My old co-worker, and dear friend, Amy sent me a note the
other night with a proposition; to join her travel blogger relay team (team
Green) and blog about my top three travel moments. Without hesitation and maybe
too much excitement, I clearly obliged.
And then I thought – wait, only top three moments, ahh but
there have been so many! This was going to be harder than I imagined.
After much thought and deliberation, I will join the likes
of Amy from Amy Atmosphere, Lauren
of Lateral Movements and team captains Erica
and Shaun from Over Yonderlust, and provide you all with my top three
travel moments.
#1: Making a difference in the youth of
Playa Samara, Costa Rica
I was recently in Costa Rica to assist
with La Asociación CREAR, a
non-profit that provides supplemental educational and recreational
opportunities to the children of Playa Samara and El Torito. Working with the
kids of CREAR was the most inspiring, uplifting and gratifying experiences I
have ever been a part of. To be honest, I never imagined myself working with
kids, let alone enjoying it so greatly and feeling as if it changed my whole
self-being. Working with children has also enabled me to believe that we can
create a better world, and that starts with educating, loving, and inspiring
our youth.
#2: Never talk politics, except in a local
coffee shop in Bangkok
It was about a week before my flight to
Thailand in May of 2010, and The New York
Times published a photo on their front page of burning buildings yielded
from political uprisings in Bangkok, Thailand. Oh man, did the phone calls come
pouring in! “You are cancelling your trip, right? It isn’t safe, you know that
right?” After the U.S. Embassy requested we cancel our hotel (which was right
next to the mall that was burning in the photo in the Times). In any other circumstance we would have cancelled, however,
we were only spending a couple days in Bangkok before going to the Khao Sok
National Park and then down to the islands. So we stayed in a small hotel by
the airport and only went into the city to do touristy activities, and stayed
away from the areas where the riots were held.
Long story short, during one of the
days we wound up in a coffee shop off of the notorious Khao San Road for a nice
break. During our coffee break we spoke with the owner (whom spent a bit of
time studying in Seattle and then came home to open this café), about the
political upset. He went into great depths of the corruption with the Red and
Yellow shirts, explained their positions, and also spoke of his fears. The more
and more information he divulged, I realized how similar our countries are at
the core. His views of each “shirt” were the exact views many have of either
the Democratic or Republican parties.
Even through hardship and upset, I was
able to realize this man and his country’s political struggles minimally differ
from our country; we embodied the same ideals.
Through all my travels, it was this man
that opened my eyes to the similar struggles every human has regardless of
country, culture, race, or religion. We are all humans at the core, and at that
core, differ only slightly.
#3: Friends Forever, I mean it
Now this travel moment has happened
several times, but two instances in particular stick out to me. This moment,
I’d like to label, “the moment when you realize the people you’ve met will not
just be a travel companion or passerby, they will forever by a significant part
of your life.” This occurred in Australia and in Costa Rica. I guess this may
be cheating since it is really two moments in one, but the people I met while
traveling to Byron Bay in Australia and in Playa Samara, Costa Rica, will
forever be a part of my life. So much so, that as I type this I’m getting ready
in New York to attend one of my very best Costa Rican friends’ birthday party.
And I’m also in the midst of booking my flights to meet the Australian crew in
Mexico in November.
These people have had such a profound
impact on my life that they will remain my dearest, and at times nearest,
friends I could ever ask for.
And now, without hesitation, I will pass
the baton for the next step in the relay to my amazing friend, and travel
companion in Australia, to Abby of Stars on the
Ceiling…
