Note: Thanks to everyone who purchased The Trip that Changed my Life and helped us raise $3,423.16 for Unbound. The Indiegogo campaign is over, but you can still purchase The Trip that Changed my Life on Amazon where 100% of the profits will go to Unbound.

Thanks to everyone who purchased the book. The profits are going toward a project that is putting together emergency recovery kits for sponsored families living in the Philippines. These recovery kits are a necessity given how many typhoons and flooding these families experience. The recovery kit is composed of biscuits, noodles, candies, can goods, medical or first-aid kit (betadine, alcohol, cotton, plastic strip for wounds, pain reliever, biogenic – paracetamol), flash light, expandable blanket, and rain coat.

Something changes inside a person the first time they leave home for a new country. All of the sudden, the world expands from a home or a town or a state to include new architecture, language, spices, and a new way of life. It’s a chance to immerse yourself in a different culture— to experience a normal way of living that couldn’t be further from your own normal. And yet, it’s a chance to see how very similar we all are. We all love our families. We want to have friends, be loved and enjoy life. When we visit a country and meet its people, it’s no longer us and them…. because some of ‘them’ are your friends. You’ve walked their streets, eaten their food, and you understand their way of life. When you travel, it’s impossible for life to ever go back to the way it was before.

When I was approached by Up Up and A Bear’s Hung Thai about The Trip That Changed My Life, a crowd funded book of stories from over 50 travel bloggers, I was intrigued. I love that 100% of the proceeds will go to charity. The Trip That Changed My Life has chosen Unbound and Save the Children as its charities of choice.

Unbound’s sponsorship program helps children and their families with the resources they need to find a way out of poverty. Staff members on the ground get to know families and listen to their ideas and encourage them as they set goals. Supported by Unbound, families are free to use their own inspiration and initiative to make their lives better and their communities stronger.

Save the Children works with children in 120 countries, aiding in initiatives on nutrition, health, education and more. Their 2030 goal is to ensure that no child dies from preventable causes before their fifth birthday, all children learn from a quality basic education and that violence against children is no longer tolerated.

After I fell in love with the book and the good it will do, I became overwhelmed. Travel has irreversibly changed my life… but what story would I tell?

Should I write about the couple I met in Naples that destroyed the notion that “everyone gets robbed in Naples”? What about the love of fresh food I discovered in Italy? Or the time spent with Israeli and Palestinian friends who have absolutely wrecked the image of a violence-ridden Jerusalem that the media portrays?  Perhaps I should tell of the effects of a positive attitude and common purpose during hours of construction work under the Guatemalan sun? Or the joy of the ‘you belong here’ culture I’ve discovered among travelers in Queenstown? Well… You’ll just have to get the book to find out.

Get the book!

As I finish up my contribution for The Trip that Changed my Life… I’d love to know: How has travel changed you? What trip has most impacted you? Let me know in the comments!

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