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| Umba! An 83 year-old man, sitting Indian-style on a woven mat, passes me a carved wooden bowl filled with murky liquid and claps his hands three times. His name is Nathan, and he is the chief of the Nakamoto village in Kadavu, Fiji. “Umba!” he says. In English, the word “umba” is translated to “this is the beginning.” Bowls of kava are passed around, and the ceremony continues. As the villagers drink bowl after bowl, the atmosphere of the hut drifts into one filled with peace and smiles. Welcome to their traditional kava ceremony. During the summer of 2007, I spent 4 weeks living among the locals in the South Pacific, scuba diving in some of the most remote and spectacular dive sites in the world. My first, and personal favorite destination was the beautiful island of Kadavu. I spent the last night of my visit in Kadavu in the Nakamoto village, where I began my story. The night of the kava ceremony was an eye-opening cultural experience. As an American, it was fascinating to experience a way of life so vastly different from my own. Whereas many people would regard this village as backwards and impoverished, I came to the realization that it wasn’t backwards or impoverished at all, just different. The villagers shared with one another and settled arguments with peace and respect. They were kind and generous to strangers, welcoming us into their village as if we were family. Although they were not as technically advanced as Americans, in many ways they were much more socially advanced. For many people, travel is a way to become more culturally aware, more exposed. On the night of the kava ceremony, however, it dawned on me that travel was more than just exposing yourself to new ways of doing and seeing things. Travel is about liberating yourself from the mindset of an American and witnessing the world from a fresh perspective. Each town I visit allows me to step outside the little box to which I’ve grown accustomed and learn about other cultures and people, like the Fijians. My experiences in travel have not only given me a broadened cultural awareness, but also an enriched personal awareness. With each new adventure I learn a little bit about my surroundings, and a little bit about myself. After all, only from the outside can you look back in. In the Caribbean, I learned that I could do anything. On the fourth day of my visit to Saba Island, my travel companions and I decided to climb Mount Scenery, the highest peak in the Dutch Islands. One thousand and sixty-four hand-hewn steps to the top. Having nearly turned around five or six times, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I finally reached the summit. Standing atop of Mount Scenery with my head in the clouds, I smiled and gave myself a pat on the back. It was thus far the hardest mental and physical challenge I had faced, and I did it. I did it, proving to myself that I can do anything when I put my mind to it. It was a day of both cultural and personal growth. Right now, my 75 year-old grandfather is trekking across the rolling hills of Papua New Guinea. Why? Because he hasn’t been there yet. My grandparents have traveled to over 100 countries around the world and have plans to see the rest. Their passion for travel has transcended the generations and nestled within me. As I grow older, I’d like to follow in their footsteps and see the world. So far to date, I’ve biked across the Irish countryside, drank wine in a Tuscan vineyard, climbed to the highest peak in the Dutch Islands, and swam with hammerhead sharks in the Solomon Islands. This is just the start of my life’s adventure, and there will be much more to come. Like travel, I am sure that college will provide opportunities for me to grow and develop as a person. College will be the second mountain I climb and an adventure in itself. Umba! |
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