Figuring out how to cross the street.
Being afraid of the lizards on the walls at night.
Spending countless moments lost in translation.
Naively getting onto a stranger’s motorbike one night.
I have certainly come a long way from where I first got started on my travels. While I am still not a “seasoned traveler” by any means, I am definitely not the same person I was a few months ago who was reading books about vagabonding and struggling to choose a destination.
To put it in a nutshell – and to borrow a term from a new friend – this trip has been the ultimate ‘learning adventure.’
And really, the adventures have only just gotten started…because, as is the nature of travel, it has literally opened up a whole new world.
Photo credit: PEPY
So for the people who have asked if I am “coming home for good,” coming home “to stay”… the answer is an enthusiastic no.
The more I see, the more I want to see.
During my trip, I have happily settled into daily life in an entirely unfamiliar place.
I have loved learning the little details about a new culture.
I also discovered that it is difficult to learn new language like I thought I would with only a pocket phrase book and a loose commitment.
So many lessons have been learned.
Photo credit: PEPY
And, amidst all of it, I was able to dig up the courage to tell-it-like-it-is – to commit to write honestly and ‘nakedly’ about my travel experiences.
(Let me tell you – to learn-out-loud by publicly admitting rookie mistakes and naivete is completely against my personal nature. It was not an easy resolve for me to keep.)
However, the more I challenged myself while I traveled – to overcome my own barriers as well as to learn about some of the serious problems in the world today - the more empowered I became as an aspiring social entrepreneur to uncover innovative solutions.
Now more than ever I feel the urgency – and the capability - to tackle our most pressing problems.
Problems like global health, human rights, and education.
And I have met a crew of changemakers working to do just that.
Traveling has made me feel more alive, passionate, confident, and certain than I have ever felt before in my life.
So, as I wrap-up this most recent adventure and head on toward the next, let me say this to you. In your life, if you ever come anywhere near a chance to travel, promise me you’ll do just one thing.
GO.
That is the only – and the best - piece of advice I can give.
Photo credit: PEPY
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This post concludes my travel blogging adventures. The SEA|change Project will continue at SEAchangeTour.com where I will be writing on the interviews and lessons-learned about social entrepreneurship during my trip. To continue to follow along, subscribe to receive updates either by email or RSS!
Thank you for reading.
