Pre-flight thoughts

Sept. 1, 2009

So, it's really happening.

We are really getting on a plane tomorrow and flying halfway around the world to a country whose culture and complex history is completely different than the one we know. And I definitely do not feel ready! As much as I knew this was coming, I find myself wanting to focus on the small questions instead of the larger ones I know are beneath the surface. Small questions like, do I really need to bring both of my Red Sox hats? What is the best position to sleep on a plane when you have the middle seat without ending up on that random guy's shoulder? How many Dave Matthews Band playlists can I make that will last throughout the 15-hour flight? How many boxes of Immodium and Tums are really too many to bring to India?

These are the small questions that are skimming the surface, but I know the deeper ones are really what's stirring inside me. How can I witness another culture fully and without judgment? How do I respect values that I don't agree with, while also challenging myself to question my own? How am I going to respond to heartbreaking yet beautiful resilience? What can I do to prepare myself to be so vulnerable in such a different setting? What can I do to even make a little impact while I'm there?

I can imagine we are all going to question our own lives and priorities. I can imagine that we probably won't come back the same as when we left. And even though I don't feel ready at all for the 20 plus hour journey, it's really going to happen tomorrow. We are going to get on a plane and fly halfway around the world, whether we are ready or not.

Julie Balasalle