Technology down-grade

I feel as though I went on this trip not expecting much, but now that I am back and still not feeling any big change, I have to take a look at the smaller things.



Last Saturday I made the trip into Manhattan and headed to the verizon store with old phone in hand. I made the switch back! Bigggggg thangs! I downgraded from my Blackberry, back to my LG EnV2. Believe me, this was a big step and still is. Weird thing though, everyone told me that I would feel detached, but true fact is that I feel more attached. I am no longer constantly checking my e-mails, I am not waiting for a facebook notification, and I can still just normally text people without using BBM. It is so much easier to be attached to real life without a blackberry constantly in my pocket. Although I do miss getting e-mails right away or being able to check the weather, or find the location of the nearest Jamba Juice... it had made things simple and I am starting to get really used to it.

Coming back, I have honestly realized how much technology detaches us from one another. We no longer are able to have normal conversations at lunch, or at the dinner table, and someone ALWAYS has their cell phone out. I have been able to slowly detach myself from the cell phone in general, as well as save my mother $30 a month! Very thoughtful of me!

Boarding: Back to the States

Waking up in a panic, Christine realized right before bed that the itinerary was wrong and that our plane left an hour earlier that we had thought. She woke us up an hour earlier that we thought (not like we knew what time it was anyways), we pounded on the volunteer house door and woke them up to take us to the airport. They were not really happy campers!

We made our plane with plenty of time, and the culture shock already hit, even while sitting in the Guayaquil airport. Televisions, cell phones, RUNNING WATER... it was all too much. Thankfully we had no problems or delays, and things ended up working out really well coming home (which was kind of sad!). We all slept a lot and journaled, and attempted to ready ourselves for our return to the United States.

Flying back to New York

Upon boarding our flight from Miami to LaGuardia, we got a real reality shock when a group of about 25 Fordham students, tanned and hyper, were on our same flight... they were coming back from Punta Cana (lucky them?). And when we landed at LaGuardia, we were right back into things, almost like we never left. One of the ram van drivers, a friend of mine, picked us up at the airport, and it was almost like we had never been away. It was a crazy feeling since we had just gone through some of the most amazing experiences any of us had ever had. It was hard to not forget, but at the same time, being back in the States slightly forced us to get right back into normal life.

When I got back into my room... all alone... by myself, I sat in front of my turned off computer and cried! I was so overwhelmed, and called my mother to let her know I was back. I hopped in the shower and couldn't help but start crying again - I wanted to turn off the water while I showered! I was wasting water!... but I really wasn't, in US standards. "I pay for this water", I thought, "it's okay, Sarah... just take a REAL shower." The smallest things, since i have been back, still seem to amaze me, like running water and the small things we have that they don't. But as I have been told, in a story by one of my chaperone's, "you can't send the water to them!"

No Technology?! Impossible!

Roommate: "I would never be able to do a GO! trip... I thought about it, but I can't!"
Me: "Why... it isn't that big of a deal and is a great experience"
Roommate: "No... you know how I am without my blackberry for one minute, I have withdrawal... a whole week and I would die!"

While in Ecuador I will be forced to give up all technology, leave my CrackBerry at home and stray away from all technology for a WHOLE week. Okay... I might be exaggerating but at the same time, think about how much time we spend with technology. Right now, I am using it right here. I'm sitting in front of the TV and my cellphone is next to me.

The good part - I won't have time to think about how much I miss it, and HOPEFULLY won't be compelled to rush back to it when I get back. I'm sure it will take time to get reacquainted, just like any vacation away from technology, and I'm kind of excited for that.

Not only is it a requirement of the Global Outreach program here at Fordham University, to give up cell phones, iPods and the like during the trip, but also, we are going to an area that probably is not all that safe at all time and is drastically poor. During our week, we will be most likely so busy and immersed that there will not even be an ounce of time thinking about what else is going on in the world. The life of the Ecuadorian is exactly what we are going to learn about and to embrace that, we not only have to follow the rules implemented by GO! but also focus on them, how they live, what they do, and become part of their culture.

It will give me time to evaluate the extent to which I use, or abuse, technology and how I can really live without it, get beyond the fact that we can survive away from technology and it doesn't need to rule our lives!