Final (bonus) blog post. Final reflections and making our way home

We are heading to the airport later this morning, so this will be the final blog post. We’ll leave Karatu in a couple of hours for the 2 ½ drive to Arusha, where we’ll visit a cultural center and outdoor market and eat lunch. Then it is on the Kilimanjaro airport and the long flight(s) home.

So I guess it is appropriate to share some final thoughts….

We read the applications our students wrote several months ago when they first expressed their desire to be on this adventure: they wanted to challenge themselves; they knew parts of the experience would be hard; they were worried about being homesick; and they worried about being inadvertently disrespectful to the Tanzanian culture (eg by being leery of trying certain foods). Well, they met all those challenges. And they learned something that few could have anticipated.  Watching them say farewell to their Banjika peers was touching. Many of our students and theirs were in tears (albeit the tears were not spread evenly across the genders); the hugs lasted a half an hour (and not just with their host sibling); and then the full group circled up for some singing.  Then, later that night, we had our final reflection circle and sharing, and it too was touching. To say your kids made deep connections on this trip does not begin to cover it.

In addition to seeing each other Saturday at the airport, we -- all the parents and the students from all four Menlo Abroad trips -- will get together Sunday night for a dinner and celebration and chance to hear from participants about their experience.  We will have two students from our trip share their reflections. I will not speak (you are welcome), but I did share some thoughts with the group last night where I made some of these points:

What you did these last three weeks was impressive. You: 

 took themselves out of your comfort zones (squat toilets, outhouses, rosters or crying babies in the night, some had no electricity)

 met and bonded with kids from a totally different background (some of whom spoke very limited English)

 adapted to the rhythms of a new household (with different kinds of routines and food)

 really connected with your Menlo fellow travelers and learned to support each other. (As Buffie said in our session at Menlo before we left, we are going to need to become a team, and as she said at our final reflection circle, we became a great team, with each member playing an integral role. We would not have had the same experience if any one of us was not part of this adventure. We were and are a unit.)

 were away from home for three weeks

 went without their phones for three weeks 

 did not complain about things; you just rolled with whatever came your way

We are proud of them. 

Your kids are coming out of this experience different people, and we have pressed them to reflect deeply on their learning and their growth, so that they can articulate – if only to themselves – what they are going to take from these weeks and bring back to their California lives, and how this experience might affect their goals or the way they are with other people or their own sense of purpose.  I told them that they did not notice when they grew from being 5’1 to 5’2”, but they can notice and reflect on the growth they have experienced these last three weeks, and I urged them to write as much as possible while memories and emotions are fresh. They all now have a pre-Tanzania and post-Tanzania self and to get the most out of their learning and growth, they need to reflect on those two selves. 

Here are a bunch of reflection questions we put in front of them and ask you to pursue some of these with your kids. Mindful and purposeful reflection really is the key to enduring learning and bringing that learning into new contexts, and this was, as I said earlier, a course – experiential learning – more than just a trip.

1. How has this trip impacted your personal growth and development?

2. What were the most significant moments or experiences during the trip, and why were they meaningful to you?

3. In what ways did this trip challenge your preconceived notions or beliefs?

4. How has your perspective on the world and different cultures changed as a result of this trip?

5. What skills or qualities did you develop or strengthen during this trip, and how do you anticipate they will benefit you in the future?

6. I used to think X; now I think Y

7. Did you face any particular challenges or obstacles during the trip, and how did you overcome them?

8. What were the most valuable lessons you learned from the local community or the people you encountered during the trip?

9. How do you plan to apply what you have learned from the local community back at Menlo or in your home environment?

10.What, if any, will be the long term impact of this trip on your life and goals?

11. If you could go back in time and do something differently on this trip, what would it be and why?

12. What surprised you and how did this affect your experience?

13. How do you think this trip has impacted your knowledge of global issues and your role in creating positive change?

14. Did this experience affect your educational or career aspirations? If so, how?

15. How do you plan to stay connected with the people and the culture you encountered on this trip?

There is much, much more to say (including about the Tanzanians – the homestay families, the Banjika students, and the numerous Tanzanians we met along the way: they were unbelievably gracious and kind and generous and hospitable. Unbelievably. They acted as if hosting us was an honor. They gave us gifts at the end), but I would leave it here, knowing that you will talking to your kids and helping them draw meaning from their remarkable experience.  As Buffie said to them, and I concur, it has been a true pleasure to get to know so well over these past three weeks and watch them stretch themselves and grow.

We look forward to seeing you soon.