Nerves & Overcoming Misconceptions - Reflections from My 2023 DMVNE

If you had asked me when I started high school if I could imagine visiting Washington D.C. before I graduated, I would have wholeheartedly said, “No.” From the moment I found out I was selected to attend, everything felt surreal. I started counting down the days until we would eventually go. The week before the trip, I was daydreaming most days, imagining the entire trip. To be honest, I was very obsessed with going.

The first day of the trip was especially moving for me. At first, I was very nervous and scared of the new people I was going to meet. Thankfully everyone on the trip was very nice and accepting, especially the OLASTEO team. On the plane ride there, I was incredibly nervous. You could visually see me shaking because of my nerves. I had never been on a plane before, so I immediately thought of the worst scenarios possible. Fortunately, the person seated next to me was also in the same situation as me, and we helped to calm each other down. Arriving and seeing D.C. almost made me teary-eyed because I had been looking forward to the trip for a few months. Once we arrived at our hotel, I was just trying to calm down because I was overwhelmed and realized that I was actually in D.C.

The excursion itself was filled with so many new experiences - seeing the monuments, visiting so many different museums, and trying new foods. What stood out for me above everything else was meeting so many unique and extraordinary people. My fellow students had their own experiences and cultures that made them who they were. I made a connection and started new friendships with several people who went on the trip. These individuals helped me realize the ways we are each different and similar at the same time. We all wanted to come on this trip to explore new places and discover new perspectives. Not only that, but we all strived to learn more about diverse cultures and unity. There were students who went on the excursion and also went to my school, but I had never interacted with them. These were classmates I had never thought to socialize with in the past due to my own misconceptions and bad assumptions about them. This excursion compelled me to interact with them for the first time and realize they are genuinely good and caring people. OLASTEO and the DMV National Excursion helped me open my mind to new perspectives on how I should interact with others and see our lives through each other.