Camus' idea that "travel, which is like a greater and graver science, brings us back to ourselves" captures my motivation for embarking on a trip across the world to Ghana and Ukraine. As a member of the International Jewish College Corps, sponsored by the American Jewish World Service, I lived in a rural community in Ghana for nearly five weeks, followed by a three-week program working with a reemerging Jewish community in the Ukraine. My experiences in both countries were extremely different, but forced me to challenge myself in ways I never thought possible.
Throughout my time in Ghana I was overwhelmed by intense emotion, particularly at the display of love the people of Sokode Bagble, the village we were working in, shared with us. As our bus pulled into the village, hundreds of children raced out of their classrooms to welcome us into their lives.
Our project for the first month was to build a new schoolhouse. Waking everyday when the sun rose, we made bricks out of dirt and water, broke rocks with tiny mallets, hauled dirt on our heads and carried bricks to build the walls. Despite being the most intense physical activity I've ever endured, the emotion I felt upon seeing the walls of the school come together was incredible.
But perhaps the most meaningful aspect of my time in Ghana was the lesson of friendship. Ghanaian culture is constructed around intimate personal relationships. Before a conversation begins, one must engage in a lengthy pre-conversation asking about sons, daughters, friends, cousins and granddaughters before they are welcomed into the home.
For a country that is so underdeveloped, I never felt the community was deprived, but rather that we, the Americans, had much to learn from their rich personal relationships.
The Ukraine, on the other hand, presented a very different experience. Our leaders forewarned us that the welcoming spirit of Ghana would not be encountered in the Ukraine.
Unlike the Ghanaians who always had very little, the Ukrainians knew what it meant to have possessions, property and freedom. The rise and fall of communism left the country with a disruptive social system and a bitter political climate. The Ukrainians lacked the sweet naivety and loving nature of the Ghanaians. Overall, however, I still managed to have great admiration for the Jewish community of Kharkov in which we worked, repairing a Jewish cemetery. I found it much more difficult to be in the Ukraine; even though it looked similar to the United States, upon closer examination I realized the countries really aren't comparable. Outward image is an important part of the culture; Ukrainians often spend all their money on clothes, hair and makeup, to give off the impression of wealth. The most important lesson of my time in the Ukraine was to treasure my freedom in the United States. For all its faults, it truly is the only country where, regardless of my religion, political views, or gender, I can still live.
In the words of Nelson Mandela, "there is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."
In many ways, my summer experiences have made returning to Johns Hopkins and everyday life difficult. I often feel lost and overwhelmed by our culture, but I know that we do have the power to change the world. We must learn to look beyond the exterior; for the very essence of being human lies in friendships with other people.
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