April 11 2012
This could not be more true. I have EXPLORED the unknown, lived a DREAM, and DISCOVERED how to be truly happy. I feel so thankful to have had the opportunity to be challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone over the past 6 months. I now know that nervousness, uncertainty and excitement all create avenues for growth . I have been able to stretch and push myself pass my personal boundaries and this has allowed me so much joy and amazement.
Today my trips comes full circle. I wrote my first post while I was flying
on my first leg of my journey and now I am writing this on on my last. I will
not say my last post since I know I have so much more traveling in my
future. I can't believe how fast the
last 6 months have gone by. The thought of going home is both exciting and scary.
I have enjoyed every moment of this trip and will cherish every memory and
friendship made. I can now say that every bit of stress and anxiety I felt
before I left was completely worth it. I just hope life is not quite as
stressful when I come home. However if it is I know I can handle it. I can not
say that every single moment was perfect and amazing on my journey, but I can
say that I don't regret a single moment of it. Even the rough times are
something I am thankful for whether it was because it is now a funny story to
tell or the growth that came out a meeting a challenge.
Before I left I was terrified to be on my own. In retrospect I am so
thankful for the opportunity to be one my own. I could not be happier that I did
this trip on my own. I proved something to myself about my ability to handle
even the craziest things on my own. I
would not say that it was easy but I would recommend it to others. I had many
opportunities as a result of being on my own and I am so thankful for this. I
know that I was independent before I left but I think that I have become more
independent. I hope this is not a bad thing. Don't worry I am just as social as
ever I just now feel very comfortable doing things on my own. I have been asked many times already what my favorite place was. This is an impossible questions to answer. Each place had it's distinct experiences that make it unique and meaningful to me. However I do have a few distinct experiences that were amazing and I will never forget. These are all moments I do not want to forget so I will write them down, so here it goes:
· Teaching "If You're Happy and
You Know it " and "10 little Monkey Jumping on the Bed" to the kids at Joy Day Care
·
Weekend in Sihanoukville
·
Angkor Wat with Dawn and Justin
·
Riding Elephants at the Elephant Village
·
Everything Luang Prabang
·
A day at the beach with the Children from Achaise Children's Home
·
Christmas Day at Achaise Children's
Home
·
When every child at Achaise Children's Home was HIV negative
·
Dune Bashing
·
Spending time with Julia and Molly
·
Trip to Cornwall
·
Day in Tuscany
·
Hiking at the Cliff's of Moher and the Giant's Causeway
·
Spending time with Zach and Leo
I have a million other amazing moments so if you want to know more just ask
I know people said before I left that I would change while I was on this
trip. I am not sure I can define any distinct changes but I do know that I
have some new perspectives on life. I guess only time will show how this
experience has impacted me. Either way I am thankful for the opportunity. I
hope this experience will continue to impact both my decision making and
insight. I know this trip has been influential but I would love to know what the
future has in store for me. I hoped this trip would give me more clarity about
my life. I am not sure that I have my life figured out but I now know how
important it is to follow my heart and focus on making myself happy.
Through this experience I have had the opportunity to meet the most amazing
people. I feel so blessed to have met so many new and amazing people who will continue
to be part of my life. I am also
thankful for the opportunity I had to spend time with many of my friends that
live abroad. I know spending as much time with them as I did was a luxury and
something that will likely not be possible again. Thank you to every who opened
their home to me. This includes both new and old friends. Spending time in
people's homes throughout my travels has made this experience all that more
meaningful.
Looking back I feel like the most meaningful time during my trip was my
time volunteering. I am so thankful for every moment I spent volunteering, even
the really frustrating days. Spending time with so many amazing children will
be something I never forget. I would
highly recommend everyone, experience living in a developing country and spend
some time volunteering. I got so much more out of these experiences than I
gave. I already have my next trip
volunteering planned. I hope I can make it happen! It is funny I thought that
this trip would get the travel bug out of me and I would be ready to start a
long term career plan, but the opposite has happened. Don't worry I am not
going to travel forever, but I can't wait to go on another trip (it just might have
to be a bit shorter than this one). This is especially true since I can't wait
to do another volunteer placement in a developing country. I love the way my
volunteer positions pushed me out of my comfort zone, I am so thankful for
this. Anyone want to go to Kenya and
Tanzania with me in the next 2 or 3 years.
If that does not interested you I have a list a mile long of countries I
now want to visit. I know I will always be up for a new adventure! This adventure has shown me taking risks is totally worth it."You only live once but if you do it right once is enough" - Mae West
