Blog
Packing and Preparation
I decided that I would be going to Bali for the summer after my first year of college in February. Now it is May, my time for departure is getting near, and now I am actually contemplating the fact that I will be traveling to a completely foreign country on my own, and that I will have to run a volunteer project on hip-hop dance on my own.
All of the sudden, the impending responsibility feels so heavy. I am starting to feel a bit intimidated. I’ve assembled my necessary belongings for travel, I’ve received my renewed passport, I have my e-tickets printed out, all of my medications and travel information sheets are organized and sealed, and all I can do is look at everything laid out on my bedroom floor in disbelief. I am doing this, and that’s that. Not only is it just the inevitable experience and the travel that is getting me a little riled up, but also the multiple thoughts of how my teaching and volunteering will play out. I can’t help but ponder how things could go wrong – the dance students don’t like what I have to offer, the students don’t gain anything from what I teach, the students are already more experienced with hip-hop dance than I am. I question the material that I will teach – is it good enough, do I have enough? One can probably imagine what kind of state this put me in as I was putting all of my things into my suitcase. However, as I chatted on Skype with people already in Bali with Act Global, and as I vented to my family about how I was feeling, I was strongly reassured that if I kept confidence in what I had to offer, and if I stayed humble about it, I would easily be able to make the most of my time in Bali. I listened to that too. The reason that I dance is because I love it, and I love dancing with other people. The reason I’m bringing it to Bali is simply because I want to share the incredibly positive and fun experiences that I have had with hip-hop. I hope for it to be a mutual sharing experience as well, where I can share what I know, and the people I teach can share what they know. So, despite all the thoughts that cause stress, I don’t think any of them compare to my feeling of excitement. I know that this journey will give me knew insights that will change the way I see the world forever. As always with new situations, I can’t wait to meet the people in Bali with Act Global. I’ve talked with Sebastian (one of the founders) over Skype, and I’ve messaged a couple other volunteers on Facebook, and they all sound like nice and accepting people who just want to have a good time.
