Ever since my first year at university ended, I have been overcome with this sense of restlessness. I don’t know what it is or why its come over me, but I haven’t been able to shake it. Maybe its because after months of papers, assignments, exams, and classes I have nothing else to distract me and nothing to do to expend all this energy I have. I finally have time to reflect on my life and I’ve realized that over the past four months I’ve lost my passion and my drive. I realize that for too long I’ve been going through the motions of life, choosing what I’ll do, where I’ll go, how I’ll live. But you don’t choose a life; you live one and it takes a daily effort to live one that you can be proud of. I have been feeling like I need my life to count- I need to do more- I need to be more. This year has been a great experience, don’t get me wrong. And its been an essential part of my life that has taught me who I am and who I want to be. Its been one of growth and encouragement but now, I’m ready to move beyond that. I’m ready to take on the next adventure. I feel like I’ve outgrown my sheltered life and I’m ready to be daring and to take a risk. What better outlet for taking risks than travel? None.
Travel is where my heart has always been. I can’t exactly pinpoint where I picked up this love of travel (maybe it was the countless Mary Kate and Ashley movies I watched growing up.) But as the years went on it was a passion that grew from just wanting a laundry list of countries to brag about to a real desire to truly experience the world and the people in it. I’ve realized I have a fascination with people and I guess that is what has drawn me into Anthropology, but its not that I just want to get to know people. I want to reach out and make a difference in their lives. Its not the sights and the buildings that make an impression on you and change you; its the people you encounter.
My first mission trip to Mexico was the first eye opener that I had to the plight of the people around the world. I had never seen real poverty until I went to Mexico and it broke my heart. It also spurned within me a need to do what I could for those less fortunate. I realized that it wasn’t just travel and the world that I wanted to experience, but the people within it. I’ve decided to make it a goal for myself and for this blog that wherever my travels take me, I will make a point to reach out to a charity or volunteer organization wherever I’m at and give a bit of my time. Rather than it just being a travel blog, it will be a journey blog where I will document all that I have experienced. It will go beyond that of tourist destinations and sight seeing.
