Reflections

Because of the illness that followed me home and the necessity of dealing with it upon my return, I did not have much time to reflect on my trip. After leaving the hospital, I was so swept up in my desire to find a job, visit friends and family, and figure out what path the next segment of my life would take, that I easily fell back into the conveniences of daily life in the States, picking right up where I left off, so easily that I barely noticed the transition. My only recollection of any impact my six months abroad had on my immediate homecoming was the pleasure I gained from driving to the supermarket for the first time and being amazed at the cleanliness and orderliness, and the abundance of food at my fingertips, such a thing, unknown in so many parts of the world and so taken for granted by so many in industrialized countries.

I decided to take this trip abroad for various reasons, one being to see the world and to broaden my knowledge about the lives of people in other parts of the world and another, to take back the lessons that I learned, both from what I saw and what I experienced firsthand, and to incorporate them into my life at home. I wanted the trip, not simply to be a trip, but to be an experience that would help me to lead a more fulfilling and internationally conscious life. I have learned that it is easy to fall into the routine of the immediate every day and to discount things that do not directly impact this reality, but I hope that this trip will allow me to make positive changes, even if small, to be sure that my experiences truly become a part of me, and not merely a part of my past.

I hope to remember the lessons I learned about perception and how much it can affect your view of reality, not only to temper my reactions to people and situations, but to understand how others can think and feel and behave the way they do.

I want to hold on to the loneliness of being on the road for so long in a new place with no familiar faces, to remind me of the importance of family and friends.

I will remember and utilize that knowledge that any visit to a new place is immeasurably enhanced by leaving your hotel room and getting to know the people and the culture of your surroundings.

Many times, I learned the lesson of patience and optimism and the need for both in all things, because no matter how dark the night is, there is always a new day of possibility ahead.

I want to remember never to take for granted the people in my life and the freedoms and blessings that I enjoy everyday, simply for being healthy and born in a country where I do not have to worry about war and famine. I can also look now with a more critical eye, on our country and our place in the world, and our duties, not only to our own citizens, but to the citizens of the world, at the least in the sense of “do no harm,” an area in which we have a long way to go.

I want to remember that sometimes, simply being, is enough.

I am grateful for the experiences that I had and the people who supported me through it all. I want to thank those of you who kept up with my travel stories. I have always loved to write and it is great to be able to have an avenue to share my stories with friends and family, as well as sharing a big part of my life. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Thanks again!