Travel: A Lesson in Humility

Hey everyone!

My flight was delayed, so I figured it'd be a good time for a blog post.

I'm sitting in the Portland International Airport, next to my last Oregon brew for a while, waiting to board a plane down to Los Angeles - my last stop before New Zealand.

I wasn't in Oregon for nearly as long as I'd have liked (I never am these days) but it was so nice stopping back home for a bit.

Even though I was working full time and had my hands full with errands to run,

being home was an amazing opportunity to recharge. I think that comes from a renewed (or let's be real here, plain new) feeling of excitement and energy for what is to come.

When people ask you if you're excited about your upcoming travel plans, the answer is yes.

(Or at least it should be because the main goal of small talk is to assure everyone of your emotional stability and keep the person you're talking to as comfortable as possible, right?)

Honestly, I hadn't been very able to get excited about New Zealand.

I was nervous, regretful, and I was kicking myself. 

I've been writing a lot of thank you notes lately.

I guess you can consider this post one big (electronic) thank you note.

I've been writing these notes because of the support from you guys with the GoFundMe. I've been writing these notes because I've been able to feel excited and, for maybe the first time, optimistic about what's about to come.

The peace of mind that's come out of the past two weeks is unbelievable, and it doesn't just come from the monetary support. (But I can't lie, it has a lot to do with that.)

What's been so overwhelming is the emotional support.

It's been the willingness of friends and strangers alike to do exactly what I was hoping would happen when publishing that last post: talk about socio-economic issues.

So thank you to everyone who has reached out after reading that last post.

Thank you to everyone who donated. 

And thank you to everyone who simply reads this blog. 

I really, really appreciate it.

(A lot of you will be seeing something like that in the mail, so that one's for everyone else who deserves a thank you note, too.)

I'm so overwhelmed and humbled by the support. 

As I frantically pack and cross my fingers as I place my main travel companion (my worn black duffel bag) on the airport scale, I'm usually overwhelmed with stress.

More and more, I'm now overwhelmed with gratitude.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities to travel, and the opportunities that foster that, like attending the school that I do. I'm grateful even for the stress and the shaking that accompany packing and checking in at the airport.

Maybe I'm rambling now, but I was taught from a young age to write my thank you notes, so here it is:

THANK YOU.

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Want another article on socio-economic class? Here ya go:

Washington Post: Teacher: I see the difference in educational privilege every day. I live it. I am disgusted by it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2015/01/29/teacher-i-see-the-difference-in-educational-privilege-every-day-i-live-it-i-am-disgusted-by-it/ 

Disclaimer: I in no way claim that I speak for any article that I post, or that any article speaks for me. My primary goal in sharing these outside sources is to provide various voices and takes on the subject. I recognize the differences between identifying as "impoverished," "poor," "underprivileged," and the many other distinctions in socio-economic  identity, and do not claim to identify as any other than what I have specified. Thanks for reading!