The light peaks through the canopy above, and dances along the jungle floor. The incessant chirping of insects is our background music and is only broken up by a squaw from a passing bird or the occasional howl of a near by monkey. Even standing by yourself, you’re never alone. As we walk along we can feel the jungle pulsating with life. You could wander for days and never see the same animal twice. From there the city awaits us. The bus travels down a winding, bumpy dirt road. A few sharp turns and near collisions later the city finally comes into view. The small one or two story houses push against one another, vying for their rightful place on the street. Entering the city, we’re leaving one jungle for another. Fences spring up like trees all over with their barbed wire vines jutting out menacingly as they slithered their way through the city. We finally arrive at a desolate building. A gaping hole defines its rock façade. With picks and shovels as our weapons we wage war. Dust coats the air, our legs are steeped in mud and rocks fall all around. We are exhausted and sweating beneath the relentless sun but the satisfaction of slowly resurrecting this house and seeing our work come to fruition is enough to keep going. This encounter exploring and working with Habitat for Humanity in Costa Rica sparked my unquenchable thirst for traveling. It awakened in me something I long suspected was there but had never fully realized.
This has been a theme in my life. From a young age I have always had a wide variety of interests from music and film to astronomy, history, and everything in between. The world was my playground and I didn’t want to pass anything up. I have always felt this immense desire to do everything but nervous I wouldn’t have enough time. I briefly contemplated becoming a veterinarian, an actress, and working for the CDC. My interests were never satisfied and sometimes bordered on obsession. Anyone within ear shot could be guaranteed to learn about whatever random useless facts I had learned that day. Maybe this curiosity stemmed from growing up in a small town and always knowing there was something that was missing. Or maybe it was from my early introduction to reading. Ever since I can remember I have devouring books on many subjects. I loved getting absorbed into imaginary worlds and wearing the clothes of many different people. I went through the looking glass with Alice, traveled on the Road with Kerouac and tripped out with Burroughs I was always so reluctant to return back to my room knowing that such excitement was out there to be experienced.
Music and film have filled a similar role in my life, as ways of expression and escape. After failing at the flute and guitar I have resigned myself to the fact that I should be more a music connoisseur. I listen and appreciate rather then create. My record player became an extension of myself. Whatever mood I was in was reflected in the artists I played. I put a record on and notes surround me, enveloping me in their rich sounds. Soul, blues, rock- everything and anything. Miles comes on and every corner of the room is filled. The walls pulsate along with the unpredictable beats; Swelling, rising, and falling like the sea. Until the inevitable click, click, click. Time to flip it over.
My interest in film I stumbled on in high school. Figuring out where to find films illegally online should be partly to blame I’m sure. The accessibility opened up my world to movies I never knew existed. And down the rabbit hole I went. I wanted to drink the koolaide, I couldn’t get enough; like Dorothy everything suddenly turned to color. I became obsessed with the styles, the characters, and the stories. I wanted to simultaneously meet and be the hardened, trench-coat wearing detective shrouded in mystery, dripping in black and white. I believe film is an unparalleled medium for story telling and I’m constantly in awe of directors and actors from past to present. Hitchcock to Tarentino, Bogart to Nicholson- their legacies span generations and inspire people of all ages.
Arriving in Madison, it was exciting to be in a place away from the familiar town I had become accustomed to. When deciding on a major my range of interests needed to be narrowed down. As hard as I tried I ping ponged from psych to film to journalism and back again. Finally I settled on Comm Arts, focusing on film and tv and also achieving a concentration in Global Cultures. Both which allowed me to take classes on a variety of topics. I still don’t know what I want to do or where I’ll end up. Society tells me I should be scared but I’m exciting to see what’s ahead.
London has provided that amazing opportunity to travel again. Everywhere your ears are berated with different accents and languages. I want to wonder through the museums, become a local at a pub, find an intimate jazz club, get lost and find my way home. Being in Europe is an opportunity like I have never been given. The only limitation is the number of pages in my passport and time, which there never seems to be enough of. I’ll enjoy a new existence here until that inevitable itch to travel and explore comes back and I hop on a plane or simply pop in a movie and find a new place to call home.
