To my parents...

I don’t think I could ever put into words the appreciation I have for being granted this amazing opportunity. As I packed up my room and looked at all of my pictures and souvenirs, I could hardly believe the places and sights I had seen. I’ve stood at the gates to the Imperial Palace in Japan, trekked the stone stairs of the Great Wall of China, and sailed the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. I have gazed at the stunning beauty of the Taj Mahal, snorkeled in the world’s most crystal clear waters in Mauritius, and have stood minutes away from the very tip of the African continent at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. I have tread one of only four of the world’s treetop canopies in Ghana and hiked through the depths of the Amazon Rainforest. I have met incredible people, enjoyed fascinating conservations, and lived once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I often think about the question my dad once asked me, “after you’ve seen all this, how can you ever be impressed with anything else?” I’m not sure my answer to that, but the one that plagues me more is, “after you’ve seen all this, what are you going to do about it?” Now I don’t think I can truthfully say that I’ve decided to drop out of school and go to some remote village in Africa to devote my life to children (my brother took care of that for me), but I can tell you that I now will view the world through a new mindset. This mindset is one of appreciation and humility. I will appreciate more how fortunate I am to have been born in the United States and the endless opportunities I have been granted in this country. At the same time, I have seen the beauty and wisdom in cultures around the world, and will never look upon them with impudence, but rather with the utmost reverence.

I have traveled 26,000 miles and sailed to 13 ports across the globe. I have had a journey that has changed my life (Literally. Every 120 days you have an entire new set of red blood cells). This blog has been such a great way for me to remember my experiences and provide an outlet for my reflection. I can’t thank those of you enough who have been keeping up with my adventures and have tolerated my sometimes crude Annecdotes. I am very grateful to my parents and friends who have served as faithful email correspondents and made me feel still connected to my home and UVa. I also can’t thank my grandparents enough who took the time to write me sending me great stories and pictures. I hope my blog has served as a way for you to vicariously experience my journey. I also truly hope that through my words you have learned what I have learned through my travels-- What a Wonderful World.