“Are you sure you want to wear flip-flops?” my best friend Bernice asked me as we prepared for our hiking adventure. Bernice was visiting me in the DR, and we decided to go on a mini-adventure with a few of my co-workers. “We’ll be fine,” I confidently replied, “We’re just walking 10-15 minutes to the caves. It’s not really hiking.”
Shortly after we left my house, we ran into my neighbor Angelíc. Though she greeted us with a huge smile, we could sense her confusion after she learned where we were headed. “Are you sure you want to wear those shoes?” Angelíc kindly asked Bernice, who was wearing flats, “I have hiking boots if you want. What size are you?” Already running late, I told Bernice that we would probably be fine, so we decided to stick with what we had and esperar lo mejor (hope for the best). If nothing else, this would be another “Bernice and Shawon adventure” – this time in La Loma, a hidden treasure in the Dominican Republic.
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I happened to be working off-site when the Supreme Court announced its decision on gay marriage. It was a Friday. I was administering surveys to students in one of DREAM’s education programs at a local elementary school. Not many students showed up to complete the survey, so I spent most of my morning sitting at a table, anxiously checking my phone for the “Breaking News” about the SCOTUS decision.
I don’t remember the exact time the news broke, but I do remember tearing up the moment it did. Across the United States, gay marriage was now legal. While I still agonize over the many issues the LGBTQA community faces, in that moment, I was overwhelmed with joy. Almost immediately, I texted my close friends and my Mom about the news, all of whom sent me responses that made me even more excited. The rainbow-colored profile pictures on Facebook were the icing on the cake.
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One June 3, just around 2 AM, I softly cried to myself after saying goodbye to my closest friends. Slowly walking back to my dorm room, I realized that our random sleepovers, “study” sessions, and carefree beach trips were all memories we’ll cherish rather than moments we’ll live again. That night wasn’t a goodbye to our friendship, but it was a goodbye to the convenience of it. Even more, it was a goodbye to the very people who made Princeton my home.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time or energy to process how I felt about leaving. Just ten days after graduation, I would be in the Dominican Republic as a Princeton in Latin America Fellow. Before leaving, I spent most of my time visiting family I hadn’t seen (and wouldn’t see) for months, and packing what felt like my life into two large suitcases. Before I could blink, it was June 13th. I wanted more time to reflect on my last four years at Princeton, but as I walked through the airport in a new country, I could only wonder if this place, too, would feel like home.
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