Sharing the journey!

Thanks to the kindness and openness of a teacher and friend at Barbour Language Academy here in Rockford, Illinois, we had the privilege of meeting with a great group of students who are going to follow our journey and support us with email contact and photos as we go along. We hope to meet with students at different schools around the world and to post photos and stories from our experiences on our blog as well as maintain correspondence with the students back here in order to develop relationships and build an international network of students and friends. There was a time that I proposed to do this with a friend that I stayed with in Kent, Ohio who taught high school students, however the students I proposed that they get in touch with were in fact Cuban, and given the current relations between our countries, it was not the best idea. Nonetheless, what an opportunity for us to come in and present and what an opportunity for the students to come to know the world outside Rockford through our eyes! We have already shared a great deal of our itinerary and shown them what they would need to conduct a world trip such as this, including equipment, currency, visas, and how cool to see that a majority of the class had passports!!! World travelers already at such an early age! This is such a neat experience for us, me personally considering becoming a teacher while on the road, as well as upon my return - perhaps even teaching here in the United States.

Thus, to the students of Barbour School we say thank you, and yes we will send photos and postcards, even of us crossing the Equator if that becomes possible. We carry you with us in our minds and in our hearts and you will be our inspiration I am sure at several difficult points along the way. This relationship between us and you captures the spirit of our journey, which is to build relationships - with God, ourselves, and others - as well as demonstrates the truth that we could not and will not be able to complete this journey without the help of others! And to clarify, this refers in no way to money, but to the support offered by your enthusiasm and prayers that will help inspire us to push ever onward and to enjoy this great journey, this great adventure, this trip around the world!