Headin' Home

So after traveling 11,000 miles and visiting five countries, I’ve learned a couple of things along the way: (1) ALWAYS have tissues and baby wipes on hand b/c many public bathrooms throughout Asia often don’t have either (or you have to pay for them like in Hanoi); (2) No matter how hard I try, I will never master the art of chopsticks.

But in all seriousness, I’ve had a fantastic time studying abroad in New Zealand and traveling across Asia; I have met some of the nicest, most interesting people along the way and could not have asked for a better experience. In many ways, my trip to Asia helped me shed the preconceived notions I had of some of the countries I visited, particularly in regards to China. I expected a rigid communist state but instead found a modern society trying to reshape its image to the rest of the world.

For me, the purpose of this trip was to prove to myself that if I can backpack throughout Asia, on my own, for three weeks and visit countries like China where I got by with “ni hao” and “xie xie ni” (meaning “hello” and “thank you”, respectively), then I can do anything on my own and that maybe, just maybe, the real world that awaits me after college is not so big and bad after all.

Who knows where I will be or what I will be doing once I graduate. What I do know is that this trip has helped me develop a profound appreciation for travel and I definitely plan on finding a job that pays me to do just that (I may take the Foreign Service exam in April). So, hopefully in a few months time you’ll be asking yourself again, “where in the world is Sam Abrams?”

Well folks, my trip stops here; it’s been a pleasure blogging for you. Thank you to everyone who has read/commented on my blog over the past few months; I have loved reading your comments. And for those of you who didn’t, don’t expect any souvenirs!

Sayonara!