December 10, 2014- 525,600 minutes ago I was flying home from Santiago, Chile carrying exhaustion, sadness and excitement in my bags, but more importantly memories and friendships that I knew would stick with me forever. There hasn't been a single day during the past year that I haven't thought about my time in Chile because it really did change my life. It solidified my love for adventure and my confidence to embrace seemingly scary situations. Today I am flying home from San Jose, CA. Maybe December 10 will just have to be an annual travel day!
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| Brandan Valdivia, Chile |
This past year has been so incredibly fun especially with the addition of new adventurers who have joined me in some way. I am continuously inspired by my friends taking on new adventures. Brandan is currently backpacking through Asia, Jake spontaneously books plane tickets and figures out how to make it work, Mario started tour company in Madrid. The theme connecting these people is a love for travel and a passion to try new things and meet new people. (Check out Mario's company if you're ever in Madrid because he's an awesome guy and would give a rad tour
http://www.showmemadrid.es/ both in English and Spanish). Each of these friends has found something they love and I hope to travel with each of them someday.
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| Budapest |
I've learned to sleep on planes, trains, boats, futons, floors and everywhere else. I've learned to go a full day without eating or eating 3 different cakes when your host mom makes you food. I've learned that it is possible to get from point A to point B even if you wind up making stops at C,D and E before getting back to B. I still laugh at the times in Europe wondering which country we'd choose to sleep in that night and how we would get there. I've learned that it doesn't hurt to ask for something, because the worst that can happen is the response is "no" (dad you've always told me this!). But most importantly I've learned that there is so much hope and love in this world if you take the time to see it. If you take the time to sit next to someone on an airplane and form a connection and really, truly honestly listen to them. If you take the time to sit down with someone and ask them about them self. People love talking about who they are, what they do, what they like. I am an extremely curious person who loves to ask questions (if you know me well you're laughing at this point). That curiosity has led to conversations with Danny the taxi driver in San Francisco supporting his family in the Philippines, the French teenagers on the metro at midnight in Paris with Angie, Maria the Australian wandering through Italy alone, Sally the ex CIA agent turned flight attendant and so many more. All these people have contributed to my baggage that I carry with me. Everyone has a story so take the time to listen to it because you never know what you may learn about yourself or the world.
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| Angie, Almalfi Coast, Italy |
I hope I never lose the kid in me that still loves watching airplanes fly. I hope when I'm 90 years old I'm still traveling and meeting new friends, finding things that scare me. Angie has tried to live the motto "do something that scares you everyday" and I really like that. Go somewhere different each day, try a new food, meet a new friend and you'll be amazed at how diverse and exciting this gift of life is!
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| Jake, Santa Clara, California |
"If man is to survive, he will have learned to take a delight in the essential differences between men and between cultures. He will learn that differences between ideas and attitudes are a delight, part of life's exciting variety, not something to fear." -Gene Roddenberry
