LET’S GOOOOO!!!

Hello friends, I apologize that this post is a little late and will look out of place, but I was having some computer issues. Here is my pre-reflection before the trip:

Wednesday, May 16^th; 6:00am Dublin, Ireland – Let’s GOOOO!!! CR10 ARE YOU READY!!! I cannot fully express my excitement through words, so I am going to use lots of capital letters and exclamation points to compensate. Some advice I received from CR alumni was to only write blog posts when you were emotionally fired up, so that is exactly what I am doing! To be honest, it really didn’t hit me that I was travelling to Europe for nearly a month with 15 other amazing students and 2 incredible faculty members until just a few minutes ago in the Dublin airport. Reflecting on freshman year, I truly was so blessed to have such a wonderful year, but CR is truly the pinnacle that will cap off the wildest year of my entire life! I have grown so much throughout my entire freshman year, but CR will truly solidify and magnify that growth while pushing me to grow in new ways as well. CR is going to be one of the greatest yet most challenging experiences of my entire life, and I could not be more EXCITED FOR IT!

My flight over was fantastic! By the luck of the Irish, I had the best row of people on the plane! I ended up between two individuals from Missouri, a math student at Pittsburg State University, Payton, and an 8^th grade math teacher who teaches in Carthage, Missouri. On the end of our row was the wise, David, the musician who seemed to have the answers to every question that we had on the flight. Talking with these people truly reminded me why I love people so much! Everyone is so UNIQUE and AMAZING in their own distinct way! This got me so AMPED for CR10 because I just cannot wait to meet and build relationships with people from across the world. I find it fascinating that even when I meet people from a different continent and what seems like a completely different world to me, I always seem to find some interesting similarity that we share. People are so incredible and one of the quotes I recently heard that I have truly tried to live by recently is “Most people aren’t most people. So get to know most people so that you can know most people!” This quote truly fascinates and inspires me to meet and try to make connections with everyone whom I meet because I truly believe that everyone knows something that you don’t, and therefore every time you speak with someone, it is an opportunity to learn something you never would’ve known otherwise.

Aside from all the new and interesting people I will meet along our journey, I am OVERJOYED to have the opportunity to build, develop, and foster genuine loving relationships with the 17 incredible individuals that make up the CR10 experience. Each of these individuals has something very important and unique that they bring to the table, something that our experience would truly lack without their presence. The exciting part is, that I have no idea what that is for each person, but I am eager to find out!

Until next time,

Jake Lynn

In a Pickle

It is the seventh hour of being stuck in the Atlanta airport (and the ninth for my companion, Indigo) and I am utterly fed up with being in the airport. Our flight was delayed by four hours due to acrimonious weather, meaning we would miss our connecting flights to Berlin. We were forced to re-book to a flight that will take us all the way to Istanbul, Turkey and then back to Berlin. Needless to say, the emotions are running high; and Indigo and I are about to be on our way to Berlin (9 hours late nonetheless). Despite our misfortune, the prospect of arriving in Europe in less than a day’s time for 3.5 weeks leaves me full of excitement; and I am experiencing a vast range of other emotions from fear to nervousness to anticipation for all that is to come.

While finishing up school–from finals to papers to projects–I have had little time to dwell on, or even realize, just how quickly CR was approaching. Only after boarding my delayed flight has the realization hit me of the adventure that awaits; the only thing holding me back from that is an 11.5-hour flight and then another 2-hour flight (if I haven’t made it clear that I am anxiously waiting to be on the ground in Berlin and exploring the city, then I want to make that clear now). But the time is nearly upon me and my fellow CR members, and I could not be more excited!

In the long car ride back home from Fort Worth, and in the few days after finals, I had plenty of time to reflect on what I want this experience to be. Some of my goals include: not comparing CR10 to any other CR experience (CR9, CR8, etc.); being present in every moment; and overcoming the inevitably hard moments I will face.

