A year in travel: There and back again

(An unexpected leg of a bus trip in Burkina Faso)

 The first time I stepped into a developing country was in 2001 in Thailand. I was wide-eyed. My senses were overloaded. Everything was new, everything was different.

The more you travel, the less you see.

You get used to being the odd man out, and seeing odd things. I don’t think I’ve ever become jaded by travel, but I think it takes a bit more to make me awestruck, to register on my sense of wonder meter. So I was thrilled and honored to travel with students from West Texas A&M to Honduras. Seeing them seeing the world for the first time was definitely one of my 2012 highlights.

It was a great way to kick off a year of traveling that would also take me to Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Morocco, and China. They reminded me why I love to travel and helped to rekindle my fascination with the world and its people.

I enjoyed the experience so much I partnered with The Village Experience — a socially responsible tour company – to offer other such trips to groups. In May I’m traveling with students from Winthrop University to Guatemala. I can’t wait!

Learn more about going on a WHERE AM I WEARING or EATING themed trip.

So far Guatemala is my only planned trip abroad, which is good because I want to be gone less in 2013.

But…

The world is big and there are a lot of stories that need telling. I aim to tell as many as possible.

(With students in Honduras)