Goals for Kenya

Namunyak Maasai Welfare: April 1-12

• video clips for fundraising, website updates, and other stuff


• workshops and trainings for teachers on special education, literacy development, and other stuff


• interview, profile kids with disabilities around the community; caregiver consultation and training


• interview, gather info, discuss with Emmanuel for the book we want to write about his life


• work with Emmanuel to decide everything he wants for the website I'll create for him upon return, about his NGO and school


• profile children who need or have sponsors for website and sponsor updates


• determine people appropriate for wheelchairs and gather preliminary measurements


• Read to the children after school every day (Harry Potter!!!!)

Dago Dala Hera: April 12-20

• video clips for fundraising, website updates, and other stuff


• interview, profile kids with disabilities around the community; caregiver consultation and training


• gather caregivers to meet each other to form a support group


• determine people appropriate for wheelchairs and gather preliminary measurements


• discuss possibility of sending special education teachers to train a local teacher to run a special education program (which I had visited in 2008 but had since stopped because that teacher left and now those students with special needs have nowhere to go)

Sister Freda's Foundation: April 20-27

• video clips for fundraising, website updates, and other stuff


• interview, profile kids with disabilities around the community; caregiver consultation and training


• determine people appropriate for wheelchairs and gather preliminary measurements


• learn about the programs here: hospital, orphan feeding, clinic, etc. and determine therapy needs (this will be my first visit to this village)

Tears of the Giraffe

We have a tendency to fall prey to apathy when some event does not affect us directly. How many Americans cared about the oil issue till gas prices inflated? Who mourned for the losses of 9/11 the longest, or continue to mourn to this day? Unless you or someone you know have been involved in a tragedy, it's just normal to not care... either after a while, or ever.

This is something I struggle with, and which compels me to keep working. Western Kenya is currently suffering from drought. Plants, animals, and now people are dying. They can't plant their next crop; it's too dry and dusty. Their rain collection tanks are empty now, and women and children have to walk to the river and carry the dirty water in jugs back to the village. Life is based on subsistence farming out there, and they are at the mercy of the seasons and weather. Seeing my friend Edwin, for the third time this week, write another plea on his FB status for people to help pray to God to send rain, made me cry.

I get this way sometimes, when I'm on my own and thinking about the people I've met and lived with, who struggle day by day to make it another day. And I re-imagine myself flying in there, getting a taste of life in another's shoes (if only they all had shoes), then flying back to the safety and comfort of the American Dream. And I start to feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Not just Kenya, but also Belize and Vietnam; you never ever forget when you make eye contact with sadness looking back at you with hope (remember I'm the foreigner they see as healthy and wealthy coming to bring them solutions). And then when the senseless violence began in Libya, even though I've never been there or know anyone there, I immediately sympathize with them because when life gets tough, it's tough no matter where you are, and I hurt for them.

Shana, the wise director of Village Volunteers and my role model, warned me about this earlier, about caring for everyone I visit, and will be tempted to spread myself too thin by wanting to help every project, thereby not being of help to anyone. This is another reason we've postponed India.

So as I visit these new villages and programs for the sake of Therapists Without Borders, my remedy to the pain I feel for the oppressed poor and neglected, I must guard my heart. But when I say "guard," I don't mean avoid feelings toward them; I mean shield it with the knowledge that I'm there to try to make a difference. Not to feel sorry for them. With that last thought, I must finally turn off my iPhone and be on my way to Cusco.

India? Not this time...

It has been decided that taking on projects in India is just too much for this trip and for the controllable size of Therapists Without Borders.

All those great reasons to visit the New Light organization in Kolkata still stand. They are in the center of the sex district and prostitution is a primary way of life out there. New Light attempts to stem the flow of children heading toward that fate, and give young women new opportunities for positive development. There's no doubt that psychotherapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers would make an immense impact on their mental and emotional health.

