What's in a Word?

By Jaime Zamesnik

I recently had to answer a few security questions when I signed up for United's mileage program in preparation for the service learning trip. One of the questions asked for my favorite type of travel activity. Among the offered responses was camping/hiking, which perfectly sums up how I would prefer to spend my free time. After today I see that answer in a new light.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that "Not all who wander are lost." However, there are those who wander after losing everything, and more. The word wander for most us brings to mind a leisurely walk through the woods, or a perhaps a meander across a clover-filled meadow. Not so for the refugees who see no way forward but to flee their homes in a desperate attempt to find a path to Europe. Their hope is that they will never again have to live amid terror and violent conflict. My hope is simply that no-one will be able to see how many miles I've accrued. I stand admonished.

I go camping. Those seeking refuge go to a camp. I take my sleeping bag, tent, and a desire to escape my daily routine for a few days. The refugees bring only as much of their past as they can carry, and a need to escape an environment that has become unlivable. After a few days in the woods, I fold up my tent and head back to the comforts of home. For the refugees living in the camps, the wait can be interminable, and the end result a new life or the return to a nightmare. The next time I have the luxury of going camping, I will do so with the knowledge that not all who camp do so willingly.

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