Too often, I compare myself to others. This trait can only be debilitating to my personal CR10 experience and learning from it what I need to learn as an individual. As C.S. Lewis says, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I fully intend to heed Dr. P’s, C.S. Lewis’s, and the many CR alumni’s advice to not compare! Not only will it rob me of the joy I should be feeling while travelling across Europe, but rob my team member’s experiences as well.

A prominent fear of mine that has developed as the semester has worn on is that of the future. I am one that often becomes preoccupied with the next stage of life or what I’ll be doing tomorrow. Living presently in a moment that has yet to arrive is one skill that I certainly hope to take away from this experience. In fact, just a few days ago, I was thinking back on my freshman year of college and just how fast it flew by, and I began to worry about how fast CR itself would speed by. How preposterous is that?? Worrying about what lies ahead only takes away the focus on the present and from being present in this experience I am sharing with fifteen other students. From here on out, I desire to make the most of the little moments I have, because those moments can end up being the most significant parts of CR and, generally, of life. Whether it be losing a few minutes of sleep to enjoy deep and thought-provoking conversations with team members or fighting through weary legs and bodies to pay attention and take time to reflect on the many things we will witness, I will be fully engaged and fully present in all that we do.

One thing I really hope CR can teach me is perseverance through hard moments. As much as I hate to say this, I often shy away from doing hard things in my life. It is uncomfortable to do hard things, and my dislike of failure can cause me to disengage and be discouraged to push through challenging tasks and times. I know that CR is mentally exhausting, yet stimulating; physically laborious, yet completely manageable. CR will challenge me in a variety of ways and, with the desire for personal growth to push through that which challenges me, I know that this experience can be a landmark for how I face challenging classes and situations at TCU and beyond.

 

In thinking about all that I want my CR experience to be, several fears and hesitancies surfaced, which I believe is normal for anyone embarking on an unknown adventure. I fear I may at first feel awkward arriving onto the scene almost half a day late, and that I may miss out on the blossoming of relationships. I fear the idea that I may not be doing things the right way. And I fear that CR will not be all that I hope to be. Although all of these are clearly irrational fears, they are nonetheless fears. I will have more than enough time to catch up on relationship building. There is no right way to do CR as each experience is unique in its own way. And from hearing how CR has been a standout moment for many peoples’ entire college experience, I know that I shouldn’t worry too much about CR matching my expectations.

 

I have already overcome another one of my fears, which is missing my flights to Europe. Now that I have that one out of the way, every other fear begins to feel so trivial. We are well on our way and as JK Rowling said, “All is well.”

 

See you soon, Berlin.

 

– Marat Rosencrants

 

P.S. This was meant to be posted in America, but due to the flights fiasco, it was delayed and so now I am posting it in Istanbul.

Filled to the Brim

I have a lot of feelings as I head to the airport to begin the experience that is CR10. First, how on earth is freshman year already over? And how did I make it out with my head held high and not stumbling around like a newborn deer, the way I usually do?

Second, my bag is definitely over 50 pounds. I did my best, but I couldn’t make it under. There was just no way. Okay maybe there was a way, but I couldn’t find it, so here we are. So I’m praying I get a nice baggage check lady who will let it slide, or else I’ll be wandering around the airport with three pairs of shoes on and a rain jacket when it’s 80 degrees and sunny. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Speaking of that definitely-overweight-bag, I’m concerned already about my ability to carry it around. It’s massive and I am notoriously weak. My arms are pool noodles. I didn’t prepare well for this.

However, while there may be an ocean of concern crashing through my head about my suitcase and my passport and whether I brought enough socks (I don’t think I did), it is all drowned out by the excitement I have for the experience I am about to take part in. The anticipation has been building for weeks, and now that it’s finally here I can hardly believe it. I thought I’d be more freaked out, but I’m mainly just excited to reunite with everyone and set out on our adventure in the most ncredible cities.

I’m anxious, terrified, and completely blind, and yet for some reason I’m not panicking. I think the reason may be Dr. P and the amazing foundation he has laid with past CR alums. Or the anti-anxiety meds I’m taking so I don’t freak out on the flight. I hate flying over water. Remember that Malaysian flight? Where the heck is it?

