Thank You For Giving Me The WORLD!

Thank You For Giving Me The WORLD!

Okay here we go, I have 24 hours left on the ship….
My parents are already down in Miami waiting for me, my Grandparents are arriving today, and I am finding it hard to believe that this journey is over. For those of you who have read my blogs along the way, I thank you very much. Hearing how they have been spread around different families is remarkable.
Let me do a little recap of my incredible 3 ½ months-

     Between breathtaking moments in Rio on top of the mountain where the “Christ the Redeemer Statue stands, to walking the Namib desert, spotting lions on my safari, to playing with orphans in India, the beauty of Kuala Lumpur, spending time in Vietnam with my parents, to climbing up the great wall, Buddhist temples in Japan, Thanksgiving in Hawaii, to zip-lining in Costa Rica.
Of course this is all in a nutshell of my 108-day voyage around the world, but gives you a sense of what I have seen.  
              My pictures of everything will definitely be up on a website that I will e-mail to you once I settle back home.
I am really anxious to get home, but at the same time I have to leave this sort of family that I have created on the ship. We have all discussed and shared our past, how we think we have changed on this voyage, and what we want to do with our future. I have become so extremely close with some people, in which I often rely and ask advice on practically anything.
     Not just silly questions such as does this shirt go with these pants, but more important ones. Questions such as how measures ought to be changed to help India with their inequalities of rich and poor.  Questions like will China take over the United States as a new superpower in the next decade? I have learned a lot by traveling to these countries, but also discussing important matters with friends and professors.
These are the essential questions that I think Americans don’t talk about often enough. We are without doubt in a bubble, and in my opinion shut out the rest of the world. If everyone were able to experience and live in another culture or “someone else’s shoes,” life would be drastically different.
        I know that I have changed while on this journey, but it has yet to be determined to what extent. It has obvious changed how I see the world and relate to it.
I wish everyone would have the chance to live outside his or her comfort zone and boundaries.  I think that it is a part of a growing process to do this. Also, it is not an easy concept to grasp or understand. I have done my best to write down my thoughts on everything I have seen and heard.
        I have enjoyed every moment of writing these blog because not only does it give you an idea of what I am up to, but also I am able to sort out my feelings and thoughts.
I want to say a final thanks to everyone who has supported me on this trip. Special thanks to Pa for enabling me to travel the world, and most importantly my parents who have always been there for me. I love you!
Thank you everyone! See you soon!!!

Love Always,

 Kristen