It's a big, big world

I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter where I live, I will constantly be seeking out a new adventure.  I will be craving the next big trip I take to a new, foreign place.  Even though I live in a very different country, a place where many people have never been or possibly even heard of, I find myself fantasizing about other unique, distant places.  For awhile, I felt bad because I was looking forward to the next chapter, which in some people’s minds clearly means I’m ready to leave Namibia, but as I gave more thought to all of this, I realized it doesn’t mean that at all.  I have loved my year abroad and I have made relationships that I will miss more than words.  However, I am slowly realizing that God has wired me to crave the beauty he has created in others, whether it is through their cultural activities, personality, landmarks, etc.  No matter where I am, I will always be interested in others’ lives and mind processes.  Ultimately, I have a love for the nations and their artwork, which I am beginning to understand is one of the several gifts God has blessed me with.

I have often wondered how other people feel about traveling and to what extent they desire it though.  I have met many people who want to travel, but I have only met a handful that I would put on the same level as me (not that I am some superior traveler).  This level is difficult to describe, but in a simple explanation, it is a person who feels most alive when exploring and experiencing new things.  It is a person that puts travel and adventure close to daily things like eating, even if they are not capable of doing said action daily. Not ironically, these people are individuals that I have met while traveling the world.  They are roommates I spent hours exploring Italy with, they are random people I met at hostels and later became friends with, and they are other volunteers that I am currently teaching with.

Basically, the more I leave my comfortable home in Texas, the more I learn and truly begin to live.  I've discovered that although not every destination is as glamorous as the next, in some way each one is unique and adds a piece to this puzzle I call my life.  As time passes, I am learning that "my favorite thing is to go where I've never been."  To explore.  To stand in a country completely confused and dependent on others.  To see that in the end, we all breathe, think, and face the same struggles.  We were all created by the same God to love each other and to love His son.