The Clock Reads 3 A.M.

Pictured: Ayo Ayodeji and Natalie Northrup, Class of 2022

The clock reads 3:00AM.

In 9 hours I will be boarding a flying piece of tin that is supposed to take me to Albuquerque, New Mexico. But as I try to enter Spring break with a clear conscience by finishing up some PSETs, I cannot help but wonder, ‘Wasn’t it just yesterday that I survived my first college semester at MIT? That I watched sunrises with mentors while we practiced for the Terrascope presentation? That I laughed and cried with classmates while working on the Mission 2022 website?’

A friend once asked me what Terrascope was like. I stared at her for a few seconds, laughed hysterically for a full minute, then answered, “It’s a rollercoaster! The kind that gives you enough stress and excitement to last a lifetime.”

“Hmn, so given the opportunity, you will ride it again?” she speculated.

“No way! Never! Nein!” I stubbornly objected. “This semester was enough TO LAST A LIFETIME.”

I lied.

I am about to dive, heart first, into the rich culture of the Diné. I cannot wait to see their beautiful paintings, listen to their amazing stories of history and tradition, and bask in their wonderful sun – rumors say that the sun actually makes things warm #ThanksBoston.

I am about to witness first-hand what our class presented about last semester, about to rediscover the meaning of Tó Éí Ííńá (‘Water is Life’), and about to gain a better understanding of water security issues in the region.

But guess the part I love the most!

I am about to embark on this journey with the same people that rode that nerve-racking rollercoaster called Terrascope with me last semester: terrafrosh, UTFs, mentors, and the facilitators. I could not have asked for a better group of people to share these upcoming experiences with, and it goes without saying that I’m gassed! I ‘m excited and ready to fly away from MIT. I have already thought about every single scenario that could happen, every landscape I would see, and every interesting story I will be able to share when I return.

But one thought still lurks in the basement of my caffeinated mind:

The clock reads 3:17AM – I really need to start packing.

By Ayo Ayodeji, ’22