Long ago, (or not so long ago depending on who you ask) in the late seventies my grandparents moved to the country Sri Lanka, formaly known as Ceylon. My grandma was six months pregnant at the time. My mother was soon born and their family lived there till my mother was about three years old and they were forced to leave due to a civil war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_Civil_War
Then life went on for them in the United States until I was in 8th grade and my mother wanted to return to Sri Lanka for a family vacation. While we were there we saw the most beatiful scenery and some of the horrific truths of such a third world country. It was devistating to see such poverty. Little did I know this would soon become the place I called home.
One evening after diner we had a family meeting. My father spoke first, asking what my two younger siblings and I would think about living in Sri Lanka. We all said yes, we could do it. After the words escaped my lips the thought of all I would have to give up to live there began to rush through my head. Now that I look back on it things could’ve been so much easier if I had just focused on what I could gain from the experience. I definitly didn’t make it easy for my parents… for which I am sorry and forever grateful for their patience with me.
We returned home the week after our family meeting and immediately began the process of preparing to leave. We had garage sales and sold nearly everything we owned, from cars, to couches our house was empty in a blink of an eye. Then we rented out our house and packed our bags.
We knew what to expect this time with the flights and airports since we’d all done it only a few months previously, yet the flights seemed longer, and anxiety of walking the breezeway to the Colombo airport became ever greater and greater with each connecting flight.
After the first month or so we had acclimated (as much as possible) to the weather and culture. We made it home. I made friends I still keep in touch with that made an impact on my life. We served local communities in any way we could by painting, building,(my dads a contractor) and doing medical clinincs (my moms a RN.)
My cousin decided to live with us after our first year. He stayed with us for about seven months till we returned to the United States. I thought it was cool to make videos about our experince, they dont do it justice but they are still fun. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsksqam2XXbn_BI0m0-W-Zw
The pictures above are from a hike (Adams Peak) we did. We woke up in the middle of the night and hiked miles up the mountain to watch the sunrise. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9fpGdQ_3Sg
Looking back on my experience, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I was able to learn and gain so much so early in my life that most people wont in their whole life. I made friends that changed my life. I gained appreciation for the things I now have here in the United States, and all the freedoms that come along with living here. I was able to travel the world and see many countries, and most importantly, I got to eat all sorts of food!
The Adventure of a Lifetime 