Every culture around the world has some way to reference a deeper level of understanding, a sense of self, or a subconscious. In ancient Chinese culture they refer to the ying and yang; the ultimate goal of balance for everything in life, in Thai culture they refer to different feelings as earthly elements that need to be in balance, in classic christian culture we tend to reference the spirit and morality to find enlightenment and happiness. No matter the terminology or belief, we all try to find meaning in life and purpose behind what we do.
I like to imagine my soul as a bowl of soup, with my life experiences being the various spices I add. As we learned in our Thai cooking class, there are countless spices and herbs one can add to soup to make it spicy or sweet, salty or bitter, to add color or change consistency, the possibilities for a single bowl of soup are infinite. Even from the same broth, you can diversify your soup to exactly what you like. My experiences in Thailand have rocked my world and shaken me to my core in both extremely positive and enlightening ways. Coming from the quaint and quiet mountains of western Maine, I'm extremely thankful for the life lessons I obtained but you can only learn so much from a set standard of surroundings. Through my life I've learned you need pressure and discomfort to grow, much like metal you need to add heat and pressure to reshape and create something much more beautiful than before.
We've visited an AIDS hospice to meet patients who are on deaths door, we've been to an orphanage created due to the massive human trafficking problems in Asia, we've been to TB wards, visited communities and homes of patients with no money and no insurance. The most shocking part of these heart-aching visits was the demeanor, humility and happiness in each location. The positive outlook of life from those that are truly struggling breeds hope and happiness thats much more contagious than the infectious diseases and viruses battled in Thailand. Aside from harder visits we've also played with tigers and elephants, ate scorpions and bugs, ventured into the most obscure and stimulating environments of Bangkok, swam in snake infested jungle rivers, visited the most beautiful temples, bartered with countless street vendors and made lifelong connections with colleagues half way around the world.
Some like their soup hot and some like it sweet, I personally like a diverse range of flavors that confuse your tongue and build a flavor so unique you will always remember it. You can never predict how cultural immersion will change you but you always know you'll never come back the same person. Years ago I made a vow to never stop experimenting and challenging myself, with this I've added spices and herbs to my soup that I didn't know existed before I left Dixfield, ME. My time in Thailand is almost over but I'll never forget this clinical excursion and the lessons will stick with me to not only influence my personal life, it will also shape my practice of pharmacy for years to come.
So to close I propose a challenge to anyone who reads this post; don't settle for bland soup. Challenge your ideals and views, put yourself in uncomfortable and strange settings. Go to a country where you can't speak the language, if you help someone what doesn't understand your words they'll still understand your heart. Regardless of whether your comfortable with your soup or want a change of flavor, never stop adding more spice.
-Justin R.
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