Anyway, I’m filled to the brim with excitement and I truly can’t wait to begin this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Everyone keeps telling me it’ll be life-changing; with Dr. P, I have no doubt it will be.

See you later, America. I’ll bring back

some good stories to tell you.

Wheels Up

CR has quickly changed from a cool study abroad I wanted to apply for to an experience I am losing sleep over because I’m too excited to fall asleep…this lack of rest may pose a problem when we have 0 time to sleep over the next couple of weeks, but I guess we’ll find out soon! My bag is fully packed, but it is still difficult to comprehend that this really starts tomorrow. I feel like it won’t hit me that CR is happening (and not a figment of my imagination) until we meet up in Berlin!

Some of my biggest fears for CR are: dragging around my suitcase, lack of growth, the airplane food, inability to make connections with people, insensible shoes, not dancing for 3.5 whole weeks (though I promised one of my teachers I’d take a few exotic arabesque pictures, and I’ll probably end up dancing in some way or another anyway), and getting kidnapped. Some are reasonable, some aren’t, but all are fears nonetheless.

Some of my biggest excitements for CR are: growing in my faith (I can’t wait to see how my perspective of God gets bigger the more of His creation I get to see and His people I get to meet…and Lauren and I made a pact to have Jesus-time every day), making best friends, seeing the world, going skydiving, learning more about myself and others, eating some dang good food, and learning more about how historical events have impacted us.

I’m trying to suppress my expectations (without suppressing excitements) for anything on CR—I know it will be wildly different from anything I could think up, so I’d like to go in with fresh eyes and an openness that might be restricted if I go in with an idea of what I want. As far as expectations for after CR, I’m so excited to be a part of the Familia and continue getting to know CR alums, in addition to welcoming CR11! I’m also looking forward to seeing how my life will look different after everything I experience in Europe, whether it be in how I view/treat myself, others, or the world. I absolutely love how this will be more about experiential learning rather than classroom learning—as much as I love and see the value of learning in a classroom setting, there are many things you can only learn by seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, & listening.

My flight leaves in less than 12 hours. That’s so hard to wrap my mind around, but I am beyond ready to be all-in. In Dr. P’s closing words from our last meeting, “See you in Berlin.”

-Brittany

all-in Familia

Wow. Second semester freshman year has come to a close, and with one door closed, another opens! CR10 is here! Time to be all-in 24/7!

In less than 24 hours, we’ll be across the pond, making our way to meeting in an infamous Starbucks within Berlin’s airport. Our flights are booked, bags are packed, and I’m one sleep away from meeting these incredible leaders (and hopefully soon-to-be best friends) in Europe!

When I found out that I got to be a part of CR10 nearly five months ago, I was so so ecstatic about getting to be a part of this experience, and Europe always seemed like an exciting, but distant adventure. Even up until finals, it seemed far away. But now, as we are hours away and I’m thinking about the flight, it’s all becoming super real.

With this reality, I have some goals for this trip. First, I want to be ALL-IN – creating lifelong, deep friendships with everyone on CR10. I know this is possible.

Funny enough, I was reading through a journal entry from my mission trip to Kenya where I went with 30 other high school students from my church and one of my takeaways was how I was all-in from the beginning in investing in those relationships. Investing in deep relationships from day 1 was one of my goals for that trip, and at the end, I felt I accomplished it. No matter how tired or sick I felt on that trip, I did my best to give my all – love all-in – and I want to do the same on CR.

7.28.17

7.29.17

This was one of my goals for freshman year that I kinda let slip with the sheer number of friends I met this year – total regret not being all-in and so sad I only looked back on this journal entry now! But now is the time to be absolutely ALL-IN, because these people on this trip are incredible!

Incredible could even be an understatement. I was trying to tell my mom about everyone going on this trip, and wow, y’all are AMAZING!

