Student Bloggers
It’s Not About What You Do, But Whom You Do it With
Date
May 7, 2018
It’s not about the experience, but whom you share the experiences with
This past weekend I learned a valuable lesson: It’s not about what you do, but whom you do it with. My friends and I planned a trip to go back to Queenstown to go skydiving. We had been checking the weather all week, and it wasn’t looking good. We were trying to be optimistic by telling ourselves that the weather in New Zealand is very unpredictable, but this time it was correct.
We woke up at 6 a.m. to make our 7 a.m. skydive time. As we walked to the skydiving company, the rain and clouds above us made it clear: our plans were canceled. Normally, people would assume that our whole weekend in Queenstown was a waste, but I can happily say that this was one of my favorite weekends so far.
Of course, our group was upset but we knew we had to get over it and take advantage of our Saturday. We conquered two hikes in Queenstown that none of us had done before. This lifted everyone’s spirits, and by the end of the day I had forgotten we were supposed to skydive that morning.
The valuable lesson I learned this weekend is it’s not about what you’re doing, but the group you’re doing it with. Everyone was so positive about the weekend and none of us let our skydive cancellation ruin it. We knew we would have plenty of time to reschedule our jump and there was no need to be upset about it.
I have recently learned the importance of surrounding yourself with people who share the same values. The friends I have made in New Zealand are quite different from my peers at home. Yet, we have all connected in New Zealand for comparable reasons, and believe in similar ideas.
I hope to continue to have this positive attitude not only throughout the rest of my abroad experience but once I get home as well. There will always be factors (such as the weather) that are out of everyone’s control, and learning to deal with it is a valuable trait that everyone should possess. Surrounding yourself with people that matter most is the key to having a successful weekend away.