Around the World

The last couple weeks, I have wanted to travel. I think this is something that a lot of people think they want at some point in their lives, and yet most people live their whole lives without even leaving the country they were raised in. Some people travel because they have the time, and the money. They travel for pleasure. See the sights, and leave. That has never appealed to me.

I left the country once in high school. Went to China. And all we really did, was see the sights. And I can't remember much about the trip because of it. Everyone knows I like to take pictures. You'd think I would be in to seeing the sights and taking pictures of everything. But I'm not. I'll do just about anything for a picture. But you know why that is? It's because I believe in making memories. And I believing in keeping those memories once they've been made.

I don't think anyone should go anywhere without a specific purpose in mind. I don't go to church just to go... I go with the purpose in mind of being uplifted and learning something I didn't know, or on a deeper level than I did before. I go to school to learn things and to apply those things to my own life so that I can use that knowledge for the benefit of someone else.

The past couple weeks, I decided I wanted to leave the country. In trying to decide where I would go, I asked myself where I thought I might do the most good. I didn't want to go somewhere just to go there, for the sake of being able to say "I've been to Ireland" or anything like that. The thought was not appealing in the least. Instead, I placed my thoughts and energies on the country of Kenya.

I can see myself there. I can see myself working in the orphanage I was accepted to volunteer in. The thought of devoting myself to serve the people of Kenya fills my soul and makes me want to cry with joy. My heart yearns to serve.

This is what I mean by having a purpose. Why go anywhere if you are not going to immerse yourself in something that will allow that country to touch you and become a part of who you are? Why do anything if it isn't to improve the life of someone else?

Anyway, those are my thoughts on traveling the world. Right now it appears that venture is slightly impractical and doesn't work well with the budget... but the notion still fills my thoughts and my hopes.
And I still desperately want to go.

I hope everyone has the chance to go somewhere and touch lives, and that your life will be forever touched as well.