Living On The Edge: Aria Hansen’s Unforgettable Summer
Ada Lambert | November 8, 2023
With her life savings to spend and a jumping-off point, Aria Hansen, a Warren Wilson College (WWC) senior, left for the Netherlands last spring semester with a group of WWC students, joining in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a care farm for two weeks. Three months later, she found herself traveling back to the U.S. alone, just days before school started. Without a plan in place, she had no idea how the summer would pan out.
During her two weeks in the Netherlands, Hansen spent her time traveling through cities and spent a week on the care farm, which is geared towards housing and employing people with all matters of disabilities, whether psychological or physical. These farms help cultivate a community of acceptance and care for people who otherwise would not have the accessibility to that liberty.
Hansen had intentionally purchased a one-way ticket to the Netherlands but had no clue where she would head after the Netherlands trip came to a close. Joined by a friend from the trip, she decided that her next destination would be Sweden. From there, they traveled to Germany, Denmark and then to Albania in the Balkans.
Albania was the farthest place from the rest and quite rural, so Hansen rented a car and traveled around the country, going to small towns and meeting new people. The language barrier was more challenging than her previous countries, but that did not stop her from enjoying the culture.
In a breath of familiarity, Hansen flew to Dublin, Ireland to join a retreat led by Asheville locals Brian Ammons, former chaplain of WWC, and his husband, Gareth. The retreat was rooted in the history of Northern Ireland, covering the Troubles and the cultural impact that the conflict had on religion and politics.
One part of the retreat that Hansen enjoyed was a silent meditation day. This was an experience where she and others were able to exist in community together doing things such as cooking and cleaning but remaining quiet throughout.
This led her to the highlands in Scotland, an isolated region where food is hardly accessible. Despite the trouble of having nothing to eat, Hansen made it work — off of tea, fish skins, rice and an edible plant that a local suggested to her.
For many, this vulnerable circumstance would bring anxiety, but as Hansen recalled the experience, she emphasized that it was a valuable learning lesson for her. She had many moments abroad where she felt like things could have gone wrong, but fortunately, everything worked out in her favor. It also helped that she had traveled before and knew the dos and do nots of going abroad solo. She emphasized that she was extremely cautious about going out and partaking in any risky behavior.
One of the most memorable experiences abroad for her was in England at Cambridge University. Cambridge offers two-week international summer programs where students from all around the world can join in taking world-renowned courses at a college of their choosing. Hansen decided to take a few business classes, hoping to gain important knowledge for her future endeavors.
“I'm sitting there and I'm answering questions in these business classes and getting them right,” Hansen said. “I was leading projects and doing all these things in class. I feel so confident that the Wilson education I'm getting is good enough for the real world because if I'm answering questions at Cambridge University, one of the top universities in the world, then the education I'm getting at [Warren Wilson College] is pretty damn good.”
During this long-winded journey, Hansen met hundreds of people from different cultures and broadened her worldview. This was on her mind when she traveled back home and enabled her to better appreciate the positive qualities of America.
“In some of these other countries that I was meeting these people from, I mean, there was no trying in these countries,” Hansen said. “There were no people fighting safely. In America, we have the right to speak up whereas in some other countries, you do not. There's also just so much religious trauma that I think America doesn't quite have. On the other hand, I am disappointed in the lack of education, understanding and a worldly presence that Americans have.”
Hansen’s adventure will continue no matter where she goes, as she builds lifelong connections and learns valuable lessons about herself and the world around her. After college, she hopes to work abroad and pursue her love for knowledge.