Alumni Blog

Carleigh MacMaster Swaziland 2009 (Impact of Intercordia)

It’ll have been two years in May. May 7th, 2009 to be exact,
when our teeny, tiny plane landed at Mataspha International Airport.
I was anxious, excited, nervous for the coming three months.

It’ll have been two years in May. May 7th, 2009 to be exact, when our teeny, tiny plane landed at Mataspha International Airport,. I was anxious, excited and nervous for the coming three months. Three intense months. One with extremes ups and downs, experiences that didn’t quite meet expectations, others that surpassed them… But that’s the beauty of Intercordia; it’s all about leaving expectations on the plane and rolling with it. Getting to know the new culture, environment, and individuals by unraveling barriers, exposing yourself, reflecting on your own perspective so that you may learn and BE with people who have opened their doors to you. It’s not all amazing. Our mentor, Lauren always said, ‘Be gentle with yourself’ and it’s so true. In a foreign country, surrounded by a host family that is very different from your own you left at home, you have to be gentle with yourself, so that you may be gentle with others and benefit from those relationships that change you so significantly.