Final Descent

Adjusting back to the U.S. was more subtly gripping than I imagined.

I was truly becoming a new person at the end of my 8 month journey around the world, and settling back into Fort Collins is a scary thing. There's so many dreams and hopes that I almost feel slipping away...

Traveling with SIFE internationally was like taking a plane ride for the first time:

Fasten seat belts. Tray tables up. Seats in an upright and locked position. Taking off was a rush of excitement; just as arriving in India was a rush of excitement. After take-off, the high skies kept my veins running hot. In between take-off and landing you can almost completely forget about the world down below. I felt the same freedom through the months of traveling around the globe.

Towards the end of my trip, as the landing drew closer, reality drew nearer. The flight from Washington D.C. at the end of our conferance marked my final descent into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado that would end my 8 month international journey; tray tables up and seat belts latched, I braced for contact with the world I left behind what seemed to be ages ago.

Now it's a month later, and I still feel as if I haven't yet unpacked my experiences from abroad:

Experiencing the people and their homes,
cultures and smells.
Experiencing the foods and the clothes,
schools, and hotels.
Experiencing how vast our world really is,
a new sense of the power of global awareness.
Experiencing the poverty and the grief,
sadness, and strife.
But above all else:
A Passion for Life.

That being said, I still wait afraid.
Fearful of the changes that can possibly be made.
Too scared to take responsibility in my own hand,
pretending like the end has already been planned.

Breathing fresh air is the only thing on my mind,
Just like landing on a jet plane for the very first time.

Roller Coaster

When traveling for 8 months comes to an end, it's like slamming on the brakes on a really exciting roller coaster, then walking off the ride dazed and confused.

When I get my feet on the ground again from my flights around the world, I'll be updating my blog with thoughts and reflections of what this all means to me now...