Here are some of my goals:

• Be ALL-IN and fully invested in making deep relationships
• Learn about each of the cultures we are immersed in
• Adventure!
• Be more comfortable in unknown situations
• Understand how to balance my extroverted and introverted sides
• Express my deep love and appreciation for people and situations
  • this is big! so people know how much I deeply care for them ❤

Shortly after being selected for CR10, I realized how much of a Familia each of the cohorts are. I want CR10 to be Familia. Family so close that we would do anything for each other, understand the strengths and weaknesses of one other, encourage and empower one another, and lead each other on. This possibility of Familia has become so much more real, and I’m so excited to fully invest in everyone! Bring on the early mornings, late nights, strenuous hikes, nerve-racking jumps, and confusing maps. Every situation brings an opportunity to grow closer with one another.

I hope through CR10 I will better understand my strengths and weaknesses, learn how to balance my introversion and extroversion, and practice how to best love others the way they want to be loved. I want to bring back Familia to TCU – a bond so tight that together we will lead on together because we stand together, pursue one anther, and push each other to excellence. I want to learn how to be all-in always – following God’s will, all-in to build His kingdom – and knowing when and how being all-in involves taking time for myself to reflect while doing life in community.

Berlin here we come and I could not be more excited to do life with this Familia! Look forward to lots of pictures and memories to come!

With love,

Lauren Rasmussen

(selfless promo – follow @texaschristianuniversity on Instagram, we’ll be doing takeovers :D)

The Calm Before the Storm

The last few weeks of freshman year were a whirlwind. The combination of formals, lab papers and finals consumed my brain non-stop, leaving no time for any thought about CR. It wasn’t until halfway through my biology final that it finally hit me; I was going to be in Europe in less than a week! At this realization, I began smiling like a complete fool. Yes, during a 100-question comprehensive biology final, I couldn’t stop smiling. I’m sure my fellow peers questioned my sanity, but in that moment, I had no care in the world.

I walked out of my last final and a rush of elation and sleep deprivation washed over me. I had made it through my first-year of the Pre-Med gauntlet. But it was calm, almost too calm. While this normally would be exactly what I’d be looking for following a long year, this was different. This was the type of calm people from Texas know all too well. This was the deceiving calm of a southern spring afternoon. This was the calm before the storm.

Before the largest and most powerful storms, the wind dies down, the blue-sky fades to an ominous green, and the world becomes filled with an eerie silence. Cultural Routes is that storm. I know the tranquility I am experiencing following finals will soon no longer be there. Soon, the opportunity of the lifetime will be presented to me with full force and I have to be ready. When the storm hits, I need to be prepared. While I look forward to the opportunity of forging a legacy unique to CR10, we are faced with the challenge of meeting the standards set before us by past CR familia. This is both inspiring and intimidating. To follow in the footsteps of some of TCU’s best and brightest is a lot to undertake, especially when you feel that your name is not nearly worthy enough to be placed in the same sentence as them. Yet, I am optimistic. When the pressure is on, I settle in to my zone. You know what they say, “If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.”

Despite my optimism, I do have true apprehensions. Cultural Routes has always held a position of reverence in my mind. I hope that it proves to be everything I have imagined; that I’ll grow in my knowledge of world cultures, that I’ll step out of my comfort zone, that I’ll grow in my character and faith, and that I’ll make friendships to last a lifetime. The last is what I look forward to most. Anyone can travel the world and see the largest, most opulent and historically significant monuments. What separates Cultural Routes from any other experience is the ability to use these locations and monuments to catalyze a deeper understanding of self and others. We live in a world that revolves around the ability to understand, communicate, and empathize with one another. If we are unable to do even that, we have lost the one thing that separates mankind from any other species on Earth. We have wasted our God-given potential.

As I finish writing this, there is less than 19 hours until I board for Berlin. I am excited, no, I’m beyond excited. This is it folks. The moment we’ve all been waiting for.

Berlin, here I come!

Brooke Boisvert

 

Procrastination

Twenty-four hours until I am en route to Berlin, and I haven’t packed a thing.

