The Story Behind the Journey

Hi Everyone, on my next leg of travels, I'm going to be volunteering and trekking through new parts of Asia for several months. I will be utilizing the WorkAway site to organize my volunteering experiences and the trekking will be mainly in Nepal through the Himalayas.

Hiking Mt Batur in Bali to catch the sunrise in 2012.

For those who know me, know I enjoy doing service work. In recent years, traveling has also become a furious passion. Sightseeing in cities while bowing to the beauty of nature has broadened my perspective on all aspects of life and hopefully taught me to be a better person. There are many questions you receive when traveling like, “what is your favorite country”, “where's your next stop”, or “when will you be finished”. Though I don't have a definite answer to all of these questions, I do know I can't stop until I've combined these passions into an epic trip. A true journey is never complete without stepping out of your comfort zone and propelling forward.

I guess you are wondering what I'm trying to achieve with all this rambling. What I’m trying to say is we all wish to accomplish in an area dear to our hearts. For my next travel, I hope to combine trekking and community service, specifically for a cause forever present to at our doorstep: hunger. Whether you think about food for a fleeting minute between work hours, or is someone who is already planning what to have for dinner just after lunch, we can all agree that food will always have a slot on our everyday schedule. I find hunger to be an important issue to me but the best way to express why would be to open up about my childhood. I, as most teens, had self-image issues. Since being thin is where the bar is set, as an Asian you've got to over-achieve and be paper thin, right? As my perspective changed in my late teens, I remember thinking how bizarre societal norms make us behave.

Life is a vicious cycle and you know how one little action or inaction can affect another. I am fortunate for all the positive influences in my life imploring me to listen to the voice of reason. I am even luckier to find this positive energy around the globe. People welcome you into their home and one of first questions is “are you hungry”? They are ecstatic to present to you unique dishes, flavors, and ingredients that you can only find in their country. Food becomes not only a means of survival but also hospitality, a means to pass the time, a way to connect to one another and become friends forever.

Of course, this cycle doesn't stop here. I am now empowered by my privileges, more aware because of my minorities, and strengthened by my experiences. However, I cannot act alone. It is said that all four corners of the world can be considered home (四海為家): one where I wish for one person to be able to count on the goodness of another. Someone once said that every long journey begins with one step. My first step begins with seeking help from those around me. As cheesy as this letter may sound (and I might as well also acknowledge my weakness in rhetoric) I hope you recognize its purpose. I'm aiming to raise $6387 to commemorate my upcoming birthday for ODW's Agricultural and Economic Development Fund (check out my birthday cause here; though it's now ended, please continue to donate to the fund directly through the ODW website). This fund addresses chronic hunger by metaphorically teaching people how to fish rather than giving them a fish. I know times are tough for all of us, but I hope you will act now and be proud of any generous donation you can offer. In some parts of the world, it takes only a quarter to feed a child a meal. Consider again donating the price of a snack, a meal or as the site suggests, a day's wage. Thanks for taking the time to read this and registering your support. In return, you can follow my journey here and witness some of the places in need or about to receive your helping hand. At the end of the trip, I will also compile a form of downloadable photography book as another show of gratitude to all of you.

~~脚踏实地