greeneyes6251’s Journal

Around the World: The Ultimate Adventure

"The world has no walls."

After reading "Eat Pray Love" about a year and a half ago, I knew I wanted to travel. But I knew I didn't want to do the whole five-star hotel-all inclusive-spa treated-continental breakfast-tour package business. The more I looked at the idea of travel from the American point of view, the more I wanted to get out there and represent my country in a different way. To reach my goal I had to go out there and make some kind of difference, no matter how big or small. I-to-I made it possible for me to travel to the sacred little island of Sri Lanka and teach English for two months. By living with a family native to the island as well and being around the children five days a week, I really became immersed in the culture. After the initial shock of differences, I realized how wonderful it was to be surrounded by different food, clothes, customs, religions, languages, and values. I truly fell in love with this place and was convinced that other people needed to experience the world in this way. I found myself taking less pictures and just trying to breathe in my experiences. We started to call them "movie moments" by the end of the trip. It is a feeling that pictures and words can only remind you of. You have to go to experience it for yourself. I do believe this feeling is true happiness. It is something created in your mind by a specific moment. It may be short, but it sure is wide. By traveling with an open mind you are blessed with the capacity to teach and learn.

Think of making a difference in the world. How do you do it? We don't take problems and stop them dead in their tracks. Instead, we go to the source and educate a new way of life. By exploring the world we can gain new perspectives and then return home and share what we've seen. By taking the wonderful ways other groups live, we can change our own lives and reflect it to others. The more people we have with this mentality, traveling and teaching, we can make the difference. We all have something to learn from everyone, we just have to take the opportunity when it presents itself.

At the moment, the world is an amusement park. Without money, it becomes a playground. We become five years old again, playing games and making new friends wherever we go. If there were no obstacles, I would go anywhere and everywhere. Sure there are some places higher on my list than others, but I could truly pick a name out of a hat and go the next day. I would take full advantage of this adventure. Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Thailand all sound like beautiful places, each with something different to offer. Yet, they all contain knowledge. And I'm willing to learn.