I Am Not a Foreigner, Because We Are All Traveling

"I am not a foreigner, because we are all traveling. We are all full of the

same questions, the same tiredness, the same fears, the same selfishness, and

the same generosity. I am not a foreigner, because, when I asked, I received.

When I knocked, the door opened. When I looked, I found."

-Paulo Coelho




I'm laying in my own bed in Swansea, Illinois. This is it. I'm back in the United States for more than a few weeks. This is the first time in 15 months I can say this. From the Middle East to Europe to Central America, I have learned and experienced and changed drastically. I have learned to do without. I have met strangers I will never see again who showed me unmeasurable kindness. I have been robbed, more than once. I have spoken another language. I have communicated without language. I have forged cross-cultural friendships. I have learned. I have taught. I have had many questions answered. I have many questions left unanswered, but have learned that there is strength and wisdom to be found in accepting that the questions themselves are just as important as answers. I have meditated sitting on a rock in the ocean. I have howled at the full moon with people I love. I have cried. I have laughed. I have grown exponentially. I could go on and on.

Two of the most important lessons I have learned are this: the universe is unfolding exactly as it will. Live each day to the fullest, without worry. The only thing we can change is our reactions to circumstance. We have the power to choose happiness. And I have learned that underneath language, upbringing, culture, and age, we are all just human beings. We are all traveling on our own individual journeys through life. I have been blessed to meet so many beautiful souls on my journey who have influenced me in beautiful, incredible ways. Thank you. Thank you all.

Tomorrow when I wake up, I will start the next chapter of my life. I cannot wait to see what adventures and experiences await me next.

- Emma Donovan