Jess Benjamin's Blog
Post-Connecting Cultures :)
Wednesday 07 April 2010, 05:48 PM
Well hello girls! I know this is incredibly overdue! I can’t believe it’s 4 month’s on from our amazing desert voyage, and I also can’t believe how ridiculously late this post is – I’ve been extremely busy with exams and school but promised myself I would write about my Connecting Cultures experience on here. Who knows, maybe some of the next ambassadors will be reading this in the year or so to come?
Connecting Cultures was a unique experience for me. I was really scared at first - the thought of being with “old people” (ie. 24 year olds) really intimidated me! But as the days went on I felt closer and closer to the amazing girls I was trekking through the desert with, despite age and language barriers. I discovered that really, when we think about it, there isn’t much which separates people like you and I, if at all. We all have the same core values which drive us to achieve our goals, and if we realise that we are united by these values, we can break down cultural stereotypes and clichés which we may hold about each others’ cultures.
Being in the tranquil desert was a departure from our frantic urban lifestyles. I learnt that the things we think we need, such as mobile phones and the internet, are actually just extras, and all we need is ourselves and our thoughts in order to have truly meaningful intercultural dialogue.
I think everyone can agree with me that Connecting Cultures was certainly a once in a lifetime experience! I hope everyone is well and enjoying themselves. I really miss you all, I keep wanting to relive the experience over and over! Big love, Jess xxx