From Europe to Space
The Departure
When the tiny spot we call home does another complete rotation around the star that is admired on a daily basis by billions of different eyes, while managing somehow to remain the same, we knew that our time has come. We stepped down on earth and finished our dreams only to embark on a journey that would prove, in the end, to become a living dream; one which was prepared for us through the craftsmanship of a lot of dedicated persons (like any given day on this project).
We gathered together on our bus, prepared to face a short road towards our destination: The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, located in Huntsville, Alabama. Due to our excitement it seemed like forever to ride through the American highways, sharing ideas, discussing the latest classes, or even enjoying some cupcakes made by our colleagues. When we finally got there, managing somehow to prove that when you use the time zones correctly you can actually travel in time a little bit, we lifted our heads only to be greeted by the flags, which we all saw in movies and which were standing straight on their poles, guarding all sorts of unique rockets, which were ready to scratch the clouds. So, with a deep breath it all started.
The Launching
The moment we stepped in, passing through the doors with the blue and red logo and 4 letters embedded on them, we knew that today would be a revealing day, one of discovery and wonder, one about asking “the big questions”. The day can simply be put as visiting an astronomical and space exploration center and meeting with our American host families. But putting it that way wouldn’t even grasp one tenth of it, because the day was so much more than the eye can see.
During the time at the center, which we wished we had more time to stop in order to properly analyze bits of our history. And I say “our” because space exploration is a history to which we all contributed and which represents the important steps we took as humankind, together.
To be able to stand a few feet away from desks, pieces of metal, diamonds of engineering, objects that overpass our imagination etc., which shaped our world, is something that simply cannot be put into words because it would mean to limit it to the extent it bears no longer any value. We had the chance to talk to people which shared words with renowned astronauts, contributed to mankind’s journey into the last frontier, and that were at the heart of cutting edge innovation. A once in a lifetime chance that has impacted us in ways we might not even realize now, hoping, one day that we will be able to achieve even half of the impact they had in the world.
We discovered, individually and together, our inner and outer most, realizing that with all the knowledge that we gathered about our countries, cultures, fields of study, etc. there is something above our heads, almost at an arm’s reach away, which is still mostly unknown. That moment, seeing the beauty and vastness of what surrounds our planet through various means, we understood what it really means to be creative and to cherish innovation as a way of elevating and uniting people. Because if it wasn’t for those bright minds throughout history, we couldn’t touch nowadays any photographs of bright and distant galaxies.
While admiring and wondering at the stars before us we comprehended that we must seek them and hunt for them, on a daily basis, all around us and in our hearts because they are hidden in every conversation, gesture, greeting, word of encouragement, act of kindness etc.; missing them due to the fact that we get caught in our routine or noticing only the big picture.
The Encounter
After we were left speechless and thinking about our discoveries, it was time for us to meet with our host families. Shortly put, it was a first degree encounter with some of the most amazing persons we have ever met. They took us on separate, but equally wonderful, roads where we finally understood the meaning of the phrase “American”. Our hosts proved to be people extremely polite, open-minded, with a good heart and lots of stories to share, who accepted us as part of their family. This is an experience in itself, and they built for us memories to be found of in our latter years of life. We found immense pleasure and great value in everything we did, or are going to do, with them, being truly amazing to finally learn the meaning, in the real life and not in the oxford dictionary, of the word human and what it represents.
I believe that bits of the poem “The Paradox of our Time” by Octavian Paler could perfectly summarize the day and the ideas we have learned:
The Paradox of our time in history is that we have bigger buildings, but less soul; larger high-ways, but narrower minds; We have bigger houses, but smaller families; more knowledge but less judgment; many experts but still many problems; We multiply our fortunes but we reduce our values; We talk too much, love rarely and we hate too often; We learn how to earn our existence, but not how to make a life; We gave years to life and not life to our years; We got to the moon and back, but we have problems when we must cross the street to meet a new neighbor; We conquered the space, but not the inner part of us; We conquered the atom but not our preconceptions.
I have a tremendous urge to be remembered of all of these things, and many more, each time I take a breath, and I feel that I must take all the actions that I am capable of taking the culpability and to grasp, in order to bring even the smallest good and to protect my cohabitants of the pale blue dot. By living this day I have realized that this small place which we call Earth is truly marvelous and that it is worth preserving, for the sake of the generations that are yet to come, because we do not have, at least for the moment, any other floating small rocks on which to fulfill our lives.
