Where in this world?

VASE students putting a map of Thailand together.

 I know that most of us go through a time where we seek adventure. We dream of places beyond our imagination. I just never thought that I would actually be living out some of those dreams. Nor did I realize I would be seeing and going to places I had no intention of ever adventuring to in the first place!
For someone who can be known to be "directionally challenged", I thought I was doing pretty well just staying out of North Korea and keeping to the friendlier confines of SoKo. Now I am about to embark on an adventure to Thailand with 14 adolescents and three very competent adults. Somehow I am the chaperone for this trip. Does that title scare anyone besides myself? (I thought so). I realize that I have taken students on group tours in the past but that is where I was in charge of setting up each detail. Not so with this new adventure. I leave all of that to others I have never met. I have been to more countries than I can even count over the past 6 months. I will be traveling 5 hours into tropical 90 degree and who knows what humidity out of pure choice. Most folks I know would just wave me off and say "have fun with that one" as they walk back into their homes and a sense of normal. What I have come to really understand is that my life now is far from what most would consider normal. I am also learning that it is really okay not to be normal in this regard.

Woke up on the plane and found out we were flying over Russia

The simple fact is that most people around me are one of two types. The been-everywhere's or the been-nowhere's. I am not knocking the fact that several have never ventured out of Korea. Hey I am from Idaho, I know what that is all about. It is the simple fact that a large number of people I now know have been absolutely everywhere. Whether for work or for play they have been to countries and islands that I cannot pronounce much less find on a map. They have stories that you just cannot find in any book or travel guide. Odds are if you are going somewhere, 3 people have been there and have advice on where to stay and what to do. The more and more I see and experience things in this world, the more I realize how big and how small it is at the same time. I thought my journey would stop at the Korean border. Now it takes me places many may never even take the time to look at on a map. For those who have the courage and the willingness to try, I say just go for it. I don't think you will regret one minute of it so long as you are not going out into the world to make it look and sound just like home. Let it be what it is. Take what you can and leave a little of yourself behind for the better. You never know, those little breadcrumbs of life will probably lead you home one day. But the journey sure can be amazing along the way.

And with that I begin to set my sights on Thailand for next week. 2012 is shaping up to be an interesting year already...

"Travellers who undertake a journey for the right reasons, are always helped by invisible hands." ~Amy Sky