A Reflection [Nicole Kennard]

This experience held so many insights, great conversations, laughs, and realizations that I can’t possibly write them all down. I came out of this trip with a whole new outlook, and a great new set of friends. Since pictures often speak louder than words, that is how I’ll try to summarize this trip.

What was most interesting to me about the history is how much it still lingers behind. Certain cultural practices remain from hundreds of years ago. I was also surprised by how friendly the people were. You would think an area ravaged by so much conflict would develop a hardened attitude toward those entering their country, but countless times I was amazed by the kindness of people, such as the lady who walked us all the way to a pretty far away bakery in Croatia, or even our hosts at the Maestral hotel.

I was also exposed to the tensions that do still exist between the ethnicities here. Talking to a young teenager in Livno, I came to understand that generations tend to pass down prejudices to their youths, so that while a kid in high school may see everyone the same, he knows that his parents and many of the other kids do not.

Something that also hit home was how fresh some of this conflict was. In Sarajevo, I could not believe that a siege had happened just 18 years ago, when I was born. The fact that I knew nothing about it upon arriving just solidifies the fact that it’s easy to become bogged down in your own life at home. Sometimes you need to lift your head up and take a look at what is happening around you, and around the world.

I definitely was surprised by some of the deep conversations and amazing new friendships I gathered from this expedition. While I’m not one to talk much, I found myself engaging in complex and intellectual conversation, discussing history and religion with those around me—but of course, we joked about just as much.

Finally, I was definitely amazed by the sheer beauty of the area. Nothing can compare to that fresh (unpolluted!) air, the clearest water I had ever seen, the mountains that seemed to touch Heaven. I definitely think one of my highest points of the trip was hiking up to that peak (go Team Summit!) during the backpacking portion. I frequently backpack, but that was probably the hardest hike I’ve ever done, even without a pack on, but when we reached the top, all together, it was so worth it; we truly felt on top of the world in that moment.

This experience has given me a thirst for travel and also for learning about the diversity of people in general. Obviously it is impossible to learn everything you can about a culture and a history of people in just a week, but I am determined to keep my eyes on the horizon and strive to learn more about the people and world around me.