Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
I am now back in Reisterstown, Maryland. I have returned to the reality of being on land and am trying to slowly adjust back to normal everyday life.
I was speaking to a SAS alum, and she described her experience coming back and reintegrating into life on land as a "wrinkle in time". I really don't know what that story is about, but I gathered that she was referring to the whole experience being like a dream. A dream in which you wake up from, and then realize that everything is just as it was before you fell asleep (or before you left). A quick wrinkle, in our timeline of life.
In many ways, that's how it feels. Did that really happen? Because it sure does at times feel like a dream that no one understands. It almost doesn't make sense to anyone else just like a dream. Earlier in the voyage, I described the experience or the ship as a floating utopia. That seems to be the case as I've returned home and am trying to make sense of the past few months and where it's left me.
I decided to plot our voyage coordinates on my world map to see exactly where our voyage took us. I find myself having to look at this map once a day to remind me what just happened and where this incredible voyage afforded me the opportunity to see. It helps me to put things into perspective and be reminded of how unique the experience was.
A common theme throughout the voyage and within each of the twelve countries that I visited was navigating many of these cities by foot. There were many days of travel where I walked until my feet hurt; sometimes until they were throbbing in pain. I remember a few times where I wasn't walking but wish I could have been. I think walking the best way to see the country, the land, the people, and the culture...if you have the time. It's most rewarding to find your way around on foot and really get a feel for the city and getting around each city or town. And so my hope is that I did, as my blog is entitled... "walk the earth".
On one hand, having set foot on the soil of many new countries and having navigated my way through many cities across the world, it now feels as if the planet is a bit smaller. Before this journey, Europe, Africa, and much of Asia were just distant continents on the map. My only reference was what I saw on TV. Now I have seen, smelled, felt, tasted, and experiened a glimpse of each. The world feels a lot smaller.
On the other hand, these glimpses have made me realize just how expansively enormous this world is. My eyes have been opened to how small my scope was and is. It made me realize that the exploring has just begun, and that there's so much more to see. The world feels a lot bigger.
I believe this is my last blog entry. Thanks to all for reading. You following my blog allowed me to share this amazing experience with people important to me. Until my next adventure...many thanks, and much love.
btw1...the day after we docked in FL, i ran into SAS'er, Tiffany Lien in NYC!
btw2...went to visit Erin's hometown and met up w/ 2 SAS students in Reading, PA
btw3...Ben and Nicole (of benicole.com) stopped by Reisterstown for a visit!
- comments