Traveling and Expectations- Andrew

As someone who has went through their fair share of experiences with Customs and the TSA, I can safely say that the process of getting on the plane and progressing through the Montego Bay Airport was startlingly fluid. The flight itself was very smooth, and the bus ride from the airport to the Whistling Bird (which is the name of the resort we're staying at until Wednesday) gave us a good opportunity to see both the beautiful views, as well as the various towns and areas along the coastline.

In terms of expectations, I think that it's important if not necessary to address "the elephant in the room" so to speak and truly face the situations that are evident in not only Jamaica, but the entire world as a whole. I think it's safe to say that a vast majority of individuals are aware of the the poor living conditions in countless spots around the globe, whether it's by general knowledge or those commercials that everyone sees on TV and instinctually flip to the next channel in leiu of watching. The fact of the matter is that these are real issues that virtually millions of people are facing each day, and people either ignore the problem altogether or get excited to stand up and make a difference, only for that fire to slowly wither away as their own life complications take precedence. If I were to say I haven't simply changed the channel to save myself from watching those omnipresent commercials I would be a liar; but when you think about it it's unfortunate that it should even come to the point where commercials need to be made and broadcasted on television in order for people to pay attention to society's pressing issues(and even that's not working). I can say from the hour and a half that I spent on the bus ride from the airport to our resort, I couldn't help but think about why there is such a clear segregation between luxury resorts and tattered villages, and how mankind allowed it to progress to this level. I can admit that I've had my fair share of moments where I just thought "Oh I'm sure someone must be doing something to help out" and went along on my merry way; however after giving myself the opportunity to reflect on my thoughts/opinions I realized that everyone else could be using the same exact excuse, and that I was "ready to be the change I want to be". Sure, some may think that the work myself and the 10 other students will be doing this week will be minutely helpful to the cause ; but after investing some serious time into "Notice Notes", a reflection journal written by Jessica Pettitt, I was given the reassurance that our work does matter, and that we're on the right path to accepting all of the wrongs and actually doing something to combat them. Will our work make drastic impacts that will cure poverty all over the globe? Maybe not. Will our action fuel millions of people to pitch in to improve these conditions? Probably not. But hey, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. had to start somewhere right? Their stories of great change has enshrined them in a way that makes us view them as being visionary martyrs and leaders; but at the end of the day they too are flawed mortals and had to start from somewhere. So now I ask the question, what's stopping you? Don't just wait around and hope that things work themselves out, be the change you want to be.