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| Erica Gaither ('19) |
Earlier this week in a conversation with my good friend, the word “passion” came up. She shared with me that the word meant “that which drives you to live,” and ever since then I’ve found myself wondering what I consider my passion, in this particular moment of my life, to be.
My passion is without a doubt, traveling.
The spontaneity of moments, the overwhelming curiosity, the constant searching for more and more to see is everything that I live for. Every single day, even if just a moment, I reflect on my time abroad in Western Europe and hold with me the emotion and awe of wandering through the streets in Barcelona, Sweden, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Dublin and Paris. There is such a distinct feeling in the air that I associate with those particular cities, and I’ve kept them almost hidden within my mind and heart for safe-keeping. However, after that experience, I’ve also tried to separate it in a way that wouldn’t have me expecting the same type of experience while in China.
I’ve known for almost three years that I would be traveling to Shanghai for a part of the summer before my senior year of college, and yet still I’ve had the same level of anxiety and curiosity about what to expect. I could have never imagined that on my second day in Shanghai that I would be led through what is known as the “French Concession” and feel that same awe that I experienced when actually in France. As the student guides led us through the sleepy streets of the neighborhood, engulfed by the shade of the trees overhead- for a minute I stopped in my tracks and thought I was bound to see the Eiffel Tower. The student guides explained that the part of Shanghai we were waking through had once been designated to the French, and while now it is known as the Luwan and Xuhui Districts, the French influence is still incredibly strong. With French cuisine and architecture at every turn I made, I couldn’t help but feel as if time had slowed down–just as it had in Paris. It’s the craziest feeling to try and explain, but if you know, you know.
All of my nostalgia for sitting outside of a little Parisian café in the lull of day had returned on my walk through those twisted alleyways, but I was also so incredibly impressed that the culture of France is that strong as to be so distinct and powerful in such a contrasting culture. Shanghai has been full of surprises, but the déjà vu that I experienced is something that I will always remember. I could have never predicted that moment, but a little curiosity and a spontaneous walk was one of the highlights of my time in Shanghai. So here is to more spontaneity, more wonder and more curiosity to see what adventures and discoveries will be made in Xi’an.
Erica Gaither, of Princeton, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2019. She studies criminal justice, political science, and peace, justice, and conflict transformation at the University of Louisville.
My passion is without a doubt, traveling.
The spontaneity of moments, the overwhelming curiosity, the constant searching for more and more to see is everything that I live for. Every single day, even if just a moment, I reflect on my time abroad in Western Europe and hold with me the emotion and awe of wandering through the streets in Barcelona, Sweden, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Dublin and Paris. There is such a distinct feeling in the air that I associate with those particular cities, and I’ve kept them almost hidden within my mind and heart for safe-keeping. However, after that experience, I’ve also tried to separate it in a way that wouldn’t have me expecting the same type of experience while in China.
Erica Gaither, of Princeton, Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2019. She studies criminal justice, political science, and peace, justice, and conflict transformation at the University of Louisville.