As I packed my Mexico scuba diving trip essentials–Hawaiian tropic tanning oil, a toothbrush, and of course my bikini—I felt a wave of nausea. I closed up my suitcase and tucked myself in for a few hours of sleep prior to leaving for the airport at 4 A.M..
At 2 A.M., I woke up, vomiting nonstop. I gulped some NyQuil and hoped I could fall back to sleep. I couldn’t. As time passed, my neck stiffened to the point where I couldn’t move it, and my fever climbed up to 102 degrees. Somehow, I was more scared of waking up my mother than I was of having something like meningitis.
I reminded myself, Marlee you’re literally 18, or at least in 3 days you are. I gathered all the courage I had, and woke up my mother.
Off to the emergency room we went.
News flash, it wasn’t meningitis, but what I did have was sinusitis and a virus, meaning I definitely could not go scuba diving.
As I coughed in my bed of tissues, I saw an email from Mr. Casias, “Welcome to farm to table.”
Bright and early, we met at Mercedes Lounge , surrounded by many snacks and breakfast options. Then we made our way to Marin Country Mart, instructed to buy food and make a meal. Yet, with the thirty dollars I was given, I spent it on some delicious dumplings and coffee. I highly recommend.
Luckily, they ended up in a group with whom I really clicked: Sunshine Paul, Tyler Durgy, Danylo Buryak and I worked together to make a not so delicious Italian sandwich. Either way, I wouldn’t know since I don’t eat pastrami. But the reviews prompted mixed to bad reactions.
On Friday, bright and early we met again. Instead of just observing, we worked with the kitchen staff. We cleaned all the windows, surfaces and everything else in the cafeteria and kitchen, helping to restore order in a place that’s constantly in motion. While my friends took on dish duty, I helped serve lunch to the lower school students. It was a salad with some delicious fruit and bread. And all of that was accomplished in just the first few hours of the day.
It was simple work, yet being part of it completely changed my perspective. Living this “farm to table experience” made me realize how much effort goes into the meals we are handed every day at school. From small tasks like cleaning windows to preparing foo—our staff does so much that goes unnoticed.
Discovery isn’t just about going somewhere new and getting super tan. Rather, it’s about seeing something familiar in a different way. It’s about enabling a greater appreciation for something you once overlooked.
Even though I got sick along the way, something that initially was terrible timing pushed me to slow down and reflect. In some ways, my experience was more meaningful.
Discoveries aren’t just about where you go. But rather, how you grow.
