Naryman Arujau

IARD 4960

12/10/14

Reflection Paper

Perhaps the most influential reason I chose Cornell University was the exceptionally wide range of opportunities I knew the school and its wrestling program would provide for me.

My hard work and persistence as an underclassman placed me in finance and business internships with highly structured job descriptions and demanding and stressful work environments. Upon entering my senior year, I knew it was time to travel abroad for both personal growth, visiting family and of course, major requirements. I was ready to experience firsthand what I have been studying for over 3 years I could not wait to be immersed in my agricultural roots. My mother put me in contact with family that I have not been in touch with for over a decade and eventually I was lead to my grandfather’s farm. It had been over 15 years since my last visit to grandpa’s farm.

Having only traveled for wrestling tournaments to my homeland Russia as a young teen, traveling internationally (and alone) was foreign and to be honest, rather daunting. I was overwhelmed with my unpreparedness, even though it had ironically seemed that my entire life’s efforts had led me to those two next months. I knew that whatever expectations I could conjure up would either fall short of reality or be completely off-track, so I set two simple goals for myself: gain independence and learn about the Polish culture.

I was tired and alone when I landed in Warsaw. After ten hours of traveling, I was greeted by a man who spoke no English but was responsible for taking me on a tour of the country’s capital and my eventual transportation to the my grandfathers farm 3 hours away.

The commute exposed me to the beautiful landscape of wheat fields and rolling hills pastures

(cows), meadows, and potatoes. It became evident that there was still a large majority of people in this area surviving on subsistence farming.

My initial challenges during the first few weeks on the farm were not being able to speak the language, foreign cuisine, and culture shock. I lived with my grandfather and his second wife in a small 2-bedroom home that was 70 minutes from the closest major city. Being a family member of the “internship sponsor”, there was no true structure to my roles and responsibilities, which meant most of my workday was comprised of farm chores, personal research, and exploration. Without a car, my days were contingent upon the schedule of my grandfather or my willingness to travel on foot.

Halfway through the summer, everything seemed to change overnight. I was right in the middle of everything and loved every minute of it. I had found a way to train and eventually met some local wrestlers that I became good friends with. My workouts slowly transformed into five-mile runs as I soaked in the atmosphere and culture of the farm. I wasn’t sure if the hospitality of the neighbors and locals was commonplace or on the occasion of an American being in their midst, but eventually my newly developed Polish instincts helped me reciprocate this genuine welcoming with a wave and smile. I began to overlook the greetings of kisses on the cheek (left right left cheek) and appreciated the newfound and previously forgotten feeling of cordiality.

During the latter half of the Internship, I created a new system for tracking my grandfather’s gross sales to help visualize how much profit he was making. He was initially concerned with the results, however we came up with ways to make his small business just a bit more profitable. We focused on squeezing out as much profits as possible. I had finally established relationships and even friendships with the neighbors, which gave me the opportunity to spend time with others outside of my grandfather’s household and learn the language through conversations with locals and farm workers. Upon my gained responsibilities and duties within the farm, I quickly began to appreciate the fundamentals of the farm ranging from spreading fertilizer to harvesting tons of tomatoes and cucumbers, wheat, potatoes, milking cows, collecting eggs, and feeding chickens. We would always have the freshest meals, however it was intimidating to see first hand how a chicken is prepared. Campfires roasting potatoes and kielbasa with new found friends became staples of my weekends. I was at ease with the land, my peers and myself for the first time in what seemed like forever.

To the surprise of both my family and myself, the two weeks prior to my departure were filled with sadness and reluctance. I had become accustomed to waking up to the rooster’s crow. It became my lifestyle – one that proved itself hard to let go of.

I landed in America in a haze of exhaustion masked by the unparalleled feelings of true satisfaction and pride. As I debarked the plane, fellow passengers and personnel misunderstood me for a Pole, instilling the sense of accomplishment I had hoped for upon my internship’s completion. I am thankful to Poland and its people for quite possibly the most meaningful personal experience of my life. The two goals I had initially hoped to accomplish became an unconditional part of me; Polish was second nature and I knew I would be able to not only survive but also thrive in any uncomfortable situation I put myself in. As I look forward to my next visit to Poland, I remain grateful for the opportunity and the incomparable life lessons it provided for me.