GLOBAL

"Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s OK. The journey changes you; it should change you... You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind."-Anthony Bourdain

Some aspects of my life that have greatly impacted me over the years are my global communities. In particular the community near my home in Ecuador, Greece, and other experiences abroad have shaped my perspective on life greatly.

In Ecuador, the community near me never fails to amaze me. When visiting I would go and volunteer at an orphanage called For His Children in Latacunga. If I am being honest, before going for the first time, I wasn't really looking forward to it since in my mind I was on vacation and did not want to give up my "precious time." Going in I expected to impact the kids through my affection towards them. What I didn't realize is the mark that they would leave on my heart. I think that interacting with these kids who are in really difficult situations in their lives, yet choose to be happy and embrace others so willingly opened my eyes to a different kind of love. They showed me a love that surpasses human understanding, a love that is not meant to be understood, just felt.

Another one of my favorite places to visit is Syros, Greece. I have some family friends who live there who have shown me hospitality like I've never experience before. The food there is nothing short of amazing. When I think of my best memories in Greece, gatherings around the dinner table come to mind immediately. I think of all the laughter and harmony that comes with indulging in the food.

Growing up in a bi-racial home, I've always tried to take the best parts from both cultures to essentially create my own. Clearly no culture is perfect, as each has its own prejudices and different forms of thinking. It has also shown me the importance of approaching other cultures from an open-minded perspective. There is so much wisdom that can be gained through allowing oneself to see the point of view of others regardless of their race, gender, religious beliefs or ethnicity.

Below I have attached some of my favorite pictures from the places I've visited.