Heather Holsinger
Political Science Major
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The feelings that I brought home were not quite the ones that I expected. I expected to remember the country and the lack of running water, toilets, and beds. I expected to come home more grateful for what I do have and to be remembering the poverty of Niger whenever I would “sweat the small stuff.”
The complete experience did change me as a person in a couple of areas of my character. I came to realize that I do not necessarily “know” more because of my education. My western education was no match for the experience of a caravan leader.
I expected to meet many various kinds of people, but I did not expect to become as “attached” to them as I did. I do not think I really appreciated the magnitude of how connected we really are to people across the globe as I came to understand as a result of this trip. The experiences of tribal “face painting”, holding a three month old baby, and giving my family pictures to Fatima at the University of Niamey were monumental.
At some point during the trip, I came to respect that the people of Niger are the same as us in so many ways. We are all trying to live life the best way we know how. The relationships that we formed across the globe are what it’s all about for me.