I cannot believe that next Sunday I will be making an international flight all on my own for the first time. I am so anxious just to even be in the airport with my backpack strapped on ready for this wild adventure. The emotions I feel while in an airport are so indescribable, it's as if I have butterflies for some crush. I love being with different strangers who are all returning, experiencing a new place, or visiting an, oh so familiar, place/friend. It is such a happy feeling to see everyone so vibrantly living in that moment. People hugging or kissing a person they dearly missed...or people saying their goodbyes, ready for the thrill of their next big journey. To share the similar energy with each person I make a glance at or cross smiles with, while tears and smiles are being exchanged, is something that brings warmth to my heart. The moment I get nestled into the plane I know it is all going to become so real. Although I do have some nerves of missing my family and friends, my adventurous side is going to lead me through this trip. For those of you who don't know, and care to read my blog, I am going to Ecuador as a summer camp assistant and teaching English to children. The weekends I have free and am expecting to have many wild stories to tell all of you in person with pictures when I return. I am beyond excited to have my cake and eat it too...In the winter time I was torn between volunteering or just plain backpacking abroad for my own gain and pleasure. I came across this quote and looked at it daily asking myself what it is exactly that I want out of this trip, that I had not yet picked a specific destination to.
“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” ~E.B. White
I finally made my decision thanks to my sister, Carly, who put it so simply one night while on the phone. Knowing how important I feel volunteering is during my travels, she made a point that I will most likely be studying abroad in the future, where I will have all the time in the world for myself, leading to my decision to go through an organization that does volunteer work. While learning about the program, I realized that while in Ecuador I will be able to accomplish both, volunteer and travel the diverse country of Ecuador. This makes me entirely grateful, yet I impatiently wait to take the first step out of the plane onto Ecuadorian land.
It definitely is going to be an exciting and life enriching experience that I am ready to embark on.
