After the fleeting summer, Berkeley High School students are filling back into the laminate hallways and cloistered breezeways of campus. As the seasons turn, the age old question arises: What did you do over summer vacation?
What if this question was less about what you did and more about what story you will tell of it?
For example, ladling soup all summer long at a soup kitchen might have been what you did, but what you gained from it is more personal, knowable, and speakable only by you. One person might say: I learned it is easy to make soup; a second person might say: I never want to be homeless; a third person might say: I realized that we as a society have a responsibility to be accountable for the wellbeing of each person.
“Summer is more flexible and less scheduled,” BHS sophomore Ikaika Gunderson expressed.
The looser structure creates possibility for novel activities. The even deeper gift, however, is the wisdom we garner from our experiences, be they adventures or variations on daily life.
For BHS senior Arthur Lovekin, this summer was an opportunity to explore a whole new country. “Most notably, I went on a month-long trip to China with the Experiment in International Living. I got to see a lot of cool places there and learn a bit about Chinese language and culture. I also bonded with my American group. I also got to go to Canada with my family and had a great time hiking and surfing up there,” Lovekin said.
On his trip, he went on many expeditions, each with their own takeaways.
“My most memorable part of my summer was climbing Mount Tai (in China). We climbed over seven thousand stairs in two and a half hours. The funniest part was that we had a great view from the top, but the other group who went more slowly saw nothing but clouds,” said Lovekin.
What he did was climb many stairs. But the story he shares shapes what happened. Could it be that this event was a lesson about being in the right place at the right time? Or perhaps that chance favors the diligent? Or a story of the fruits of physical grit and persistence?
In fact, the story told of the experience comprises what matters to him, and to us. Perhaps he means it was his hard work that gave him the beautiful view from the mountain top. Or that though everyone climbed, grace or luck determined who would see the view, and who the clouds. Or that because the other team said that they saw the most beautiful clouds of their lives, anyone who climbs to the top can enjoy an incomparable experience.
How you tell your story shapes what remains of your experience and what you make of your life. Change your story, and you may very well change your life.
At first, Lovekin can remember the sights and tastes of another culture and country, but the lasting lesson from his experience is that his aspirations were shaped and expanded by the encountering of society different from the one he has known.
The very idea that people can organize their schedules, their meals, their family time, and their work life very differently from what he has been used to, can give him a framework to question how he lives from now on. From this experience, he may be able to sense a deeper kind of freedom where he can actively work to design a different kind of life that is not beholden to any one existing culture and country.
Similarly to Lovekin, Ikaika Gunderson spent her summer doing a variety of things including a program abroad that deeply expanded her outlook on life.
“I went to Hawaii for three weeks, worked at my uncle’s car shop, and spent time with my family. I also did the CIEE [Council on International Educational Exchange] High school study abroad program for three weeks in Guanajuato, Mexico for Service and Leadership. It was one of the best three weeks of my life and overall just an amazing once in a lifetime experience. For the last bit of my summer vacation, I hung out a lot with my friends and family and played a few gigs with my band,” Gunderson said.
For Gunderson, the CIEE program left a profound impact on her. She put herself in a new setting that forced her to grow as a person.
“I left my family, my home, my language, and just familiarity in general for three weeks, and it was terrifying, but that’s what made it so memorable and fun. Also, we made connections with small communities in Guanajuato. We had conversations about issues like immigration and sustainability, and it was very powerful,” she said.
Gunderson’s eye-opening summer molds not only her life but also has an effect on the people with whom she shares her story. Gunderson’s summer was full of learning both about herself and her surroundings.
“I learned so much more than I can put into words and more than I can learn in school. I think the main thing I learned was being aware of my cultural differences,” said Gunderson. Still, the words she chooses to say will shape how she impacts others.
Ultimately, the illumination of the past comes from the way we sift through our experience. What we consciously and unconsciously choose to discard and keep from our summer experience stays with us through the school year and the rest of our lives. One could even imagine the summer experience, or any past experience really, as a potential orchard to which we can always return for delicious harvest.