Journey To Thailand
by Barrington Roberts | originally posted by Jan 31, 2010
In the summer of 2009, I traveled on an amazing trip to Thailand. Through the International YMCA Global Teens Program, around 250 teenagers were given a chance to have an experience unlike anything we ever imagined. We were charged with the awesome responsibility of building a YMCA Learning Center in Chaing Mai, Thailand. The numerous days of training, which included meetings that would allow us to become engaged in the culture and the practices of Thailand. Most teenagers between the age of 14 and 18 don’t have the opportunity to travel out of the country to the other side of the world, without parents, and with two, down-to-earth group leaders.
The trip from New York to Thailand was a journey in and of itself, taking a total of 28 hours, including stopovers and flight time. We quickly learned that we were in for the time of lives. We jumped directly into the first activity right after our first Thai meal. The first day of the trip was spent getting to know your roommate and group, as well as exploring the commercial marketplace, also known as shopping. The malls in Thailand were similar to the malls in America, with high-priced name brands, sporting good stores, and a food court.
After a short while, we learned that it was time to get to work. Our group set out to begin. Our first task was to move over 200 bricks to one spot. Next we had to prepare the cement for the foundation. Manually mixing cement was by far one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, because of the torture it puts on the body. After four long, hard nine-hour work days, we finally finished building something that would be useful to the Thai children.
We felt an overwhelming mixture of success and exhaustion. We completed the task at hand, building an YMCA Learning Center from the ground up, with blood, sweat, and some tears. We accomplished what we first thought was impossible. That was the most important part of the Global Teens experience: feeling good about what you accomplished in another country, with people that soon become your family. Thailand was an unforgettable experience.
Barrington Roberts is a senior at Rice High School. He is also a member of The Liberation Program and the Media Team.
Bro/Sis Photo@Random
