Page 44 - Humanism 2018
P. 44
By Kaitlin Flavin, DPM ’19
he last day of sophomore year in college is a milestone because it is the halfway point. Halfway to
T graduation. Halfway between being a high schooler and a college-educated adult. Halfway through
getting loans. Of course, some students take extra semesters, or summer courses, or withdraw early,
but for me, I considered it the halfway point. My last day of sophomore year in Massachusetts was a
marvelous one. It was a spectacularly sunny day in May, and the beauty of the mountains on the horizon
seemed so much more vivid after having just fought through the fog of final exams.
My best friend Katie and I were walking down the hill to the cafeteria when we bumped into an old
acquaintance, Trent. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I said, “Alright, well, enjoy your summer. See you
in the fall.” Words like these roll off of our tongues so casually — we seldom think of them impacting the
course of our life. However, this interaction changed the course of mine. Trent replied that he would be
spending fall semester off-campus, as an exchange student in Hawaii. The thought of such an opportunity
captivated my interest and I looked into the details the very same day. It was too late to go in the fall, so I
signed up for the spring.
I arrived at my new campus in Hilo, Hawaii in the dead of night, after two layovers, 18 hours of traveling,
and an $11 airport turkey sandwich. All I really knew about Hilo was to expect three times as much annual
rain as Seattle and to expect to see some big bugs. I didn’t care. I had arrived. The rest I could figure out. I
had been shy my whole life and pretty reserved in new social situations. But now I had had the courage to
go for something new. My first semester in Hawaii showed me I could make it on my own. My goals were
to embrace a new culture, learn about the Hawaiian language, deepen my understanding of volcanoes and
earthquakes, and to have fun. I made some of the closest friends of my entire life, and to this day I treasure
the memories of our countless hikes, trips, adventures, and breathtaking views. I didn’t plan on falling in
love, but life surprises us, and that also happened.
The first few days required some adapting. I learned that ants were a normal part of dorm life. I arrived
three days before my orientation, and the only other students on campus were from other countries. Yako,
from Hong Kong, and Cristian, from Spain, accepted me as one of their own until my cohort arrived. I was
invited to join them at dinner. Many students were still working on their English, so our verbal
42 HUMANISM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2018 • VOL. 21
he last day of sophomore year in college is a milestone because it is the halfway point. Halfway to
T graduation. Halfway between being a high schooler and a college-educated adult. Halfway through
getting loans. Of course, some students take extra semesters, or summer courses, or withdraw early,
but for me, I considered it the halfway point. My last day of sophomore year in Massachusetts was a
marvelous one. It was a spectacularly sunny day in May, and the beauty of the mountains on the horizon
seemed so much more vivid after having just fought through the fog of final exams.
My best friend Katie and I were walking down the hill to the cafeteria when we bumped into an old
acquaintance, Trent. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I said, “Alright, well, enjoy your summer. See you
in the fall.” Words like these roll off of our tongues so casually — we seldom think of them impacting the
course of our life. However, this interaction changed the course of mine. Trent replied that he would be
spending fall semester off-campus, as an exchange student in Hawaii. The thought of such an opportunity
captivated my interest and I looked into the details the very same day. It was too late to go in the fall, so I
signed up for the spring.
I arrived at my new campus in Hilo, Hawaii in the dead of night, after two layovers, 18 hours of traveling,
and an $11 airport turkey sandwich. All I really knew about Hilo was to expect three times as much annual
rain as Seattle and to expect to see some big bugs. I didn’t care. I had arrived. The rest I could figure out. I
had been shy my whole life and pretty reserved in new social situations. But now I had had the courage to
go for something new. My first semester in Hawaii showed me I could make it on my own. My goals were
to embrace a new culture, learn about the Hawaiian language, deepen my understanding of volcanoes and
earthquakes, and to have fun. I made some of the closest friends of my entire life, and to this day I treasure
the memories of our countless hikes, trips, adventures, and breathtaking views. I didn’t plan on falling in
love, but life surprises us, and that also happened.
The first few days required some adapting. I learned that ants were a normal part of dorm life. I arrived
three days before my orientation, and the only other students on campus were from other countries. Yako,
from Hong Kong, and Cristian, from Spain, accepted me as one of their own until my cohort arrived. I was
invited to join them at dinner. Many students were still working on their English, so our verbal
42 HUMANISM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2018 • VOL. 21
