Orientation

Orientation

"Natural? Okay! I see you Sis."

Orientation week

Alcalá De Henares, Madrid, Spain

Only other Black girl studying abroad*

About one week before the start of my first semester as a second year student I decided to cut my hair.

Not because of years of chemical relaxers that left my natural curls damaged, not because of breakage from poorly maintained weave or box braids done too tight too often. I was about two months into my no product experimentation when I noticed matting happening at my roots. Rather than sit and set my hair free strand by strand, I thought it’d be easier to cut it all off.

I passed the idea by my Mom,

She was peeling cucumbers and stopped mid way, to look at me before laughing, skeptically, "Aaleah.."

The next day,I had my brother shave my head. He left behind about 1-2 inches. I excitedly began to take pictures to send to my sisters group chat, as my brother exasperatedly let out, “at least wash your hair first”. Y claro, I wouldn’t want to misrepresent his good work.

I´ve known that feeling of unrest ,of justified indecisiveness- Of knowing that what I chose isn't right and couldn't be-. In my senior year of highschool, those feelings were in overdrive. I didn't know how I wanted to grow, but it felt like time was running out. Recurring thoughts on purpose, both individual and generational fed my anxiety ,apprehension and my overall frustrations. I could feel those around me beginning to get impatient, if not also worried. My searches for colleges had only just begun that September, and nothing felt right, until I found LIU.

It didn't look real. The two minority students looked too happy candidly posed next to remote mountain ranges, outside of temples, and lakes, on the Great Wall of China. Students visit 17 countries within 4 years while earning a bachelor's degree in global studies. I first learned about experiential learning that night, its definition was simple: learning through experience. It felt like the answer had finally come, the gift, And just as all of those that come, I almost questioned it away. How many black people you see on that website? Global Studies isn't linguistics, how do you explain the plan then? Isn’t four years abroad too much time? You won't have friends when you come back. You'll be out of touch with everything happening in the U.S. How would you be any better than the people that go on "service" trips abroad trying to "change the whole world" and do other idealist things?

My mom was the first to notice my hesitation, or maybe the first to be vocal about it

“Aaleah”, she was fed up by now, “you know which one you want, you decided already.”

And she was right.

It's been a little under a week since I’ve come Alcala De Henares, Madrid, Spain, and my hair has already grown to a length where leaning against chair backs and windows has the back of my head looking like a straightedge. I'm two full weeks into the Europe program, and I am met with the similar challenge of finding my footing in a foreign place, becoming comfortable with uncomfortable and learning more about what it means to be black woman in America, even while outside of the context of America.

I believe in the power of personal narratives to transform perceptions of society and re-write a history that has been written of and for us in the United States of America.

Hey! My name is Aaleah Cynthia Oliver.

I walk bo’ legged

I don’t talk a lot, but I’m not shy

I’m a sophomore at LIU global college

And I write.

Its nice to meet you.

*Name has been omitted for privacy concerns