Into The Unknown

Growing up in a caste system where it is difficult to pursue your dreams because of the concrete social structure has been tough. The only way out of the physical labor working class is through education. So, each year during my primary and secondary schooling, I studied hard to get the very best marks. Without scoring high on primary school exams, there would be no moving on to secondary school. I just had to put in my best effort. I didn’t have a choice where I was born or who my parents would be, but am honored to be the oldest son, Rafael, of Mr. and Mrs. Sumner from an obscure Caribbean Island near the equator.

    Getting my secondary school test results scored me in the top position on the island. My hard work and determination got me there. However, I knew my family had no way to pay for a college education. The island had no college. If I were to somehow attend, I would have to travel away from all I knew. The great ranking position I achieved did do one thing for me. I was offered a job working in a laboratory. It was far better than being a field worker on the family banana plantation.

    I should have been happy with my job at the lab, yet the desire to become a doctor remained. I didn’t really have a specific goal of which part of the medical field, anything would fulfill that calling in life. Weeks turned into months, and I was starting to believe I would have to resolve myself to a life of flasks and test tubes, meticulously measuring out someone else’s procedures to find the given results. For me, it wasn’t enough.

    Six months went by, and the traditional Fall colleges were starting on other islands and mainland schools. It would take years of saving enough money to attend a medical school, if I could get accepted and obtain the legal paperwork to leave the island. I knew my chances dwindled as the months progressed. In my waiting, I did my work with the same level of dedication as I did with my school studies.

    Then an unexpected letter from the governmental office of the island came. Because of my test scores throughout my educational years, the powers that be determined that they would be needing someone to become a dentist in a few years and offered a full scholarship if I was interested. But wait! There was a catch. The invitation said I was to leave within a week and was already behind since the college in Cuba had already started. Wait What? Cuba? They speak Spanish there, right? I don’t even know the language. How can I take classes in another country where I don’t even know what they are saying? And to be able to commit within a few days all seemed impossible.

    Was this my big chance or an insurmountable obstacle? With my head reeling around with the “Do I” or “Don’t I” decision. I decided to respond back to my government with a “Yes, I will accept.” Their response was congratulatory and included directions to pack one suitcase of belongings and be ready to leave on Friday.

    Okay, here’s my next challenge. How do I reduce my life down to one suitcase to head off to a country I have never been before? I have no idea what I need to take. It’s hot here living at the Equator. I don’t know what the weather is like there nor the conditions of where I will be staying. All I know is that I would be sharing a room with two other non-Cuban students and given a bed and a desk with a chair. I would be also given an evening meal each day. The time involved a four-year commitment, and my costs would be covered if I kept my studies at an acceptable GPA level of 3.0 or above. If I drop below 3.0, I will lose the scholarship and be sent back home.

    With little time to settle my affairs, buy and fill a suitcase, purchase an English to Spanish translation book, and say my goodbye’s to family and friends, I managed to do what I needed to leave. Finding a jacket was the hardest thing to include. It never gets cold here so there is no need for jackets. I also packed a blanket. Those two items took up a bunch of space in the suitcase. Pens, paper, and empty notebooks were jammed into the side zippered compartment. I also had a seventy pound weight restriction to abide by. Nine months of living needs all squeezed into a seventy-pound suitcase seemed crazy. But if I could accomplish that, I felt I could learn to leave all that I know to go to a place I’ve never been, while taking medical classes in a foreign language equipped with my suitcase and determination.

    Going off into the unknown to become a doctor was what I had been dreaming of all my life. Even the lab job allowed me to save enough money to transfer to another country to help supplement my needs at college. But was it enough?

    Stepping off the plane and walking from the tarmac to the well-enforced airport was an immediate culture shock. I wasn’t used to seeing armed guards everywhere. A few short days ago, I didn’t know where my future was going and now, I am immersed in it 24/7. I didn’t have time to begin learning Spanish. Luckily, the college had a person at the airport holding a sign with “Rafael Sumner“ written on it.

    I soaked in all the sights, sounds, and smells during the hour ride to the college. My driver didn’t speak English. He drove me to the campus dorm and showed me to my basement room. His welcoming demeanor was about as warm as the cold basement room. The bed was just a simple one layer mattress on the concrete floor. There was a well-used dresser with four drawers. I saw no desk or chair. Suddenly, the suitcase was my most treasured possession.

    Less than a week ago, I thought I knew what I wanted. Now that it was here and evolving, I wasn’t as sure. It will be the biggest challenge of my life, but it is mine to grab ahold of and take to live it out as best as I can. For right now, I have two new roommates to meet, and two days to get grounded before my classes begin on Monday morning.

    One thing I have learned from all of this, with my suitcase in hand, be careful of your dreams. They can come for you faster than you are ready to receive them. Pack your suitcase well with your essentials. For a season, it might be required to contain all you truly possess to get you to your next level.