As I look over at my empty suitcase, I realize that I did the same thing three days ago when I was moving out of Milton Daniel. My car was empty the morning of my departure from Milton and freshman year. I was in such denial that I was leaving the place I called home, my comfort zone, and many of my best friends. So, I just decided that I wouldn’t pack until I absolutely had to, which became the morning that I was leaving. 

This is a different kind of empty suitcase. This comes from procrastination, and a jam-packed three days back in Fayetteville. The busyness that I created for myself didn’t allow for any reflection time, so the timing of this post was perfect in allowing for reflection of the past year as well as expectation for the weeks ahead. 

The moments I have been dreaming of for the past few months are almost here, and that both excites me and terrifies me. It terrifies me because I don’t want them to end. They haven’t even started yet, but moments become memories way too fast. I’m afraid of how fast this time will go by, and I’m already not wanting it to be over even though it hasn’t begun yet. I’m afraid of the goodbyes, because leaving TCU was very difficult for me. However, I am jumping WAY ahead of myself and feel that it might be irrational to already be afraid of the experience’s end. 

I have two goals for myself: live in the moment and keep my eyes open. Living in the moment will help solve my fear of the moments slipping by far too quickly. Moments make us; some are fleeting, and temporary while others leave a mark on us, going with us for the rest of our lives and changing us in a way. I know there will be moments on CR that will be temporary, but I am hoping for many that will leave a mark on me forever, and I am excited to live in each one as it comes, making the most of them.

I also want to keep my eyes open. Literally, and figuratively (because, for anyone who knows me well, I LOVE and need sleep). Literally speaking, I want to say yes to late night adventures and early morning sunrises, and I want to be present in each conversation throughout the day. Figuratively, I want to keep open eyes and an open heart to the world, casting out any preconceived ideas about a place or person and letting myself learn. I want to be amazed by the world, and take everything in.

Now that I think about it, I should probably pack. Fingers crossed for under 50 pounds and magically acquiring some arm muscles overnight! See you in 24, CR10!

Letting Go

What if? The question that I often ask, even though I know that no good will come of it. While asking this question allows for preparation… it can also send me to the point of no return by intensifying my fears.
What if I don’t pack the right things?
What if my connection is late at the airport?
What if my international power adapters don’t work?
What if I don’t take full advantage of each moment on CR?
I realize it’s only human to be a bit nervous about the unknown. Many travelers get a little anxious before a big trip. And in my brain, I know that this is a colossal waste of time, yet I still worry.
Letting go of these “what if” scenarios is one of my personal goals for CR. I want to live each day to the fullest and not focus on what might happen, rather what is happening now. Letting go of this question can allow me to seize each moment on this experience.
This is where the Familia comes in. In just the few months since meeting them, I have already come to respect them in so many ways. I can tell I can watch their example of seizing the moment and not letting themselves get wrapped up in things that may not go as planned. Letting go does not mean I do not have expectations for myself and CR as a whole. Letting go just means to allow yourself to be “all in” for CR at all times.
As I am writing this post, I am a mere 24 hours away from beginning my journey to Berlin, where we will officially begin. My first blog post was titled “65 Days” and it seems crazy to me that time has flown by so quickly. I know that CR will, sadly, seem to go by just as quickly as those 65 days did. That is exactly why I want to live fully in every second of every day and to not leave CR thinking, “I wish I had done that.”
I am somewhat nervous, just because I am entering into the somewhat unknown. But that same unknown is also what I find most exciting about CR. While we all have goals and expectations, we truly cannot plan what is going to happen, and that is perfectly okay. In fact, I think that is where the most memories are to be made.
As Robert Eliot says “Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.” What will happen on this experience, planned or not, is just a part of what makes CR10 what it will be.
In a short 24 hours, we will all start to make our way overseas. “What if” the journey of a lifetime is on the horizon? (But of course, we know that’s true)
See you all in Berlin!

