptional or amazing here. I haven't changed anyone's life. I have simply observed and learned a little bit more about the world and the people in it.
The world is a big place with billions of people all leading thier own important lives. Vava'u is just one tiny island, admist many, in the middle of the South Pacific on the surface of this large world. What the people on this island do, how they live, think and act seems very insignificant when compared with the rest of the world. But it is significant in that there are people here. People with families and friends and lives. And I'm appreciative of having the opportunity of being a part of their lives for the last three months. It hasn't always been easy, but it's been worth it. I'll miss these people and this land, the beautiful sunsets, the friendly countenances and the gentle lull of the ocean. It is a very peaceful place indeed.
Hey Victoria! This is Sarah, one of the Field Study facilitators. Hey, I really liked this post and enjoyed it very much. I feel the same in that as soon as I was getting the hang of things, it was time for me to leave my field study. The great thing is that it doesn't just have to be three months you spent in Tonga. Ending the official field study program doesn't have to be the end of asking questions, of having cross-cultural experiences, or of pursuing a line of inquiry or your project question. Rather, it can be the beginning. When BYU decided to end Field Studies, I was very sad, and still am. Yet the great thing about a field study, is that when you think about it, does a field study ever really end? We are always meeting new people and coming across various beliefs and value systems that are different from our own. The field study approach is to learn about those differing beliefs and view points with an open mind, to see things from another perspective, and to learn from others who are just regular human beings as we are (although, is any one of us really "regular"?). Don't worry. You may be leaving Tonga, but the friends you have made there and the lessons they have taught you will stay with you forever.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your last few days there! Let your friends know how much you care about them and how grateful you are for them. :)