leavin on a jetplane...

In less than twenty-four hours, a plane from Houston, Texas, will land in Quito, Ecuador, and I will be on it.
I've thought so much about this trip, and yet I know so little to expect. The unknown causes some fear, yes, but it's thrilling knowing that I have nearly no idea what the next four months will hold. I rarely have many expectations going into new experiences, but I do have a few goals. Outside of learning a lot more Spanish, learning about Ecuadorian lifestyle and culture (particularly that of those living in rural and urban poverty), there are a few not-so-typical things I want to learn through this experience.

I want to learn the universal language.
"There was a language in the world that everyone understood...It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired." --Paulo Cohelo, The Alchemist

Not always being able to express myself fully in Spanish will surely have an effect on the way I communicate and grow. (And probably cause many humorous situations!) I hope to learn more about enthusiasm, love, a search for meaning...things that the entire human family experiences.

I want to learn humility.
"Travelers...learn, if they are lucky, humility. Experiencing on their sense a world different from their own, they realize their provincialism and recognize their ignorance. 'Traveling makes one modest,' says Flaubert. 'You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.'" --Paul Fussell

Far too often I am convinced that I am right, stuck in my narrow worldview of custom and familiarity. I take it for granted there are other ways to believe, see, and do. I hope that this experience will shake me up, expand my mind, and make me more humble.

I want to learn to seek adventure with my eyes open.
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." --Jawaharal Nehru

I want to become more attentive to the small and simple beauties around me. I want to live without fear and embrace spontaneity and flexibility. It may take a few months in another place to learn this habit of seeking adventures, in whatever size they come, but I hope it is a change that will stay with me for a lifetime.

For four years, I have been intensely interested in justice issues, especially with how they are experienced by people in "developing" nations. This has led me to a love of cultures and a love of the world, and I have since envisioned myself working abroad for justice in some capacity. Could this trip be a puzzle piece in that plan? Where will this experience take me? I can't answer these questions yet, but I can't wait for the journey begin!