Graduation

As freshman year comes to a close, I am faced with the departure of many people I hold dear. Last Saturday the incredible souls of the senior class move on in their lives, on that day they became legendary. Their legacy of what they’ve done at TCU only to be surpassed by what they’ll go on to do. While I might have hoped to spend more time with the Michael Drake’s, Landon Hendrickson’s, Mary Grekstas’, Brenden Voss’, Hayley Henley’s, Ryan DeTamble’s, Hayley Henley’s, and Cole Sanford’s of the class, I am now left with numerous memories and above all, lessons.

As these people I’ve spent the year idolizing make their exit, I’m still here. I am examining myself in the wake of what has been a trying semester for me. While I’m constantly trying to move forward and incorporate their lessons, I still feel woefully inadequate when I look up to them, CR Alum or not, and recognize all the work there’s yet to be done, whether that be personally, academically, or co-corricularly. While I’ve been told what it takes to be number one, I’m still in the beginning stages of the journey, and as this year has taught me it’s going to fly by—both the experience of CR, and my remaining years at TCU. To me this signals that I need to hurry up now, and I can’t wait much longer. I know I got to start being right now, because I can’t get much wronger. This isn’t to say that I haven’t been trying, I just feel stuck relative to the progress I need for who I want to become.

I look forward to CR as a time of reflection, growth, and focus. When I look at myself and this semester I realize it’s time to shift from viewing those above and trying to learn, to viewing those around me and what they have to offer. At the beginning of this year, I figured that those around me can’t tell me nothing as I looked forward towards achievement. I believe that this experience will be the final knell for that line of thinking.

I’ve been fairly obsessed lately over the figure of Kanye West (if you can’t tell), and his approach to his art, philosophy, and life. While listening to his music and its complex  messages I’ve found myself reflecting upon my own life through the lens of his conflict and struggles. He’s led me to the belief that everything I’m not made me everything I am. I’m not normal, I’m not quiet, I’m not complacent, and I’m constantly struggling with the fact that I’m not perfect, no matter how hard I may try. These factors are what define me, I’m not afraid to separate from the crowd, I’m not afraid to be the one to speak up, and I’m not afraid to push myself to grow. I’m curious to see how these beliefs stand up throughout CR, particularly the first two assertions about standing up and standing out in the face of what we will see.

While Kanye’s music has caused me to reflect on my life, his recent antics have caused me to reflect on the world. I have always considered him to be extremely intelligent,  yet it still startled me when he began exposing his current philosophy of life. He has caused me to examine the polarized nature of our world and the hate fueled rhetoric tossed around so carelessly. It’s modified my style of thought, as I’m trying to become much more self-aware of the sources of my motivations and frustrations. Most importantly though, his actions along with the media’s reactions (the cutting of interviews and twisting of words), have caused me to recognize the importance of communication. I initially didn’t agree with anything Kanye has said, particularly with what the media portrayed, but when my love of Kanye led me to investigate deeper past the headlines, I’ve gained an incredible level of respect for what he is attempting to do. When on CR, I may shop so much I can speak Italian, yet even in attempting to learn the languages of other cultures I am coming to the realization that words are an incredibly ineffective way of conveying meaning. I have started to be much more careful in how I present my words, attempting to leave as little up to chance. As I continue my attempts at transparency in language through CR, I hope to be welcomed to the good life as I believe a decent chunk of conflict in our world comes through miscommunication and an unwillingness to listen.

In the shadow of graduation, my excitement only rises. One year down, one CR to go, and a whole lot of growth awaits between now and then. The seniors are making their move and I’m ready to make my own. All in, 24/7, you know the drill. So as I say good night I cherish the fact that in only one day I will be saying

Good Morning to CR 10,

Ryal Reddick

Counting Down

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin

As I type this post, I am counting down the minutes until I leave home and travel to Europe for the first time. I am less than 48 hours from stepping on a plane that will take me across the Atlantic and to an entirely new continent. When I arrive, I will experience new cities, new languages, and new cultures that I have never been exposed to before. I cannot wait!