However, after months of debating with myself, talking to a few key people about the situation out there, and taking a hard look at all the projects I'm already trying to take on as a newborn non-profit, we've concluded that India is too immense to take on at this early stage. Not only are there language barriers, but also deep cultural values that I feel I would need to give much more time to understand in order to better serve them in the future. In fact, Kolkata is not the only place in India that would stand to benefit from that kind of help. I almost took on another project just by hearing about another organization in the city of Kushalnagar!

On top of that, I have already been feeling like there are a million things I need/want to do for Therapists Without Borders without even leaving the country yet. By the time I come back from Cuzco, I will have my mind buzzing with work for them (ThWB will set itself up to screen, interview, and prepare volunteer therapists for them). Then I will be visiting 4 villages in Kenya and a school AND orphanage in Ghana. More information about those projects later. Needless to say, that's plenty enough work for the rest of the year!

What made the decision final, is that I have not yet heard back from the director of New Light. I am given to understand from the various people who have worked with her that she is an extraordinary woman, but is also extraordinarily busy. She has created many many projects beyond, and in support of, New Light... and has worked with the Dalai Lama (yay, my first name drop). It has been difficult to coordinate my visit with her for the past couple months, and with the trip coming up so soon, I just don't feel comfortable flying by the seat of my pants on this one, unless I'm a tourist.

Speaking of the trip, it's a good thing I still had not purchased plane tickets. I had been waiting to get things confirmed with New Light, and waiting to hear back from a pro bono travel agent who helped me look for humanitarian fares for flights. Now I can rearrange my time in Kenya and Ghana, and save money and stress from the issue of getting India's visa (I'd have had to pay $200 in total, for all the components of the application and to get it expedited).

:: phew ::

To Do List

By 2:55pm March 2nd (time/date of departure)

• Make a to-do list
  
• 3 discharge reports for my remaining early-intervention clients
• 10:45am 2/22/2011 Travel Health Clinic appointment to make sure my vaccinations are up to date and to get anti-malarial medication for the Africa/South Asia part of my trip... and emergency meds for traveler's diarrhea
• 11:00am 2/24/2011 Follow-up appointment to get shots
  
• Cancel YMCA membership because I won't be here for 3 months.
• Call credit & debit card companies to notify that I might use them out of country
• Get travel health insurance
• Register with US Embassy so they know where I am in case of emergencies
• Buy plane tickets from Chicago to Kolkata to Nairobi to Accra and back to Chicago, using a discounted humanitarian fare, if possible.
• Collect Spanish children books, educational toys (things from Peru's list of requests) from people and from Goodwill stores


• Pack 2 suitcases full of donations; make sure they weigh under 70 lbs (these will stay in Peru)
  
• Pack my backpack of my own clothes and necessities (sanitizer, infrared water purifier, insect repellent, camp towel...)
  
• Get multivitamin chewables (bc I am NOT good with pills), in case the food is not nutritious enough (this is more relevant for Africa; I bet it'll be fine in Peru), and non-perishable, healthy snacks
  
• Get a pocket Spanish-English dictionary
• Get things to do during the 17 hours of travel on the way there, and 23 hours on the way back (upload e-books!)
• Saturday 2/26/2011 phone meeting with ThWB's Psychotherapist Consultant, part of the new ThWB Advisory Board
• Make sure I bring enough memory for my camera!
• Constant contact with India, Kenya, and Ghana people to keep planning/preparing
  
• Find my passport. I swear it's somewhere in my room.

I will return to Chicago March 15th. The next set of travel will be March 29 or so. While I'm back home (more to be determined):

• Submit my passport and other required items to Passportsandvisas.com to get my India and Ghana visas expedited. Kenya visa can be purchased upon arrival.
  
• Start the anti-malarial medication (2 wks before travel)
  
• Pay volunteer fees to Village Volunteers
  
• Get more suitcases and more donations to fill them with
• Upload all pictures and clear memory to prepare for more
• Update ThWB website as much as possible with new information!
  
