Flying High, Gateway Orientation, and Names to Faces
Flying High
Waiting to check my bag at RDU while chugging water (photo taken by my dad).
Heading to LGA from RDU. Flying high!
Today's the day. I'm currently flying from North Carolina (RDU) to New York (LGA) to my Gateway Orientation at Long Island University. I woke up at 5:00 am, went for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood, packed a few more things, and headed outside for a quick photo shoot. The airport wasn't too busy on a Wednesday morning, so I made it through security and checked my bag pretty quickly. Currently, I'm in shock because I just realized that I'm going across the globe to China for over a month, and now I'm in New York. It's all very real. I'm not sure what to expect today or tomorrow or the next, but I'm up for a few surprises.
Gateway Orientation
Fancy lanyard, one of two free t-shirts, and the participant handbook given before the Gateway Orientation.
Dorm room at Long Island University where Nurie and I resided for the Gateway Orientation.
Upon arriving at LGA, I met people going to China and some going to India and even someone going to Finland. The students I met are from all across America! There are students from DC, Washington, New York, Illinois, Arizona, Vermont, New Jersey, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, and the list goes on and on. I hadn't realized until after the plane ride, but there was a girl from North Carolina on the same plane as me named Isabel who also received a NSLI-Y scholarship and is going to India. She is also going to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, which is the school I'm attending next year. It's truly a small world after all.
So far I've learned that this Gateway Orientation is for NSLI-Y scholars going to Bahasa Indonesia, China, and India, as well as other AFS students going to countries outside the NSLI-Y program. Today, we have a session about introductions and orientation rules, a session welcoming us to NSLI-Y with AFS, and a session on our life as Americans and intercultural learning. Tomorrow we have even more orientating with sessions about language learning, goal setting, the US Department of State, safety and support while abroad, sharing our experience, cultural immersion, travel safety, cultural resources, and a celebratory toast and group photos to top it all off. On June 29th, we wake up at 5:15 am and head to EWR in New Jersey for our flight to Beijing, China. Phew... that's a lot.
After talking to some of the other NSLI-Y scholars, I realized something that wasn't fully apparent before. There are people all across America who are passionate about language and love to learn and can speak eloquently about themselves. We all work hard and seek opportunities, but we still put one leg in front of the other as everyone else does. We still have to go through security at the airport as vexing as it is. We are unique, but everyone is unique. It is a matter of actions instead of just words. Being passionate and intelligent, but at the same time, being willing to work hard and make it through conflict. Nothing is perfect, we are not perfect, but we all desire, and hopefully try, to be the best versions of ourselves. Names to Faces
Before the NSLI-Y program, the group of NSLI-Y scholars going to Chengdu, China set up a group chat. Today, I played the ultimate matching game in matching names to faces. One of the first people I met going to Chengdu was Elijah from Missouri, and then I met Trey from California, Meredith from Virginia, and Marria and Micah from Indiana. My dorm mate at the Gateway Orientation is Nurie from Georgia. She's incredibly animated and friendly and fluently speaks Korean and did a research project on Disney Princesses and feminism.
I also met Leia who went to Chengdu last summer. She is my small group leader for the orientation, and she's been giving some pretty great advice about handling spicy food, running, and learning Mandarin Chinese and Sichuan dialect. Another NSLI-Y scholar I met is Daniel who goes to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. It's a small world again. I even got to meet some of the people going to Indonesia, including a girl who lives in Calgary, Canada. All in all, I met many interesting people from pretty diverse backgrounds.