Ubuntu

Ubuntu.

An African philosophy that highlights our interconnectedness, our dependence on each other for freedom, safety, and humanity. It has been defined by the Archbishop in the past as "a person is a person through other person" or, more simply put, "i am because we are."

I've been overwhelmed by the horror people have inflicted on other people. The slave castles in Ghana, the townships in Cape Town, the poverty in India, the genocide museum and the Killing Fields in Cambodia, the War Remnants Museum in Vietnam, and the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii stand as a testament to the fact that the worst that can be done to us will be done by our fellow man.

I've also been overwhelmed by the human relationships, the good I've seen in every community, and the humanity that I've witnessed in my near circumnavigation. I've been overcome by the kindness of strangers in places where I could barely say "hello" much less communicate any other information. Yes, I've been awed by the landscapes, the nature, the wonders of architecture and human ingenuity. But I've been moved by the people I've seen, met, talked with, haggled with, eaten with, lived with.

We've had some reflection time in the last few days, and today was the convocation for the graduating students (and for the rest of us, to help us wrap up our experience). I've been to a number of graduation ceremonies, but this one was outstanding. The speakers were absolutely unmatched in their eloquence and tone. The student speaker - one of my students on my sea - was so outstanding, he was given the most immediate, the most genuine and inspired standing ovation I've ever seen or been a part of. Truly remarkable. He talked about asking the right questions, remembering to remember, and reminded us of some of our shared experiences. The staff speaker was my friend Sam, who did a beautiful job energizing the room and wrapping up our ports, the lessons we've learned, and the adventures we've shared.

There's been much discussion about the concept of travel. Travel is difficult, and not truly a hobby. According to Mark Twain, it is fatal to prejudice and bigotry. According to someone else (Or maybe a kitchen magnet?) it is best enjoyed in hindsight. St. Augustine says the world is a book and those who don't travel only read one page. Our faculty speaker called it a moral obligation. Quite obviously, travel is certainly an enormous privilege.

I haven't quite worked out my thoughts on "travel" yet, or what I think about the places I've been, or what my "favorite" port has been, or what my next step will be with everything I've learned. But I do know that these questions, these thoughts, these considerations all share a common thread: the importance of human relationships and the inherent goodness in people.

I'm very sad to leave behind the people with whom I've shared this voyage. We all come from different corners of the country and we will all return there within the next few days. But they are inspiring - the faculty, the staff, the students. So many people have already accomplished so much that will help make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. For the first time in my life, I've comprehended the feeling of confidence that our future is in good hands. There are some truly passionate, brilliant, motivated students on this voyage and I can't wait to see what they do.

We pull into San Diego in a few hours - I have yet to go to sleep - and I know it is going to be an extremely emotional day. I'm already filled with sadness for those I'll be leaving, regret for those I never got to know, and pure gratitude for the opportunity I've been given. What an amazing voyage.

Thank you for coming along with me for the ride :) My mom has told me it's weird to think of me being the one who writes this, but it's just as weird for me to think that people are reading it.

I'll post a photo from the port after we pull in - it's supposed to be pretty amazing. And hopefully I'll have time to share a little bit about my last day on the ship (spoiler alert: it was a lovely day!)

As the faculty speaker said today, "the voyage has ended. but the voyage has just begun."