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| These are the six members of the best CELL family from left to right: Elizabeth, Yilin, Hank, Emily, Chen and Julia. Here are my warm and fuzzies to them. |
I have always loved the series
“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” a story of four best friends who find
a pair of jeans in a shop that mysteriously fits each of them. They then embark
on their own journeys for their first summer apart, from Mexico to Greece,
knowing that this pair of pants will rotate between all of them, keeping their
friendship connected. I even watched the movies after reading the series – I’m
that committed. I know you are all wondering if the pants end up keeping them
together, but I won’t ruin the ending, you will have to find out for yourself.
I recommend the books, they are consistently better than the movies.
Warm
and fuzzies remind me a lot of the traveling pants. If you haven’t heard of a
warm and fuzzy, you are reading the right blog post! I am involved in an
organization at my college called Alternative School Break, which plans service
trips all over the country as well as globe to engage in a social issue through
community service. My freshman year I was on a team that traveled to Washington
D.C. and tutored students in math and science at charter schools in low-income
areas while building teamwork through participation in various sports and games
for Boys & Girl’s clubs in the area. My sophomore year I was on a team that
traveled to Tennessee and was a part of outdoor service work for Once Upon a Time Wilderness Adventures
while immersing in Cherokee Indian culture. Both were amazing experiences,
however, an aspect of the trip each team member looked forward to was the warm
and fuzzies. Throughout our experience, you can write a memory of a person on
the team, how they impacted you, or what you admire most about them. It is a
time to show gratitude. These are written on a sticky note and placed on a
wall, to be collected at the end of the trip and distributed to their owner. We
then get to read them on the drive, or plane ride home, reminiscing on the
laughter, smiles, moments of growth, or silly times we shared with our new
friends. These warm and fuzzies travel home with us, but the words travel with
us in our hearts for the rest of our lives and on to the new opportunities that
await.
My
time here in Iceland fills me with gratitude and I would have to go through a
lot of sticky notes in order to fill all of my thoughts. Since a common theme
to CELL is sustainability, I figured that wouldn’t fit the criterion. I want to
use this final blog post as a means to electronically show my appreciation.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately and gratitude certainly is an emotion
you can never wear out. It is an emotion that is very fitting for where I am in
life’s current journey. Here are my warm and fuzzies, my traveling pants that
will keep me connected to those that have made an impact on me, those that have
helped me choose the right path when I arrived in Iceland at a fork in the
road, those that have brought laughter, compassion, community and love into my
life.
“Write
something nice about anyone you please, write it anytime, so they will have
something sweet to read.” I actually really like writing these blog posts. I
started out in Iceland having a separate blog of my own but left it for a
journal; I always did like the way pages in a book smell. I am grateful for
these blog posts! They are a great way to sum up your experiences and to come
to realizations about an adventure that you may have missed.
The
community of Sólheimar has profoundly impacted me. I remember arriving in
Iceland on Tuesday morning, February 5, tired and dazed in an unfamiliar place.
As we were introduced to this woman and that man, I thought I would never
become a part of the community, I mean, I couldn’t even pronounce most of their
names! However, over time, with a little Icelandic under our belts and many
smiles from the people of Sólheimar, we began to feel more comfortable and
reach out to get to know everyone even more. Interacting with the home people
has definitely been extremely rewarding. They give you a warm and fuzzy every
day without even trying. Each time they greet you, it is as if they are meeting
you for the first time. It is so genuine and pure. I have much to learn from
them, especially about gratitude. I have realized the importance of not taking
your loved ones or friends for granted, for that is easy to do when you see
them frequently. Furthermore, I have been taught the importance of community
where each individual is treated with respect just by living here. Community is
an aspect that I will continue to seek for the future. I want to write a warm
and fuzzy thanking the community of Sólheimar for their open arms, teachings,
and opportunity to spend an entire semester amongst them.
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| CELL Group with Rosy at the recycling event! |
I
would have to set aside too many sticky notes for my smaller community: my
instructor and peers. They have impacted me more than they know. We came to
Iceland, the seven of us, not sure what was in store for this semester, but I
can say it was just what I needed and more than I could ever want. The silly
times, the serious times, the sad times, the happy times, I wouldn’t want to
have spent them with anyone other than my CELL family. They are a group that is
honest, genuine, compassionate, listens, offers feedback and is enthusiastic
about learning. This program is not just any study abroad experience, where you
are a college student in a foreign country, going to class from 9-4 and maybe
meeting some people outside of your program. CELL is where you completely
immerse yourself in your peers, the Sólheimar community, the country, learning,
and then the magic happens. You realize how much you have grown, you have a
different outlook on the world, you realize the importance of community,
strengthen your values, make lifelong friendships and end the semester feeling
like you can do anything. You want to bring back what you have learned to your
own community. You learn how to live life outside of being a college student,
one that is balanced and fulfilling. This is the difference. Here’s a warm and
fuzzy to a special group of people who helped me choose the right path when I hit
the fork in the road and some dead ends along the way.
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| One of my favorite moments on our South Iceland trip to Vatnajökull! |
It
seems like we just arrived in Iceland yesterday, but at the same time that
first night we all put our luggage in the car, slipping and sliding in the
darkness seems like it occurred years ago. Maybe that is because we have all
gone through so many positive changes and so much has happened in these short
three months. I would not have it any other way though. As a freshman, I looked
forward to studying abroad, but thought it would not be here for quite some time
because it was over two years away! Now it is here, coming to an end in just five
days. Despite all that the future has in store for me and where I travel, these
warm and fuzzies will keep me connected to the community of Sólheimar, my peers,
and myself now that I have chosen the right path. These warm and fuzzies are my
gratitude, my appreciation for all that have been a part of my experience and
now my life. The great thing about warm and fuzzies is that they can travel in
us, just like a pair of pants travels in your suitcase.
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| This is my small community, my warm and fuzzies. |
-Liana M. Agrios
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