Living in a rural, Islamic village with unreliable internet
and a 13- hour time difference from Chicago did not provide many opportunities
for distractions. As I mentioned in early posts, I did not have
my regular spin classes, Tuesday $2 draft nights with friends, frequent text
messages vibrating my phone, train rides and adventures in Chicago or my familiar
community of family or friends around me. All in all, it was perhaps the most ‘quiet’
I have ever experienced in my life.
I am from a family that keeps its doors always open. With
that, life in America is full of people, laughs and splendid little moments
each and everyday. Therefore, as I acclimated to a ‘quiet’ life in Malaysia, I
strived to find things that could keep my mind occupied after school hours. For
someone with my personality, it was not easy, but I did it. And, overall,
looking back, I realize that the ‘quiet’ I experienced allowed me greater
insight to me, myself and I. Without so many distractions, I was faced to
nurture a relationship with myself and in essence, really get familiar with who
I was.
In fact, earlier this week I explained my ‘quiet’ experience
to a dear friend. I explained that the lack of ‘noise’ in my life made
me feel very much alone at times. However, it is neat to have experienced a
long-term, intensely quiet and seemingly lonely experience. Without ‘noise’
(even working Internet at times and a sufficient television), I was faced to
sit with myself and my thoughts. Not many individuals get so much time to build
a relationship with themselves. That in itself is neat, mind boggling and
eye opening all at once.
Now, with that being said, I think ‘quiet’ was a once in a
lifetime experience. Therefore, I probably would not rush to sign up for having
so much ‘quiet’ again. Also, in no way would I romanticize the experience either. Parts of it were tough. Really tough. All in all, I am merely mentioning that if you allow
yourself true ‘quiet,’ you may be amazed by how much you can learn about yourself.
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| I had a great deal of quiet time this year. |
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