Prologue

You are here.  I’ve been using that phrase lately like a pre-“All In, 24/7” as a grounding reminder that this is real— in less than three months, I’ll be on the experience of a lifetime with fifteen extraordinary people.   

I’m Leah Marut, and I am here.  Specifically, I’m in my dorm room; broadly, I’m on the TCU campus; and emotionally, I’m still processing the fact that I really am fortunate enough to be a part of the CR familia.  To give some more applicable info about me, I’m from Sugar Land in Texas (yes, really), I play the flute in the TCU marching band, and I love to read and write when I get the chance (being a night owl definitely provides a lot of chances). If it’s a Thursday night, chances are you can find me two-stepping at Billy Bob’s, but I’m almost always in my favorite place: laughing with my friends. My cats are the most precious pets in the world, I can never resist anything chocolate, and I’m entirely too fond of flowers.  If it means anything to you, my top three Enneagram Types are 2, 6, and 9, and I’m an ISFJ, but I’m sure some of you could figure that out soon enough.

I’d first heard about Cultural Routes last year during Dr. Pitcock’s presentation at a TCU event, and I was intrigued by such a unique approach to studying abroad.  He spoke about the whirlwind 26 days that were bursting with a priceless adventure; highlighted the utter immersion that was required of the students; and reiterated that it was anything but a tourist trip.  I sat there, a high school senior who hadn’t even gone through the difficulties of the college transition yet, and I felt a tugging in my mind that said, “I need to feel that kind of growth”. At that point, I still had so many uncertainties staring me in the face— I didn’t know what college I would ultimately attend, what major to pursue when I did get there, or what the next four years of my life would look like at all— but I knew I wanted to be pushed to think, analyze, and grow like those other students were as they dove firsthand into those cultures.

In writing my application for the program, I drew from those sentiments to emphasize how urgently that challenge called to me.  I didn’t try to spin my vulnerability into “the perfect textbook answer” because there was no right answer; there was just my unapologetically honest response that reflected my personality, and that was what mattered.  Also, Dr. Pitcock would have seen right through that so I knew not to even bother trying to pretend that I had all the answers. None of us do, and that’s the whole point of CR— we’re a bunch of hot messes who can hopefully help each other fill in some of our blanks along the way.

I woke up on January 8th so nervous that I was trying to play it cool and like I did not have the urge to check my email every ten minutes.  Even when the (not automatic) email did come, I let it sit in my inbox until later that evening so I could still enjoy my day with my friend whilst steeling myself for the worst.  At least, that’s what I planned to do. What actually happened was that I couldn’t stand the suspense any longer and opened the link in the presence of the aforementioned friend, and almost choked mid-spoonful of cookie dough.  I was floating the rest of the afternoon, and my family was just as excited, if not more, as I was to see those fireworks on the homepage (so much so that they didn’t notice me recording their reactions).

It didn’t truly sink in until the first debriefing meeting, when Dr. Pitcock stressed how seriously he labored over the selection process to create an intentional composition of complementing and opposing strengths and weaknesses, how much we were going to grow from this adventure— if we do it right.  And that means being real, open, vulnerable, and willing to rise to meet the challenges. 

I want my posts throughout this experience to remain genuine and reflective, sacrificing self-consciousness for the sake of showing the magnitude of my growth as I am shaped by the people and places surrounding me.  Hopefully I’ll make you crack a smile too, but by the end of it all, I hope these posts allow you to see on a personal level the kind of impact that CR has on a girl with an open heart who loves to laugh into the wind.  

I can’t wait for y’all to follow along on this journey! 🙂

Leah Marut