The Value of A Journal
To the students of the Bangladesh Group,
Some years ago, I went to Guatemala and other parts of Central America to immerse myself in the Mayan culture. I found myself at various times camping, living with a family, in my own apartment. I also created a job for myself teaching English to hotel employees in Guatemala City and Antigua. I kept a journal during the entire 6 months that I was there.
Now as a fifty-something I have a treasure. I have a window into what I was like as a twenty-something (you will forget). I marvel at how at times I was very idealistic, completely naiive, and sometimes wise beyond my years. My journal is a picture of my past - who I was at that tender age. It also brings back vividly street scenes, the jungle at Tikal, the Mayan ruins, bus rides to strange places, swims in a lake and a dugout canoe, and simple meals in a campsite with the locals. Though an artist, I am not, I kept sketches along with these descriptions.
You may not appreciate it now, but writing in a journal will provide an important record of who you are (the values that you hold constant even as you age) and who you were when you were young. Capture as much as you can about the environment, your thoughts, your impressions, and your daily routines. It will be worth it.
I will be thinking of all of you on your exciting adventure! Travel safely.
Martha Reeves, faculty advisor