Live and Learn

One take away I have definitely gathered from this trip is that you can learn from everyone. One of my favorite Kemmons Wilson quotes is "Even a broke watch is right twice a day."

Everyone has something to give.

I came on this trip pretty open minded about the people going. Sure, it is easy to get annoyed or make fun of everyone at some point, but I have learned a lot from every single one.

My roommate is/was a beauty pageant participant. While sometimes she gets a little to girly for me, which honestly doesn't take much, she has a lot of heart compared to other beauty queens I have met. She is always willing to give and to learn. She brings a lot of passion to the industry. Although I think a lot of people take her as naive because the way she talks sometimes or looks, she has got a lot more than you would expect. Today she let me borrow her skirt suit so I wouldn't be so hot out today in my pant and coat one.

That is hospitality at its finest.

Giving the shirt off your back.

Two other girls bring the experience of traveling abroad and the language of Spanish. They also discuss graduate school a lot. Sometimes we get bored of it, but, all in all, we are learning a lot from their tips. Plus their expertise in Spanish is encouraging. Maybe one day I will be as good at French.

I have learned from two of the males that there is a lot more than you think to people. There are a lot of people in the world that I used to think were ignorant and clueless. They have shown me that everyone has something going on in their head, and, if you give them the chance, it is likely that they will blow you away with how much knowledge and hardship they have.

Our two foreign students have also encouraged me to know more about the world. They not only know our language, they know our, and Panama's, history. And they can talk about it with us. Since I am studying a foreign language I cannot imagine discussing French history with a French person. Not only because I lack the vocabulary entirely, but the simple historical knowledge.

And my best friend has taught me to relax a bit. It has been a work in progress for several months, but the way he calmly takes life has really influenced me on this trip. He has also shown me that everyone should have a person they can be judgmental with and still understand you are just blowing off steaming or looking for a laugh.