Caring for Each Other by Rachel

Nearing the end of our month together, I reflect on the journey it took to get here. It started in the wee hours of morning well before daybreak, four flights totalling over 24 hours– 35,000 feet up and then back down, rinse and repeat. Once we arrived, we were immediately inundated with change: new faces, new sights, new information. I remember being fascinated even by the cars on the road, things alike but somehow entirely brand new. The reality sets in that you are now half way across the world with a bunch of people you do not know, and it is daunting. You make it through by an unspoken give and take. You put yourself out there, you care for others, and you find they do the same. 

Caring for each other has been an essential part of this trip, and was seen in a variety of forms. More often than not, it is most evident in the quiet spaces in between rather than in explicit actions. It could be seen in the times spent teaching each other yoga flows and rugby throws, sharing books, and hunting for hedgehogs; but mostly it could be seen just spending time together as a group, soaking up the brief moments of warmth we would see in the afternoon after classes. It was in times like these I would find myself counting the number of people in the group, noticing that most students had found themselves comfortable enough to mesh themselves in with the broader whole.

A bunch of us grabbing dinner together at Lincoln Fish Supply - apologies for overrunning the shop! 

Caring for each other is a lesson we learn as we navigate the throes of study abroad, but beyond that, it is an intrinsic element in understanding sustainability. One of the primary objectives of sustainable agriculture is to consider the social response, to seek benefit and equity for the broader community, and take responsibility for all. One of the farmers we visited, Scott McFadden at the Acheron, touched on this a lot. He emphasized the importance of talking and listening to others. In doing so, you can improve their mental wellbeing, as well as your own, but also manage to cultivate better solutions in dealing with shared issues. Though it is important to have care for the environment and to understand and promote sustainability, it cannot be brought forth without a sense to care for others around you. For those of us on this trip, we have opened ourselves up to caring for about 40 people we may or may not have previously known, the first step in learning to care for our broader communities as we go on with our careers and lives. 

Even as I write this in the lounge of our dorm, I find I am in a room filled with laughter, filled with tea, filled with shared music recommendations, filled with care.