Jumping In
Some of the best moments of my life have happened because I decided to say, “Yes,” before I could think about the decision I was making. I truly believe this “impulsive” nature has always been a part of who I am; for the good and bad. From my earliest recollection and input from family, I was the kid that cried a lot, asked too many questions, and was daring. When I was four years old, my family and I went to Phoenix for vacation. The hotel we stayed at had an outdoor pool and in the 100+ degree heat, that chlorinated water was irresistible to a kid from the reservation.
I ran ahead of my family and jumpedright into the deep end of the pool. Despite it being over 20 years ago, I distinctly remember that sinkingmoment. Literally, I still vividlyremember sinking to the bottom of the pool because I didn’t know how toswim. As I had said, I was a kid fromthe reservation, and pools back home were a dime a dozen. The only real exposure I had to any body ofwater before diving into the pool was being in the bath tub at home.
Fortunately, my father knew how to swim. As I sunk down to the bottom, I remember seeing the water distort to the force of my dad diving in to get me. Quickly, he grabbed me and pulled me up to the surface. He then returned me to the dry land that I was meant to survive on. On land, I was met with laughter from my family and a surprised mother. She loudly exclaimed, “He just jumped right in!”. Since then, I’ve continued to jump headfirst into new experiences however, now I do so some preparation.
Imagine this scenario. You’re a sophomore in the middle of Spanish class. Your grade is a measly C- and you’re struggling with almost every new lesson. On top of that, you’re an indigenous kid that is attending one of the most prestigious high schools in America, on the other side of the country, thousands of miles away from home. You constantly struggle with almost all of your classes, but you’re scraping by with passing grades. Spanish class is challenging and it’s not getting easier.
Well of course, that kid I just described was me. I was 15 and naïve with horrible language skills. For me, that class was very intimidating, but I was lucky to have Señora Antunez dedicate her time to help me. I tried … kind of. I was one of those kids that had subpar grades but played it off to make it seem that I didn’t try hard. In reality, I truly did put a lot of my effort into learning Spanish but was discouraged when I would get a C or D back on my assignments. So, I continued this unproductive habit until one fateful day in the spring.
Señora Antunez was running late to class. She casually walked in and nonchalantly asked, “Who wants to go to Spain?”. Without thought, I raised my hand alongside some other students. Then she simply handed each of us an application packet and proceeded to start class. I tucked the packet into my backpack and waited until class was over to peek at what she had just given me. After class concluded, I scurried back to my dorm and pulled out the packet to see how I could visit Spain.
The packet detailed the process ofhow to apply to participate in a study abroad term in La Coruna for two monthsthat upcoming fall. The term would beconducted completely in Spanish and students would be paired with a hostfamily. The location of La Coruna wasnorth of Portugal in the province of Galicia right by the ocean. Students were expected to fully immerse themselvesinto the culture and academics of the country.
Without a doubt, I was scared about this opportunity. I was not good at Spanish, I was already far from home, and I had never been out of the country. Before I could convince myself not to go, I started to fill out the application and called my mom to let her know that I wanted to follow through with this. As she usually has and continues to do today, she simply said, “Ok I trust you, I know you know what you are doing.”. I quickly sent her the papers that had to be signed and began my passport application.
Long story short, I was accepted to study abroad in the fall. I returned home for the summer, found a Spanish tutor, got a summer job and saved up for my trans-Atlantic journey. I encountered some traveling difficulties on my flight to Spain. I ended up staying in New York City for a night due to missing my connecting flight at JFK. By missing that flight, I had to travel to Spain on my own without the school group. Boy! It was intimidating to arrive in Madrid with horrible Spanish and trying to find my connecting gate to La Coruna. Somehow, someway, I made it to my destination.
I spent two amazing months in Spain and learned so much more about the world than I could from a textbook. My host family was amazing, and I could not have eaten any better since my Spanish mother, Pilar, cooked the best food ever. I forged friendships that still last to this day. More importantly, I capitalized on a trait that some may consider foolish. But, by being “impulsive,” I changed my life for the better.
Today, I can happily say that I have done a great amount of traveling. I’ve studied in Spain and Australia. I’ve spent time working in Italy. I’ve toured Indonesia, England, Austria, Germany, and France. I’ve worked as a researcher, a reporter, bartender, custodian, fitness coach, and student services specialist. I served in the United States Air Force, contributed back to my community here on the reservations in several capacities, and also earned my bachelor’s degree. I have experienced some amazing jobs that made me enjoy working with others and achieving a common goal. However, the most satisfying feeling is that I have gotten to do so much and still have so much more time to do more. I believe that anyone can do this for themselves. It just takes a bit of sacrifice and discomfort to be happier and accomplish whatever you want to do. All it takes is to simply say, “Yes” before you can make yourself say “No”. Sometimes you just need to jump in the water!
Editor’sNotes: LaneFranklin is a Native American from the Navajo Nation in the Southwest UnitedStates and is an Air Force Veteran. Before starting Physical Therapy School in the Fall, he will participatethis Summer in a Veterans Fire Corps program in Colorado.