Hi all :) In case you haven’t heard, this week begins my year-long gap year adventure with Kivu. I took off last Saturday, where I found myself a new home in the Denver Airport food court as I sat for 10 hours watching 14 soon-to-be friends arrive one by one. Five days later and I couldn’t be more excited for what the next 9 months hold in store for each of us. My personal journey will start this Sunday, where I’ll take off for Philadelphia for three months. Here, I will be interning with the Nationalities Service Center–Philly’s leading immigrant and refugee service organization–and living in a homestay–a prospect that both fully terrifies and excites me! After a (probably) much needed Christmas break back home, I’ll begin the 4-month international portion of the program. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus, the Holy Land portion of our trip will include visiting Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, all the while engaging in hands on learning and cultural exchange. Finally, I’ll head to my last destination, Chile, where I will experience three months of immersive cultural exploration in Santiago, including a weeklong trek through Torres Del Paine National Park. I expect the year to be filled with eye-opening lessons, life-changing companions, and some pretty awesome views.
At this point, you’re probably wondering what made me decide to take this crazy leap of a gap year (if I haven’t talked your ear off about it already). Next fall, I still plan on attending NYU’s Stern School of Business, but I thought what better way to prepare myself for the crazy city life away from home than embarking on such an adventure! I love nothing more than traveling the world, experiencing new cultures, and gaining new perspectives from those different than me, and I can already say with confidence that I will encounter all this and more. I hope to gain new knowledge of the world and its workings, find my vocation to solidify my college career plans, and have a whole lot of fun living life to the absolute fullest. I’d love for you to follow me in this journey by checking in on my blog, sending me some awesome recommendations to check out, or by shooting me a quick text, phone call, or letter when you have a spare moment. I’m looking forward to all this year holds in store for me, and I can’t wait to keep you all posted!
