This month marks the one year time to the majority of my traveling both for work and for vacation. Before this year I had only travelled in the US and not to many places, but this year was all about change for me. As I reflect back on this year, I realize that I have been to 5 foreign countries and 15 US states.....totally amazing to me that I have been so far in just one year. This year I have had the pleasure to go to these foreign countries China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Dominican Republic, and Mexico. In the United States, I have been to: Nevada, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington.
Last week while on my trip I had a lot of alone time and with being in Mexico for half the week I didn't even try to turn the television on so I had plenty of quiet time to reflect and think about my life along with the lessons that I have learned. Here are somethings that I have learned:
1. Count my blessings - I have so many things to be thankful for. I have an amazing husband, a fantastic son, a roof over our head, food on the table, a career that I enjoy and allows me to see the world.
2. God talks to me most when I am alone - for the majority of my life I have believed in God but have not been a religious person. Traveling this year I have spent a lot of hours alone and some of the hardest times in my life were times when I was alone on these trips, but yet I had a sense of peace that only God could provide.
3. My weight is not what should make me happy - I ALWAYS have had troubles with my weight I have always felt judged by my weight. This year I have been around the world and have done a lot of really fun things and yet my weight kept going up. Now I am not saying that I want to be fat and happy that is not it....this year my body has been out of whack with medicine being off, eating in restaurants, eating unhealthy foods in airports, not exercising because of being gone - however I have had a lot of great times this year. What I know is that I would love to lose weight so that I can be healthier and be able to do more fun things this world has to offer.
4. School is not what has taught me the most this year - as you know I started school in May of this year and although I have learned more about business and project management the things that taught me the most this year has been living life and seeing what the world has to offer. Probably my biggest life lesson this year has been just how much I am capable of and how venturing out teaches me new things.
5. The world is small and there is so much to see and learn - literally being in Thailand was completely on the other side of the world from where I live. There were many similarities to where I live and so many things completely opposite of my life. I would encourage anyone who has ever wanted to travel and has the opportunity you should do it. Just because people live differently does not make it right or wrong it is just different. The people who have so much in life are not always the happiest, the people who have little in life value family and life more and seem to be happy.
6. People genuinely want to teach you about their culture - in all the countries I visited, I asked a lot of questions about the peoples lives and they seemed to genuinely want to teach me about it. I got to see many things that are important to their everyday life....such as a Thai temple, a small Mexican Village, a typical Chinese restaurant or tea shop - the list goes on and on.
7. The people who are my greatest supporters are not always family I have some amazing friends. I have reconnected with some long lost family this year and they have been such a blessing to me. There were many times when I was gone that a simple like or comment meant the world to me because although the traveling is fun and exciting when I travelled alone it was scary or lonely. I know I don't always say it but the little things mean a lot to me. When you are in a foreign country and english is not the primary language you feel so small in big big world and just having someone comment on a Facebook post puts you right back into your normal life.
Here are a few pictures of my year that bring back many great memories for me.
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| Stores on a typical Chinese Street |
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| Parkakeets that we could have had for dinner that I thought "what cute little birds" |
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| A chinese menu |
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| Veggies at a Chinese Street Market |
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| Tea in bulk |
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| Parasailing in the Dominican Republic |
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| Christmas Festival in Leavenworth |
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| Surfers in Hawaii |
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| Sunrise in Hawaii |
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| One of our snorkeling locations in Hawaii |
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| Waterfall in Hawaii |
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| A view of the city in Hong Kong |
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| Clams in teryiaki sauce |
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| Seafood fried rice |
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| Scallops in Hong Kong |
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| Junx boat we rode on in Hong Kong |
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| View from the plane in Dominican Republic |
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| Lighthouse in Hawaii |
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| Lake Michigan in Kenosha Wisconsin |
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| Cathedral in Mexico City |
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| Mexico City - view from the hotel window |
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| Thai Temple |
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| Feeding Monkey's in Thailand |
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Dinner in Thailand next to the Adaman Sea
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I don't know if I will ever have a year where I travel as much as I did this year but I am so thankful and grateful for all I have gotten to see and experience this year. I hope you have enjoyed this journey down memory lane.
