I have so many! My favorite thing about travel is making connections with people.
Once when I was backpacking through Europe I was spending the night in a train station in Italy. A young Italian couple was doing the same thing and sat down with their packs across from me.
I didn't speak any Italian and they didn't speak any English, so we communicated with gestures, and then taught each other words all night. It was a great way to wait for an early morning train.
Visions has really allowed me to grow into the Director that I want to be. I work and direct programs all over the world, including Native communities in Alaska and Montana, the West Indies, Asia and Africa.
I am able to build relationships with elders and other leaders and motivated people in our host communities, which is extremely important to me, especially after returning from the Peace Corps. I am also able to work with wonderful Visions staff members on my team at site, and guide and shape our programs to be the best they can be for our community, as well as for our summer participants.
I really enjoy getting to spend time with the outstanding high school students we have each year, and helping them see the world a little differently. I think one of my favorite things about the summers is seeing our participants stretch themselves and grow.
Visions is a one-of-a-kind service program that allows time every day for participants and leaders to reflect on their experiences. It's great to be part of that, and to be so present.
While I've heard many students tell me that Visions had an enormous impact on their lives (many students have told me it was the best summer of their life, or that it changed them for the better), one of my favorite stories is that one of my students from our Alaska program decided to join the Peace Corps after college, and contacted me to ask me about it.
She was sent to the same area of the world I was in (West Africa) and now also speaks French. She coincidentally moved to the same city as me, and we ended up joining a bluegrass band together!
There really are so many wonderful places, it's hard to choose! I've also been lucky to have worked for Visions for so long that I've been able to spend time in a lot of our locations.
I have not yet been to Myanmar or Cambodia, and would definitely love to visit either. I'd also love to visit Peru or Ecuador and the Galapagos.
One of the many things I love about this program is that it's been modeled after Peace Corps, meaning we live in one community for an extended amount of time, get to know people, get to know the village and the area, and really make a connection with that place.
We also get to do service that has specifically been requested from the community, which is very different from doing what we (as outsiders) would think would be a need.
When I travel as a Visions director, doors open and I feel part of the community right away. This is so different from traveling from place to place all summer.