Global Citizen

I've always wanted to live overseas. This dream started when I was 11. My mom works for a non-profit and was awarded a sabbatical that year and went to Zimbabwe and South Africa to explore both countries cultures and do some community service there. My dad stayed with us here in the states for two weeks while she was gone, and then we flew over to meet her. My first steps out of the country where on London soil where we stopped during a layover, then Paris where we spent the day with one of my dad's college friends, and finally we landed in Johannesburg. We stayed with one of my mom's friends from high school who had just happened to marry a South African ambassador (crazy, right?) We stayed in South Africa for two weeks, enjoying safaris, Cape Town's seafood, and the delightful accent of our tour guide Andrew. I was offered opportunities through school or my family every year after to travel around the world, and now I've been to all of the following countries (in order of travel):

UK
France (3 times now and I still can't get the accent down...)
South Africa
Italy
Greece
Spain (twice and by far my favorite!)
Guatemala
China

The Mediterranean Sea in Barcelona, Spain

Soap shop in Marseille, France en route to Corsica

Beijing, China

Clearly, I was really lucky to be able to travel so much at such a young age, but more importantly, I was taught at a young age to respect and appreciate the cultures and people around me. I think the idea of globalization and international citizenship is incredibly important to our future as a globe. Take a look at this video to see how some kids who've grown up all over the globe view the world we're all living in. I want my own children to be as fortunate as I was to understand just how diverse our world and more importantly, how valuable that diversity of opinion, race, thought, and culture is. Perhaps living overseas for part of their lives will kickstart the love of the world that I hope to share with them.