One of my best friends back in Denver, Skyler, introduced me to a game he created called “Moon I win.” The rules are very simple: the first person to point to the moon and say “Moon I win!” wins. The timer resets at 3pm every day and offers a new chance for someone else to win for the day. At first, Skyler beat me and our other friends constantly, but I have since become accustomed to pointing out the moon as soon as I see it every day, and I shout “MOON I WIN!” to anyone I know nearby.
Nearly all of my friends back in Denver are also studying abroad this quarter, so one of the ways I have been keeping up with them is through playing “Moon I win” internationally. Now, you might think that this would be very difficult with so many time zones; you’d be absolutely correct. There have been many times I have awoken to a “Moon I win” message from my roommate studying in New Zealand, 12 whole hours ahead of me. However, I still can grab some wins when others are busy or distracted.
I definitely miss the silliness of “Moon I win” and other friend shenanigans I’d had fun doing during my two years in Denver so far. However, I don’t think I expected to miss Denver quite as much as I do. I miss my friends and dorm life and hockey games and swim meets and mountains and cold weather. I miss the independence of dorm living and getting a choice of what I eat at the dining hall. I saw so many people’s Instagram posts of the Hockey Night Lights campout and knew this would be the first year I’d miss it.
It’s odd how comforting a simple tradition of sending moon pictures makes me feel closer to Denver and my DU friends. Never in a million years would I give up all of the amazing new experiences I’m having in Dakar, but I have truly loved the small opportunities of bringing my American culture and fun activities to Senegal. I love going to the pool to swim or finding pastries as an afternoon sweet treat or playing frisbee with a group of ex-pats at the U.S. Embassy field. I’ve even gotten the other students at my school to start playing “Moon I win” with me! Whenever I’m out late with friends and we see the moon, they’ll point it out and remind me to send a picture to my DU friends abroad.
A PSA to anyone reading this and currently/thinking about studying abroad: Make the most of every new moment and experience you have, but take the time to incorporate elements of your home life into your study abroad life. You don’t need every single aspect of study abroad to be strange and new and exciting. The mundane is okay; comfort is okay. Study abroad is about interacting with the culture, not assimilating to it. You’re supposed to make it a little easier on yourself if you can! I truly think my study abroad experience is benefitting from a mix of novelty and comfort, and that ratio is not always constant.
Enjoy some of the many moon pictures I’ve taken so far! And if you’re reading this (especially if you’re Skyler & co): “MOON I WIN!!!” Better luck at 3pm tomorrow 🙂
Ba ci kanam / À bientôt / See you soon,
Caitlin
DU Abroad 