I have to preface this journal entry by first saying that I am still growing as a man and learning what it means to be a loving human being to my fellow people, but my trip to Colorado was probably one of the most rewarding and mentally testing experiences of my life. It really grew me as a man.
Before, I was the suburban child that later moved to an urban area for my higher education. My parents have always given me a healthy amount of freedom, so I got to see multiple ways of life, especially when I took trips to China. Different parts and different people of America, however, was a different story. I had always stayed either at Asian family friends’ places or hotels while traveling through America, never giving me the other side of the picture that I longed to see.
I longed to see the picture of America that was painted in my mind by great novelists like Steinbeck and Hemmingway, a rugged land with rugged people that would do rugged work. An America that valued work, freedom, and conviction apart from the America I see that values comfort, safety, and tolerance. I wanted to see the Steinbeck America. I wanted to live in the Hemmingway America. That is what led me to set aside the centerpiece of my summer to, instead of do an internship or research, rediscover America for myself.
( To be Continued...)