• Finish my guidebook for caregivers of people with disabilities
• Cut hair and donate to Locks of Love
  

Updates and FAQ

Updates

~~ Whirlwind Wheelchair International, inventor and manufacturer of the rugged RoughRider wheelchair, invited me to train and meet with their team last weekend at their headquarters in San Francisco. It was an amazing experience to have been in the same room with these brilliant minds and open hearts. They taught me about wheelchairs (particularly how to measure and assess candidates for them, since that is my plan for my upcoming trip) and we eventually discussed how we can help each others' goals. We concluded that they will focus on making and delivering their wheelchairs by the hundreds, and Therapists Without Border will focus on recruiting and sending volunteers (who are wheelchair specialists) out to measure, fit, and orient new riders to their chairs upon delivery. It's a perfect match! I can offer my registry of wheelchair therapists to other wheelchair donating organizations, as well.

~~ Also present at the training was Carolina, the co-founder of The Walkabout Foundation, which seeks to fund research to cure paralysis and provide wheelchairs to people around the world. They also partner with Whirlwind and the Christopher Reeves Foundation. I mention Carolina because she is this amazing woman who has already accomplished more in her life than most people I have ever met, and all for the sake of people with physical disabilities. She is my new role model.

~~ Tickets have been purchased for flights from Chicago to Cuzco, Peru, and back, March 2-14. Staff at Manos Unidas and I are excited to meet and help each other. The co-founder, Celeste, and I decided that I can do my observations and interviewing in the first week and in the second week I'll jump in as a therapist to give ideas for language goals for some students and speech therapy techniques for the staff. Perhaps over the weekend I can do touristy things... Usually excursions are the last thing on my mind during volunteer trips, though, so I only know of Cuzco's proximity to Machu Picchu because other people have told me so. I haven't yet done any research on what else I might want to do out there.

~~ The Therapists Without Borders website is being renovated by a friend with an artistic eye and simplistic style that I like. He has already given ThWB a fantastic new logo, which you can see in the Facebook link in the column to the right. Now to recall the 250 business cards I ordered from Vistaprint a couple months ago...

~~ The Kenya part of my trip is being organized. I will interview people with disabilities and their families to create a list of their profiles for future volunteers to review before they visit, as well as for the volunteers to update as they return. If there are any adults who might benefit from a wheelchair, I will assess and measure them out to be put on a waiting list to receive wheelchairs. (Only adults for now; Whirlwind is working on a prototype for pediatric wheelchairs to be distributed by the end of the year.) In addition to these profiles, Emmanuel and I will discuss future plans for a rehab center on the grounds of Sirua Aulo, as well as methods of incorporating children with special needs into his school at Namunyak Maasai Welfare.

~~ ThWB staff are planning on creating a fund (bank account) for itself as an organization, so that when people donate to ThWB (through Village Volunteers), the money can be set aside to sponsor people with disabilities to get medical treatment, sponsor purchases of rehabilitation equipment, wheelchairs, and prostheses, and even perhaps sponsor future volunteers through scholarships.

~~ On a personal matter, I have 8-10 students left on my caseload who need a new speech therapist to start within the next two weeks. Otherwise these students will suffer a gap in services. I had a caseload of 33 clients back in December... that means I have a ton of discharge reports that need to be written and I am very behind on them! I keep saying that, yet I haven't been doing them because I have been trying to keep up with Therapist Without Borders work!

FAQ

Will you keep a blog to keep us updated?
Yes, you are reading that blog right now :-) In reality, I don't know how often I will be able to update this blog while in the field. The places I am going to are, in fact, quite poor. Access to internet is questionable, but not impossible. I haven't decided yet whether I will bring my netbook. If I do, I will be able to use battery power to write blogs to later upload at a place with internet. Some villages in Kenya will have cyber cafes nearby (i.e., in Kenya, they can have internet via their cell phones. It's the craziest thing -- you're sitting in a mud hut where you drink rain water and use oil lanterns for a light source, yet you have cell phones with internet. Not touchscreens or iphones, but internet nonetheless. I might be able to borrow or rent one and keep y'all updated. We'll see :)

How can I help?

