Back When the World Was Flat

As I pack for my upcoming departure (T-1 week!) to Nepal on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant grant, I’ve been doing some organizing (aka rummaging through a closet that is way overdue for a spring cleaning) and putting aside items that I will attempt to fit into my luggage. The emphasis here is on ‘attempt’…

Hidden in the back of the closet was a collection of journals I’ve kept over the years and flipping through the pages of my first grade diary, I found this lovely gem dated October 11, 1997:

“The day aftr Sunday is Cristufr Cloombiss day. He sald the oshin bloe.”

Now before you start questioning, “This girl is going to go teach English?” I must note that this entry was accompanied by a wonderfully artistic representation of Mr. Cloombiss in a boat sailing across – you guessed it –a very flat map of the world. Upon closer inspection, Spain seems a bit disproportional to the rest of Europe. But then again, geography has never been my forte.  

Thinking about how this event made a big enough impact in the life of a first grader that it made it into her diary –phonetic spelling and all – it’s also hard not to recognize the impact it has on my mindset years later. Yes, things were easy when the world was flat. Who in their right mind would venture to the corners of the earth, where it seemed as if you would simply drop off the edge of existence? Let’s not even get into sea monsters. But this complacency can also be limiting. If the past four years in college have taught me anything, it is to challenge assumptions, ask questions, and learn from new –and sometimes uncomfortable –experiences.  

Up until now, Nepal has been yet another country squeezed onto the map that hangs on the wall in my bedroom. Over the course of the next eight months, I look forward to immersing myself in the culture, traditions, and language as I serve as an English assistant in the classroom. I approach this next adventure with an open heart and mind (and empty stomach!), ready to experience Nepal and continuing to “round out” my understanding of what it means to be a global citizen.

Official Fulbright Disclaimer:

This is not an official Department of State website or blog, and the views and information presented are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program of the U.S. Department of State.