Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Day 8: A Place You've Traveled To

I LOVE to travel! If I could, I'd travel to every inch of this beautiful planet. I've traveled throughout the US, mostly the east coast. My favorite place in the US so far has been Maine. I don't have any pictures because I was 14 and digital cameras didn't exist! No pictures to scan either. :-(  I loved San Francisco too!

 My desire to see the world stems from my trip to Europe in 1999. I was 16 and traveled all over Europe with American Music Abroad. I played trombone in their symphonic and jazz band. We played concerts in Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy. I had a blast and would go back in a heartbeat!

In 2006, I traveled to China and Tibet with a small group from my college. I had intially signed up to go to Australia and that trip got cancelled due to low interest!! What?! How could you  not want to go Down-Under?! :-) So, I ended up in China because a few of my friends were going and I thought it'd be way more fun to experience a crazy country like China with them. Traveling to China and Tibet changed my life. I saw things that most people will never see. I traveled into the countryside and met individuals who had never encountered a foreigner before. It was the most incredible experience of my entire life. Living in a communist country for 3 1/2 weeks was extremely eye-opening. Let's just say I returned with an increased appreciation for this wonderful country I call home! I think Tibet is what opened my eyes the most. Witnessing a communist government attempting (and sadly, succeeding) to take over another country and their history is incredibly disturbing. I can say that the Tibetan people are amazingly strong and continue to make efforts to spread the word of the devastation that continues to this day.
Chengdu Panda Reserve

The Great Wall

Potala Palace -- home of the Dalai Lama before he left the country

Prayer flags on the walk to a monastery

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