A girl's simple view of her travels

I have been fortunate to have been able to travel to different parts of the world the last 10 years, as I see it, I've also busted my ass to get to those places. Nothing was ever easy, wall after wall, but as fate would have it, I arrived to my destination safe, sound, and a part of A(me)rica left at the airport.

Washington D.C. is a weird sort of place. The enthusiasm of patriotism is there no questions asked, but as I would stare at the sheepish faces of people proudly announcing their devotion and loyalty to this entity and idea of what America is, I can't help but wonder whether they truly bleed red, white, and blue when I see doubt in their diverted eyes.

But I'm not going to go on a tirade of what, why, and how the U.S. is the best place in the world blah, blah blah, everyone should travel blah, blah, blah you've never lived blah, blah.......but these are my simple and humble observations. Unique perspectives I have attained by leaving my bubble and plunging head first in the vast ocean of culture, chaos, and worldwide beauty.

It used to be that I would scoff at people who would claim to know, to be in, to have the skinny on the world and its musings when they had no clue at all on how a different culture views the U.S. When in reality they've never left their city, state, country or what's even worse, when they've traveled to and from countries but were jaded about it. They would lay forth their vast knowledge of 'who's, what's and it's because' on me. "Really? Where have you traveled? No where? Ok. You're dead to me." Closed-minded with a faux openness. Be open. Become a sponge, suck in, release.

Sights, smells, inner sickening and/or ecstatic emotions, the feel of dirt, a whiff of homemade food, summer's day heat on your skin, the hardness of the ground below your feet, slender grass blades between your fingers, clouds of 1st and 3rd world petrol smoke engulf your body, loud thunderous vibrations of an outdoor market, the sweat on your brow, ancient runes of forgotten civilizations; make your 5 senses work and strain for every bit of memory it can handle. Your body will carry each country tucked somewhere inside you.

I anxiously wait where my feet will lead me soon. Till then, I can only humbly narrate the adventures of my journeys and try to bring as many people as I can with me.