Monday, July 18, 2011

what Kenya has taught me

Realizing I only have 2 and a half more weeks in Kenya is getting to me. Do you know what it feels like to wake up everyday happy, excited, and having a sense of purpose? I do. Kenya taught that to me. Love a simple life, and don't worry about the petty things. Live your life and realize how beautiful it is. I have learned so much about myself and the world being here and everyday I continue to grow, I never want to stop learning. I'm rambling now, but I don't know how I am going to leave. Yes, I miss all of you my family and friends and if not for you, I wouldn't come back! But I dare you to step outside your comfort zone if even just for a minute. Ride the city bus, go down to Venice where the homeless live and talk to them, hear their story, visit an orphanage or a homeless shelter, go to a mosque and listen to their prayers, donate your time,  not your money.  GET OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. This is the only way to not be ignorant, naive, and to open your eyes to a world much bigger than you are. You will learn more about yourself in one day than you have your whole life. Now, I know most of you do this but encourage your friends and family to do the same. As I have said before, life is simply beautiful. A close friend of mine here said to me, " I may not live long, but I want the time I have here to be a series of fireworks. Each period of my life more explosive than then the previous one." I've adopted this philosophy and I'm ready to live an explosive life :)

with a little piece of my heart,

Julia

5 comments:

  1. Bravo!!!! Nothing more need be said!

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  2. Awhile before you left on this journey, I heard someone say, "I think Julia may be in for a rude awakening when she gets to Africa."

    Had the word, "rude," been substituted with the word, "magnificent," it would have been a most beautifully- fulfilled prophecy.

    See? You didn't have even to think about "growing-up" at all. It took care of itself. Not only did these revelations meet the criteria -- but they have exceeded,(by far), any previously-unimaginable levels of growth, worldliness, intellect, wisdom, and self-purpose.

    There are 80-year-old "adults" that have never acquired such introspective knowledge.

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  3. Hi Julia!!! Yes, you keep teaching us, and we keep learning from you! What more can I say...
    love & miss you!

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  4. I will never speak to a bum. Im surrounded by them all the tim and they make me gag (even when im holding my breath) However the kids in africa are obviously a way different story than that. With that said I love u, very proud etc...ill ride a city bus with u when u come home ;)

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