Exploring more than just landscapes

By Emma Marshall, Contributor

In May 2023, a group of 18 students and two professors from Mount Royal University (MRU) embarked on a month-long field school through Peru, me being one of them. There were a few main themes that this trip revolved around, including sustainability, resilience, and politics. I walked into the experience expecting to leave with a deeper knowledge of Peru, but I failed to consider what happens when you put 20 strangers on a plane together and send them across the world.

This trip would not have been the same if I had done it alone. The lessons I learned, both in and out of the classroom, have permanently helped me grow as a person. I relied on the friendships I made to support me through it, and it also came in handy to have people to hang out with through long days of travel.

Halfway through the field school, we embarked on a 13-hour bus ride into the Amazon rainforest. This was a travel day that everyone was dreading, me specifically. Though I consider myself a positive person, my patience was being tested with how long the drive was taking.

Consequently, some people in my group were elated about the frequent stops, exclaiming that they were being given an opportunity to witness the tropical ecosystem firsthand. While everyone went through moments of discomfort and fatigue, there was always someone who could see the positive of our situation.

Over the month of travel, encounters like this altered how I thought about struggles. The narrative in my head eventually made room for the voices and opinions of those who I was traveling with. By allowing myself to participate in other people’s experiences of the trip, I was able to develop a catalogue of thought patterns that I wished to bring into my life.

I did not realize it at the time, but I was using the positive qualities of everyone surrounding me to create a change within myself. It changed my whole perspective, and in times of personal struggle, I could hear them whispering gentle reminders to support me through it.

This lesson of perspective has played a part in my academics too.

My roommate in Lima came to me with an idea for a story. She pitched that we write about how important love and affection is in Peru, which I was entirely on board for. As we progressed the story together, we discovered an unexplored side.

We dived into the consequences that this level of interconnectedness can have on Peruvian society. We each wrote about one-half of the issue to create a cohesive piece that included both the good and bad, but this would not have been possible if we were not working together.

Moving forward, I feel more equipped to ask for help, look at issues from a different perspective, and overall broaden my capacity to learn.

The growth of oneself through classroom learning is directly facilitated by learning through others. This applies to any level of education. In pre-school, I learned the basics of the alphabet, and I also learned how to listen and respect other people’s space. In middle school, I was taught algebra. I was also exposed to the social hierarchy of teenage girls, and how to cope with negativity.

While in Peru, I was educated on the process of coffee farming and how to think critically about sustainable development. I met those on the ground who showed immense resilience to issues such as political instability, climate change, and poverty, and I also met organizations who were helping to fight against it.

Some lessons can be taught, such as knowing how to spell or how to calculate the length of the hypotenuse. But some things must be practiced through experience. Some lessons just pop up, and it is up to the individual to understand them. How can a teacher hold a class on developing empathy? On the importance of forgiveness when responding to failure? On how to step out of your comfort zone?

To be fully immersed in an international and educational environment heralds a great opportunity to understand deeper concepts, ones that cannot be taught. Through this experience and the people I was with, I learned how to employ these skills in everyday life and academics.

I was able to introspect on the long flights and boat rides about who I actually am, what I want to take from this experience, and what I want to create with this experience. Simultaneously, I was also learning about each person who I was traveling with.

By the end of the trip, I had seen the most raw spectrum of who each person was at their core. Going from being strangers one day, to seeing the intricacy of how individuals respond to discomfort, confusion, and excitement was extremely connecting. I was able to learn all about people’s inner workings, which allowed me to better empathize and understand them.

We were on the same trip, and whether it may or may not have been for the same reasons, it is undeniable that we all showed up to the airport and got on the plane together.

I still see pieces of these people everywhere, and that is to say, I see Peru everywhere. When I step outside onto my balcony to admire the night sky, my eyes draw outlines of the Andes over Alberta’s badlands. Those mountains, and the lessons that came with them, follow me in my everyday life.

While this was my experience, it is something that can only truly be understood by the 19 others who were right there with me.