• Donate: If you want your donation to be tax-deductible, donate through Village Volunteers and indicate "Therapists Without Borders" in the "other" field, either through a check or online. If you don't mind skipping the tax-deduction, you can donate directly to me by cash, check or money order. Contact me for my mailing address.
• Pray
• Spread the word
• Find me more therapists, especially wheelchair specialists
• Comment on this blog or email me to remind me that you are following my work and that it is worth my while to continue documenting my journeys. Through past experience, I have found it highly encouraging to receive such notes of interest, especially when the going gets tough, as they say.
  

Can I or my organization be acknowledged for donating?
Yes, in two ways. I can add an area on the ThWB website to acknowledge partners, sponsors, and donors, as well as format a newsletter with the same.

How will you sleep? Get around? What will you eat?
These I will answer in future blogs, as I describe my current location and lodging situations. You can be sure I will document the food I eat :-)

Will you be safe?
Well, I am up-to-date on all my immunizations (including Hep B, typhoid and yellow fever; I only need a booster shot for Hep A) and in areas with malaria risk, I will take prophylaxis. Otherwise, I have traveled alone to several countries before, including 3 developing ones, and do feel that I have a certain sense of street smarts and knowledge of what's edible for my western stomach. In addition, the countries I will be visiting are currently quite stable, politically. Furthermore, Village Volunteers ensures that escorts are provided where necessary.

That said, I still cannot guarantee my own safety. Tribal warfare still exists; dangerous bacteria will still hide in innocuous places; insects will continue to attack me despite the gallons of DEET I poison my skin with; I can still be suckered, cornered, or attacked by devious men; I am not immune to the hazards of unpaved roads and reckless drivers... But I can assure you that I will take all necessary precautions to ensure that the probability that I will return safely will be higher than not.

Are you crazy?
Perhaps. But someone has to be, right?

America: Land of Excess and Opportunities

It occurred to me upon arrival back to the States this weekend that I never make comparisons until I come home.

That is to say, I only notice myself noticing differences AFTER a trip. For example, I noticed that the roads are so smooth here, our cars are in good condition, there are tons of lanes and cars everywhere, and everywhere is air conditioned even though it's not that hot out. I did NOT find myself in Belize thinking about what's different from home.

I've found this to be true even after coming home from other States. Most commonly, I find myself remarking (to myself, really) how vast the Chicagoland area is, how car-oriented we are, and how flat it is around here.

That's about as deep as I can get on this post tonight. I meant to point out how every one of us in America have more stuff than we know what to do with. At the same time, we are constantly surrounded by advertisements to buy more and stores to do so. I thought about how if I wanted to go indoor rock climbing, I can do that. If I wanted to go ice skating in the summer, I can do that. If I wanted to acquire some obscure part of an obscure object for a rather pointless personal project, I can do that (Think: "Mythbusters").

But I'm too tired to make those points eloquently.

On my last day in Belize, June 4th, my left inguinal lymph gland became infected from too many insect bites (last count was over 40). I saw a doctor state-side on Friday night who prescribed me some heavy meds that leave me feeling drained.

Just, please, try to appreciate and share what blessings you have. You live like royalty and don't even know it.

Discouragement & Schindler's List

I've hit that point in time where I feel discouraged about how much more needs to be done and how little time I have left. I'm also losing patience with the increase of both the temperature and my insect bites. The first makes me feel guilty for leaving and the second makes me feel guilty for wanting to leave.

I plan on writing about the specifics in more detail another time. Suffice it to say that I am at a low point in this cycle. Whenever I feel this way, I try to remind myself of something my friend Danette told me: think of "Schindler's List". Schindler worried so much about the people who died that he could have saved, that he forgot to consider all the people he did save. It's true that when there are so many issues going on in this world, individuals can only do so much. But consider that "only so much" is indefinitely better than nothing at all.

