AZTI DAY 5

Day 5 didn’t have an email home because by that afternoon I was home. We packed up and ate a quick breakfast before we headed to our last activity. On day one they took our voices we had our opening ceremonies and we screamed and then weren’t allowed to talk again and they gave us back our voices the same way. It was really interesting to see where everyone came from and I was really sad to leave. I commented on how impressed I was by the level ones and that I admired them for how hard they worked and how far they had come. I thanked those who had helped me make it through the Monday night hardships and I cried… once again. I was also able to talk to Jennifer who is an interpreter and has been for years about how she got involved in the Deaf culture and her advice on how to continue learning but not become a hassle or a burden to the Deaf community. I really enjoyed watching her this week and find her to be an AMAZING interpreter! I figured this experience would change me but I didn’t realize how much. I didn’t realize how much I would miss music but I was the kid raised in the dance studio so that shouldn’t be a shock. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to go back to the hearing world. Everything was so loud and I still felt like I couldn’t talk and tried signing for several more days. I didn’t realize that when I got done I wouldn’t be able to communicate in either language. I didn’t realize how much I would miss the quiet moments of reflection that I had there and how much I love signing. It took me several days before cell phones ringing didn’t freak me out anymore or that I could have a conversation without throwing sign language into it. It took me several days before the urge to yell at people to get their attention left me. And oddly enough I got done with not speaking for five days and I didn’t really want to talk. I had warned my family and coworkers that when I got back that I would be a chatter box and honestly I wasn’t that way. After I had shared my experiences more with my Mom, Marc and Mikkel I was already losing my voice after only speaking for a few hours and after that I didn’t want to talk anymore for a few days. It took me until Friday night to be my normal talkative self. I know that by reading the last few days that no one will really be able to understand what it was like because it is impossible to describe. But I am so glad that I did that and that I proved to myself that I really am that strong. I was really worried that I would be kicked out after day 2 and I survived. I am sure I could have done better but that is what I will have to strive for next year!