Hosting two youth from Kosovo, parent chaperones, students, and an instructor from a student-German exchange greatly increased my global awareness. When our family accepted two young boys, ages 11 and 14, from war-torn Kosovo in 2004, we realized the magnitude that every person from their village was affected by war. Music united our children with the visiting group from Kosovo via the Shropshire Foundation. Our children performed throughout Iowa, and we viewed our daily activities and surroundings with a new lens. The boys spoke little English, yet they attempted speaking English and embraced our customs. We were able to learn some Albanian words and learn about their customs. In addition to the Kosovo youth, we had the opportunity to host German guests several times. Traveling abroad, I realized that accomplishing simple tasks were rewarding, such as going to the market, using public transportation, checking into hotels with a group of students, and navigating through the city. As I attempted to speak more German, the more welcoming our German colleagues become. Although I was uncomfortable speaking German, my host’s husband was equally uncomfortable speaking English. Our willingness to speak each other’s language helped develop a friendship. My German host was surprised by her husband’s willingness to speak English to me, claiming that he wouldn’t speak English for just anyone. In the summer of 2018 I had to the opportunity to travel to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa through the Catherine Miller Award, awarded by the Stanley Foundation for Peace and, on a one-month camping trip. I observed connections between the land, wildlife and people. I focused my attention on different cultures abilities to problem solve. Most importantly, traveling overseas via exchange programs challenged my views and forced me to reevaluate my ideas. I continued to share my ideas with classes and challenged my students to think with a more global perspective, particularly engineering projects.
Be Curious! 