Erin's Travel Blog

Day 68 I just had a great conversation with Josie . We sat together at lunch and talked about Vietnam . This country has really had an effect on me. Josie and I wondered about the Vietnam war and the things that happened—things that I had never he ard about. We never learned about the Vietnam War in school. Josie mused that it must be because our teachers and parents lived through the war. It was so recent in their minds, that they just took it for granted that we knew about it. So we were never taught. As a result, my generation doesn't know anything unless they sought it out themselves.  I hate to say that I've always been sensitive to the atrocities and unfairness in the world. That sounds narcissistic. I was aware of them, though, and didn't like them. However, I was never aware of all of it. I guess that would be impossible. This trip has opened my eyes in ways I never expected it to. I don't understand why I get so much, why my life is so easy, when ...

Day 68 I'm struggling to keep up with my feelings. This trip has really opened me up. I feel more like myself than I have in years. Actually, I feel like more than myself. My friends on the ship and my experiences in each country have inspired me to really live life more fully.  That may have seemed impossible to me three months ago, but now I've surpassed my previous connectedness to life. I sing more; I dance more; I laugh more. (Not in public places, though; I'm still just as proper and embarrassed.)  At the same time, I'm so torn between my elevated happiness and the heinous unfairness of the world. Or maybe realizing my privilege has made me not take it for granted. I expect that I will seem significantly different to everyone when I get home. I'll probably be annoyingly optimistic and remind everyone of how lucky we all are. But it's true, and we should be reminded of it frequently. Okay, so what brought this all up (well, it's been ...