So many emotions are running through my mind as I pack my bags and attempt to mentally prepare for this experience. Although I am breathless with anticipation for this journey, I do have some concerns. What if I forget to pack something essential? What if I get lost? What if I don’t get as close with everyone as I desperately want to? What if I get stuck in my comfort zone and don’t push myself to grow? Most of these concerns are trivial (I most likely will forget to pack something and I most likely will get lost, but it will work out and I will be fine). However, because what I want most out of CR is to grow closer both with my fellow students and to learn more about myself, I need to prepare to invest my energy into getting to know the people around me, appreciating the places we visit, and learning about myself through the process.

Since the day I found out I was selected until now, I have learned so much more about what CR means and what it entails. When I first opened the email and discovered I had been selected, I thought I had been accepted to a summer trip. I was prepared to tour around Europe, write a few papers, and that would be it. Now I know, after Dr. Pitcock’s constant reminders, that Cultural Routes is so much more than a trip. It is an experience, painstakingly designed to change our perspective about European culture and history as well as our perspective about the world itself. From the beginning of our CR meetings until now, Dr. Pitcock has shown us the level of dedication, of attention to detail, of passion that he puts in to make this experience incredible. His commitment to making CR incredible foreshadows the commitment he expects of us to continue the tradition of excellence. Now I know that CR comes with many expectations that are put in place to help us grow as individuals. I am looking forward to beginning this experience with an open mind and seeing where CR takes me. I want to learn about culture and history, but I also want to be more aware of the world around me and incorporate that into my studies as a political science major. I cannot wait to expand my personal meaning of “global citizen” by having hands-on experiences with different parts of the world.

Cultural Routes is a familia, and I cannot wait to establish new friendships with everyone who is going on CR this summer. Meeting and talking with the previous CR students has taught me that CR is a community. CR students will do anything for each other and for the staff involved, and the staff will do anything for the students. Witnessing the former CR students reach out to us as one of their own and offering us advice is such a unique experience. I believe that the community CR builds will be one that will benefit all of us in our future years at TCU and beyond.

Dr. Pitcock keeps reminding us that we will get out of this experience as much as we put into it. As long as I put all of my effort into both the experience itself and into the people I will be traveling with, CR 10 will be the experience of a lifetime. See you soon, Berlin!

Well That Was Quick

Honestly, does anyone enjoy taking finals or moving out of their dorm? Saying goodbye to Milton Daniel and all of its inhabitants was definitely one of the saddest moments of freshman year, and I think it’s safe to say that everyone at TCU was ready to be done studying for test after test after test. While the previous week seemed like it was composed of controlled chaos with a thousand things happening at the same time, the juxtaposition that this weekend poses that couldn’t be stronger. From being able to sleep in a full size bed to eating home cooked meals, I feel like I was finally able to relax without having five tests looming over me.

While relaxing is a great word to describe a previous couple of days, my excitement levels have been rising exponentially over the last few weeks – and especially the last few days. Looking back on freshman year, finding out I was selected to be a part of this amazing experience called Cultural Routes was definitely one of my favorite memories. Few things would make me pause The Force Awakens, but that email certainly did. Even though I could barely contain that level excitement, the fact that I would be a member of this Familia did not feel real until about a week ago. When we left our final CR meeting before embarking on the journey, Dr. Pitcock’s words resonated in my head, “I’ll see you in Berlin.” It’s crazy how all of these events seemed to happen so fast I barely had time to catch my breath.

Now, with just over 24 hours before my flight departs, my heart is practically beating out of my chest with a mix of emotions. I’m delighted to know that I’m going to have such a unique opportunity for exploration alongside 15 amazing students (such as the one pictured above*). I’m thrilled at the thought of revisiting Treptower Park in Berlin, engaging with the exploring the ancient looking city of Munich, of skydiving in Interlaken, of breathing in the culture and history of Rome and Florence, of being overwhelmed by the calm beauty of Cinque Terre, of filling my mouth with gelato in Tuscany, and the list could go on. While these emotions make me feel like I’m on Cloud 9, I remember sitting in the BLUU with Davis Donaldson (a CR alumnus) and talking with him about how he felt before the experience. He explained that his excitement slowly grew as the journey approached, but he felt a constant underlying fear of the challenge in front of him. That is exactly how I feel. I know this will be one of my favorite college memories and I will grow extremely close to those around me, but those things will not come easily. I am going to be very sleep deprived (and I love sleep), it will be difficult to find time to find time to just spend with the Lord in His word, and exploring unknown locations is an adventure and will certainly be amazing, not knowing the languages spoken in any of the cities in which we will be puts me at a serious disadvantage.

