Leap!

I feel as though I'm standing on the brink. The Fall 2008 semester at PLNU has just ended. I leave for the journey of a lifetime in a month. In fact, I leave a month from today. It's a strange sensation... realizing I will be leaving Point Loma for a semester. I've learned to call this place home. I'm leaving home to become a nomad.

While in Mexico, I observed one of coastal resident’s most exhilarating pastimes: cliff diving. Prospective divers climb to the top of the jagged coastal cliffs, muster up a great deal of courage, and leap off of the edge of the rocks into the swirling ocean currents nearly 50 feet below. More experienced divers jump from higher cliffs. Cliff diving takes a great deal of skill; if not skill, then dumb luck. If the divers hit the surface of the water wrong, they can potentially break a leg or an arm. They must fight the waves and the pull of the tide. Rocks, debris, and the side of the cliff also pose a threat to the divers.

As the divers ascend to the peak of the cliffs, they pass a monument of Mary. The monument stands as a symbol of protection. Passersby can pause to pray before the statue as they make their way to the edge of the rocks. The little monument gives courage to the divers as they leap into uncertainty.

I feel like an inexperienced diver heading towards the edge of the rocky cliffs for the first time. As I jog upward, my senses are invigorated; the wind tussling my hair, and the salt spray of the ocean sending chills down my spine. I want to learn how to cliff dive, but I’m simply inexperienced. I’ve never jumped into uncertainty quite like this. What will happen? Will I break the surface of the water without hurting myself? Will the currents be too strong? What if I strike a rock when I land in the water? Questions are swirling around in my mind.

I’m not a cliff diver; simply a student of the world. A nomad whose purpose is to learn what she can from other cultures, races, religions, and individuals. Every life is different. Every culture is beautiful and diverse. What will I see? What will I experience? Who will I meet? The question is not WILL I be changed, but HOW will I be changed.

Before applying to Semester at Sea, I prayed (not to Mary, though). Not everyone reading this may believe in the power of prayer. I do; more so now than ever. I felt lead to take a leap into the unknown and apply to study abroad. I'm sure that Semester at Sea does not seem like a leap taken in faith to most people. After all, what's so difficult about travelling the world, right? Who wouldn't want to take a cruise to exotic places? I can assure you that the process of preparing to leave has been anything but easy. I stand amazed as I think of all the doors that have been opened; doors that I previously thought were closed. When I decided to apply, the blessings just kept coming.

Tuition was the hard part, but most people forget to consider all of the responsibilities of travelling. Passport, visas, flights, hotels, luggage, international calling cards... on top of my responsibilities as a traveler, I also need to fulfill my responsibilities as a student. I'm not embarking on a luxury cruise. I'm going to school. Buying and transporting books, filling out forms, registering for appropriate classes... it may not seem like a lot, but it's tough to balance sometimes. Even when the process seemed overwhelming, things fell into place. So many things could have kept me from going, but everything started to fit together like an intricate puzzle.

One month from now, I’ll be standing on the edge of the cliffs staring down at the raging tide. Initially, I may be unsure of myself. I may balk at the sight of the ruthless, white-capped ocean waters, but I’ll still take a step out into the unknown. It may feel like I’m falling at first; the waves might catch me off guard, but I will emerge from the water and swim to the shore. Wiser. Experienced. Changed. Now, all that’s left for me to do is leap!