Thanks

Even though my journeys still continue (I am in San Francisco right now), my Big Trip has come to an end, and I feel like I need to do a little wrap-up, and give thanks and praise where it is due. So here it goes.


On my whole trip I never got sick, never had anything stolen or lost, never left anything unintentionally. I never had issues with transportation or housing or anything. The Fates were smiling upon me and clearly meant for me to do this trip.

What I did was nothing special. Just ask any 25 year old who shared a dorm room with me, who has been in Central America for 8 months. But it was something completely outside of anything I had ever done-- or was ever likely to do-- and yet I am so glad I did it.

I learned a lot about the world and about myself this year. I learned that life is hard lots of places, and I had no concept of what it means to be needy. I learned that happiness can come really easily. I learned that I can do a lot of things that I never thought I could do. I learned what I need in my life and what is a bonus extra.

Thank you to those of you who supported me this year (both financially and emotionally). Thank you to the people who left me comments or sent me emails. Thank you to the myriad people who hosted me this year. Thank you to the people whom I befriended (or who befriended me) along the way.

But most of all, thank you to those of you who said I could do it, those who said I should do it, and especially to those who let me go even though they wanted me to stay. It really was a year like no other, and I couldn't have done it without you.