Oh my.

Well, here we are in Colombia, MO...WHAT DO I HAVE TO SAY??

I've been talking about this trip with pretty much everyone and anyone who will listen over the past few months, so I've had a lot of time to think about what we're doing, why we're doing it, and what my expectation are. I've had a lot of skeptical reactions from my friends and family, most of whom are convinced that I'm generally on a mission to save the world, and that I will undoubtedly fail along the way. (Hopefully that's not the case.) I'm not sure that I'm saving the world, but I will certainly do what little I can to change it, and a big part of that for me is exposing myself to cultures with which I have little familiarity. It wasn't until a couple years ago that I realized how much you can learn simply by going somewhere you've never been before, and since then I don't think I've turned down a single opportunity to do just that.

I'm starting to get nervous that when we get to Rock Point, we're going to be seen as a group of outsiders (which, granted, we are) who are there to observe what happens in the Navajo community (...which...we are?), and that might not be taken so well. Robin voiced her concern, too, and I'm definitely worried that we'll make the students and teachers at the school feel uncomfortable, and maybe even put on the spot, by our presence. We know, of course, that our intentions are good, but sometimes it's hard to sincerely show it, and I haven't figured out how to get around that obstacle. Mark advised us that it might even be a good idea to avoid making eye contact with students the first couple days we're there because it might be perceived as rude. I know that in many cultures this is true, but it worries me that looking at a student in the eyes, which I intend to mean, "Yes, I am listening to what you have to say and I am respectfully interested," might actually come across as just the opposite. I guess at this point, I just hope it won't be as much of a problem as I'm worried it will be...

Otherwise, I'm extremely EXCITED to reach our final destination on this trip - and I'm even looking forward to the day of driving tomorrow. I'm traveling through a part of the country I've never seen before, and I can't wait to see what's coming next. :)