Originally my plan was to make this a biography page, but writing a biography is kind of boring and most of you know my story anyway so I’m just going to write whatever. I have been dreaming of this journey for two years or so and now it stands before me. I am excited for what God has in store for me but I am also sad to be leaving behind people I care about. While I don’t know when I will return, I know this: I will return. My sister gave me some advice that really struck me…she said, “when you make decisions, remember you are not only making them for you, but also for people that love you.” I will try to keep that in mind as I travel. I want to really live, keep my eyes open, experience new things, and grow as a child of God, but at the same time I need to make sure that I am not so blinded by that, that I take unecessary risks. It feels so freeing to not know what will happen next. All I hope is that after I am done traveling, that I am able to look back and say “I made a difference.” In the past, I have thought about how to save the world and not too long ago it dawned on me, that I can not save the world. People sin, evil exists, and there is nothing I can do about it. Even God can not save everybody because He gave everybody a choice to accept or reject him. However, I can still make a difference in people’s lives. It is like the parable with the starfish. A boy sees millions of starfish dying on the beach. The boy picks up a starfish to throw it back in the water. The mom says “you can not save them all.” The boy responds, “yeah, but I can save this one.” I know I can not save the world, but I can still make a difference. I hope that during this trip, by showing His love, that I am able to do that. Of course, I know there will be times (probably most of the time) when I don’t live up to this high standard but I hope I will continue coming back to God when this happens. Somehow, whenever I sit down to write anything, the deep stuff always comes out…it’s kinda weird. Anyway, I hope this page serves as a good reminder to me about what is important. Thank you all for your loving support and I will see you again.