That brings me to another point: Short- vs Long-term volunteer?

This weekend I was finally able to be a tourist. (Belize is as amazing as everyone claims it to be!) At the same time, I hobnobbed with tourists and that's always an interesting experience. A common reaction when I say that I'm volunteering for 2 weeks is surprise and wonder at how anyone can make a difference in such a "short time".

My answer to them is pretty much what I said in my last blog post. We CAN make a difference without having to stay years in an area. In fact, short-term volunteers are people who can take back their experience and enhanced world-view to their home community to spread the knowledge, empathy and enthusiasm, which hopefully encourages more people to volunteer or donate to good causes. Short-term volunteers bring diverse perspectives, opinions, skills, knowledge, ideas, energy, donations and money/jobs (via volunteer fees) to the community-in-need. Short-term volunteers can spread their help across many places versus one concentrated place. Short-termers increase the opportunity for NGOs and other volunteers to network and use each other as resources. Indeed, people who only volunteer weeks or months of their time & efforts can make a huge, long-term overall impact (as long as they work with reputable NGOs). And like I said earlier (and confirmed by those around me) - SOME help is better than none at all.

Now, let me delineate the merits of long-term volunteerism. Two out of the 4 times I've volunteered, I've come across Peace Corps people or places. At an orphanage in Kenya called Dago Dala Hera, I got to see how a PC volunteer used PC funding to help them start building the children's home and set up their HIV/AIDS outreach program. Here in Belize, a PC volunteer just showed up yesterday at one of the schools at which I've been helping. She said she just finished her 3-month training program and will now start her 2-year stint right here in Georgeville and Central Farm to help them develop a literacy program for both schools. She's basically here to fulfill what I imagined would be the best recommendation. We will meet tomorrow morning, along with the both school principles, to discuss ideas for how this reading program will work out. I said today, I didn't want to step on her toes but that I do have ideas as a speech/language specialist -- she immediately reacted with wide-eyed surprise and said she'd love to talk about it since she doesn't have any training for it. What perfect timing that my leaving coincides with her arrival.

Nevertheless, I came home today still feeling discouraged. Then, by God's grace, I read a Facebook message from my friend Summer, who quoted something from her daily devotional book. It brought gentle tears of relief to my eyes, that I have not been here in vain, and the problems that I feel burdened by are not my own. They are problems of a fallen world. Therefore, I am not responsible for solving those problems, nor should I feel guilty for not being able to help more than I have.

Copied below is the entire message Summer wrote to me.

June 1
I AM involved in each moment of your life. I have carefully mapped out every inch of your journey through this day, even though much of it may feel haphazard. Because the world is in a fallen condition, things always seem to be unraveling around the edges. Expect to find trouble in this day. At the same time, trust that My Way is perfect, even in the midst of such messy imperfection.

Stay conscious of Me as you go through this day, remembering that I never leave your side. Let the Holy Spirit guide you step by step, protecting you from unnecessary trials and equipping you to get through whatever must be endured. As you trudge through the sludge of this fallen world, keep your mind in heavenly places with me. Thus the Light of my presence shines on you, giving you Peace and Joy that circumstances cannot touch.

Psalm 18:30; Isaiah 41:13

Therapists Without Borders?

Any doubts* I had about coming to Belize quickly dissipated when I met my host family. Barzakh Falah is run by a married couple, Jaime and Nancy, who rank among the top people I admire, respect, and find inspirational. They have 2 children of their own with 1 on the way (i.e., any day now!) and are raising 3 adopted children, each who had been deemed "unadoptable" by the authorities around here.

The youngest of the adopted chlidren is 4-year-old "B". A child born of substance abuse, B has lived here for 2 years. Her behavior problems had gotten so severe in their home that they confessed they were ready to give up and return B to the system. But then they heard about me and my profession. Through email exchanges and her personal research, Nancy learned that behavior problems may be the result of poor communication skills. They changed their mind about returning her, and took the announcement that I was coming as a sign that they need to give this little girl another chance.