However, I think the scariest thing about Cultural Routes is the fact that I have no idea what to pack. I mean I know what to pack, but knowing how much to pack is a different story. If you cannot tell, I am making a feeble attempt at being humorous in order to transition into a lighter-hearted theme of what I’m hoping to gain from this quest. I am in high hopes of my own personal growth over the next few weeks. I know I am going to be challenged in ways I cannot even imagine yet, but I know that overcoming these challenges will make me a stronger person, more prepared to tackle life.

 

*the one pictured above is Olivia Wales (also CR10). Note: Masquerade masks will not be involved in the making of Cultural Routes 10

The Before

It’s really weird to think that in 2 days I’ll be hopping onto an airplane to fly to Berlin. Right now I’m in that awkward phase between unpacking from moving out of my dorm room to packing up a bag to last me for about 4 weeks in Europe. My room is in disarray, and it feels like everything I put up will just be taken out again to put into my suitcase for me to use across the Atlantic. My room isn’t the only thing in disarray either, my mind is as well. We tend to have the environments we live in reflect some aspect of our mind, conscious or unconscious, and that holds true for my room that is cluttered and confused. I am cluttered and confused. I have all these hopes, all these “what ifs” going around in my head, about the journey that I will embark on beginning Tuesday. Dr. Pitcock always told us to go into the experience with no expectations, but that is easier said than done. I feel like every single one of us has constructed some sort of model in our minds that we expect CR10 to be like. It’s only natural for us to do that, but the moment that it becomes real is the moment we let go of that prototype and allow CR to be CR the way it should be naturally. Currently, I am trying to let go of my thoughts of how CR should go and just let CR be CR. That being said, there’s no reason why I can’t have goals for myself on this experience. I feel like setting these goals for myself will allow me to open myself up more to the people around me and allow them to influence me to be a better version of myself, and hopefully I can do the same to them. I have 3 main goals for this experience:

1- I want to be able to connect to God on a different level

My faith is the single most important aspect of my life to me. I know that I could be the richest man in the world, but if I don’t have Jesus, I have nothing. I could be the poorest man in the world, but I have Jesus, then I have everything. I truly hope that God uses CR to help me learn more about Him and more about His plan for my life.

2- I want to learn more about European culture

This one may seem a little superficial, but it’s true. I have little to no global awareness of how other cultures operate, so I really want to be influenced by the culture overseas and allow it to broaden my horizons.

3- I want to let go of my hesitations and go all in for people

NOW we’re getting deep. So sometimes, especially with people I don’t know very well, I build walls up around myself and kind of hold back when getting to know people. Usually people have to open up to me before I open up to them. There is some value to this, and I’m not trying to be sharing my feelings with every stranger on the street, but I really want to work on being more intentional with my relationships with others and being a genuine positive influence on people’s lives, whether that’s a smile like when passing a stranger on a street, or being truly open and honest with someone that I see on a pretty regular basis (like the other 15 students on this experience) and allowing them to get to know me and me genuinely wanting to know them and be there for them. I hope I have the opportunity to be there for others to lean on, and also allow myself to lean on others on this experience.

So there they are. My 3 big goals for CR10. I haven no doubt that as CR progresses I will develop more goals based on our activities and relationships we build, but those are my big 3 goals before my plane leaves the runway on Tuesday.

The sun is rising on CR10. I can see it now, and for all of you Disney fans out there, you can just hear the opening song of the Lion King playing (but pretend the sun is rising over the streets of Berlin, not the African Savanna). I can’t wait to see where we go and how we mesh as a group on this amazing experience. See you in Europe.