The study abroad trip to Oaxaca in my opinion is the best program offered at Howard. Walter, the director of the program, made sure that every single weekend of our entire 5 weeks was filled with some type of special excursion to get us out of our comfort zones.
One Saturday morning, all of us boarded a private van. We drove for a while and eventually stopped in this mountainous area. We get out and pick up some helmets and harness gear. Guys, I am the LEAST athletic person on the planet, and I am terrified of heights. So, of course I am trying to figure out what we would be doing. Walter brings the group together and tells us that we will be ziplining-ZIPLINING. My eyes get wide and of course I am terrified.
After my first hike ever, we finally reached the summit. The staff of this zip line company was there to greet us. They connected our harnesses to a long wire that stretched across the microsized houses below us. Looking around at the faces of my fellow travelers, I could tell I was not the only terrified one. One girl, Camille, (HEY GIRL!) suggested that we all join hands and bow our heads in prayer. After asking God not to let the wire pop mid-air, not to let us pee ourselves while zipping down the line, not to let us fall and die in another country, we all mentally prepared ourselves to do it. I was one of the last ones to go out of pure fear, but I DID IT! I was so proud of myself. For some it was not a big deal, but for me to conquer one of my biggest fears thus far was so inspirational to me. I heard Denzel Washington say once, “Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship”. This resonates with me, because pushing myself to leave my comfort zone and conquer my fear showed me that I am capable of doing anything and progressing as a person--- and you are too.