Imagine that! Just because I came, this little girl is staying.

Make no mistake -- this is not a family that hasn't tried everything. This is not a family who thinks "oh well, this one doesn't fit with us. Send her back." They've reached out and sought help, particularly from the Social Services here who are supposed to support the children and their new families. But Social Services here is bullcrap. They don't know the first thing about caring for children with special needs, don't want to admit it, and don't want to do anything to help.

At first, I was intimidated by thinking I was expected to fix everything. Now I know that they know that it's a process, and that I am not an expert by any means, and that if things don't work out, it won't be my fault.

This little girl is SO precious. She's skinny and small and hyperactive. She has mood swings and temper tantrums and speech/language issues. But overall, on the "problem child" scale from 1-10 (1 being normal and 10 being that-14-y/o-boy-with-autism-who-tore-the-bathroom-sink-from-the-wall-in-a-tantrum, or
that-7-y/o-boy-with-Prader-Willi-syndrome-who-lashed-out-at-random-to-scratch-and-draw-blood, or
that-8-y/o-boy-with-Oppositional-Defiant-Disorder-who-waited-till-you're-watching-to-grab-and-run-with-scissors), I'd put B at a level 4.

But I can see how, to parents who've raised normal children, B seems so different and difficult. From my perspective, though, B is a cute very-treatable child. For example, within the first day she learned to make the /f/ sound in the initial word position in single words with visual cues only. She responds to verbal praise and positive attention! She has scattered skills up into the 4-year-old range, but mostly seems to function at a 2- to 3-year-old level. I suspect she has Emotional Disability, among other things. And why not? She was born with odds stacked against her, and has been through circumstances no kid's ever supposed to be put through.

Barzakh Falah has hosted many volunteers through various organizations. But... I'm the first to work directly with the children. (Past volunteers assisted with construction and farming.) Because I came, Nancy and Jaime now recognize that they need to reach out for more volunteers who have skills and knowledge to work with disabled/disadvantaged children and to train caregivers like themselves.

And those 11 children that I've been seeing at the two schools? They are all behind by at least 1 grade and teachers don't know how to help them. They have been "punished" for not achieving. One teacher even said to me today that she's been teaching her students, "No one is stupid. They are just lazy."

But because I came, they started to recognize that they may have been unfair to the children, because they can't help it if they have disorders. And now they want to know how to help them. Talk about paradigm shifts!

And because I came, motivation to create my own organization has been rekindled. While there are large organizations coordinating efforts for doctors and dentists to travel to rural villages, currently no official program exists for special educators, counselors, therapists, social workers, or psychologists. With all due respect to the doctors out there... but doctors are not the ones who are out in the field helping people and their caregivers cope with their diagnoses. They are not the ones who know how to deal with the day-to-day behavioral or emotional or intellectual deviations from the norm. We have to be creative, empathetic, knowledgeable, and PRESENT for those who are struggling.

Anyone who's interested in helping me start "Therapists Without Borders" (or another name more clever than this and includes special ed teachers, counselors & psychs), or anyone interested in travel volunteerism, please let me know!

(Neuroplastic Travel, Inc.?)

-----


*When planning my post-podunk, IL, travels, I considered 3 options.
1) Visit friends in various parts of Eastern Asia
2) Visit Michael in Switzerland
3) Village Volunteers (VV) again and
   a) go back to Sirua Aulo in Kenya
   b) go to India's Abha Light program (I'd considered it in the past)
   c) go to Belize as the first VV volunteer

To be very honest with everyone out there, I was leaning toward option 1 more than anything else. (Oh yeah, it wouldn't have worked well for me to go to Switzerland even if we were still together-- Michael is tied up with school and studies). I was burnt out at work and sick of being an SLP. I really wanted a break AND I longed to country-hop again, like I had just done from Nov '09 - Feb '10. A whim, some encouragement from a good friend, and a strong sense of responsibility all urged me to choose option 3c. Now I realize it was God's doing all along.

