Don't Tolerate, Appreciate - A Lesson from the 2023 FTNE
The Freedom Trail National Excursion with OLASTEO was an incredible experience that I was lucky enough to be a part of. Traveling to Alabama and Georgia while exploring different museums and making new friends was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I'll cherish forever. I learned so many valuable lessons on this trip, and while doing so, I also went out of my comfort zone and participated in activities that I would have never thought to try.
Out of all the amazing places we visited and activities we did, I think the highlight of my trip was visiting Ms. JoAnne Bland and her sister, Lynda, in Selma. Arriving there and meeting them, along with JoAnne’s friend, Afriye, was life-changing. Hearing JoAnne and Lynda talk about their experience while marching along the Edmund Pettus Bridge made me realize how uneducated I was on the civil rights movement, and I was very open to learning as much as I could on this trip. I remember Ms. Afriya saying something that really stuck with me. She said to not tolerate but to instead appreciate. It really gave me a new perspective on the world and made me realize that she was right. Instead of tolerating the inconveniences and complaining about small issues, we should learn to appreciate the amazing opportunities we have now. There's so much I can do now that I know people of color weren’t able to do before, and I’m so appreciative of everything I am able to do.
Along with the Journey for the Soul tour with Ms. Bland, one of my favorite parts of the excursion was karaoke with everyone. It was one of the earlier activities we did on the trip, and it was such a great way to meet everyone. Being in a new environment with strangers was a little nerve-racking at first, but once we got to karaoke and sang so many songs together, it was super fun, especially when it was a song we all knew and could join in on. I made so many new friends along with so many memories that I will cherish forever. I grew close to everyone on the trip as we bonded over watching movies together in our hotel rooms, meeting OLASTEO Volunteers, Noelle and Rita, going to the Georgia Aquarium, and attempting a crazy escape room together.
Overall I am so thankful for OLASTEO for giving me this opportunity. I want to thank the OLASTEO team for being some of the sweetest people I've met and for giving me the opportunity to apply for and be selected to join this excursion. OLASTEO gave me the chance to reach out of my comfort zone and learn more about the fight for equality. I hope to be a part of future excursions with OLASETO and encourage everyone to apply because it really is a life-changing experience.