What do you think?

I flipped through this donated book the other day called "My Very Own Octopus". In it, a boy imagines all the advantages of having a pet octopus, which includes protecting him from bullies and hugging him 8 times with his 8 arms. Those are all cute and appropriate.

But this book includes full color pages of situations such as "My room would always look neat because my octopus would help me put away all my clothes" and "And when my friend David came to visit, my octopus would help us put away all my toys"... and then "of course we would share our allowance with my octopus for helping us"... Anyone else notice something about these lines?

The boy goes on to daydream that "We would always take my octopus to the store when we went shopping. Our cart would be filled in no time at all. And anything our cart couldn't hold, my octopus would." and "On Halloween, my octopus could go around with me, and we would collect more treats than Glenn and all the other kids."...

This is the definition of American greed and materialistic competition! Consumerism starts with our children! This little boy is 'living the good life' of the Western culture of overindulgence. I'm concerned about the orphans getting the impression that all white kids have large rooms to themselves full of clothes and toys (true as it may be for most), and getting hung up on that... I mean, I'm not sure I'm comfortable explaining to poverty-stricken orphans that American kids regularly get money from their parents to buy whatever they want at the toy stores!

On the other hand, I don't want to shelter them from what it is like for a middle class American family, because that's the purpose of books - to educate and expand the minds, help them explore their world in ways they can't otherwise... I remember last year even secondary students at Pirrar were marveling at what dollar bills look like, and kept asking about what animals we raised in America, and what kinds of foods we ate, what our homes looked like... Who am I to judge how to filter their education? Perhaps this book can be presented to the students as it is -- a book written for upper to middle class U.S. citizens. -- and hope they understand.

Blog readers, what is your opinion? This is a genuine question about cultural sensitivity that I have been wrestling with over the past several weeks. Please feel free to comment on my blogs; I appreciate any feedback and value open discussion. Thanks!

Mimi ni Nashipai!

Neuroplasticity... refers to the changes that occur in the organization of the brain as a result of experience.

Growing up in Florida, the winter holidays meant bright lights wrapped around palm trees and spray-on snow. Florida's natural pines were never the nice conical plastics we purchased from stores. The Christmas trees I saw on TV and movies were all fake, perfected versions of the irregular tropical pines that grew naturally; I was certain of it. That is, until we moved back to Chicago in 1997 (where I was originally born). All along the roads were snow-covered, perfectly conical trees! They grew "just like that"! They existed!

That's when I realized my sense of reality had been altered forever. Chicago transformed everything I had known to be true in my short life: the weather can fluctuate between extremes... there's cultural, linguistic, and culinary diversity... I can feel safe in this preppy school... there's almost 3 million people around me...

I had never imagined anything like it. And I loved it!

What else did I not know I didn't know? I had to know!

I've been addicted to travel ever since. Wanderlust has taken me to about half the states in the US, parts of Canada, and 7 other countries. I'm thirsting for more.

Upon return from my first trip to Kenya last year, I did my best to put my thoughts into words:

"I cannot express what this experience has meant to me. Some people say it changed their lives, but to me it seems to have added a whole nother dimension. My frame of reference for understanding what life is about and the spectrum of people, cultures, environments, attitudes, etc., including where I fit in it, has been expanded indefinitely. I can already see that this blossomed global perspective will help me in my personal and professional life. And relying on the ripple effect, hopefully I can spread my enthusiasm to others so that eventually we will have increased tolerance, empathy, and altruism in this world."

Maasai villagers called me Nashipai, which in the Maa language means "Happiness". This blog title translates to "I am (called) Happiness!" Indeed, I was constantly happy to be in their presence and welcomed so thoroughly into their lives. With this attitude, I invite you now to follow me in my adventures around the world in the hopes that the travel bug will bite you as well, so you can get up and go change your mind.