GREAT JOB NEWS

So I have been absolutely M.I.A. from Passports & Pearls for the past month and for that I apologize! SO very much has happened since my last post. Let me give you a brief update on my life over the past month....

First and foremost, my thesis went over fantastic and I was able to graduate from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina. Thank you all so much for following Passports & Pearls and helping me to achieve my goal of graduating with honors!

Second, I graduated from the University of South Carolina! I can barely believe it...Where have the past four years gone? Graduation was absolutely wonderful and perfect in every way. My whole family came into town-my mom, dad, brother (Michael), and sister (Caitlin), as well as my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. It was a full house but I was so overwhelmed with happiness by having all of my family there to support me on my big day. Walking across the stage I was slightly nervous I would trip and fall but more than anything, I was so proud and happy of my achievement. It was almost surreal!

After graduation, I headed back to Atlanta for Mother's Day to appreciate the best mom in the world, Pam!

After staying in Atlanta for a few days, I headed back to Columbia so that I could pack up my apartment to move out. While we were back in Columbia, I did perhaps one of the craziest things I have ever done in my entire life: skydiving. Yes, you heard me correct. I jumped out of a plane. It was one of the scariest things I have done in my entire life but I'm glad I did it once. It was certainly something to check off my bucket list!

After skydiving, I spent a few days packing up my apartment to move out of Columbia. It was so strange to think that this time I would leave Columbia and not know the next time I would be back. Columbia, South Carolina would no longer be my home. It will now be the place that I visit friends and my brother...it will be the place I return to and reminisce on my memories of college...it will be where I return to connect with my fellow Gamecocks. I was incredibly sad as I drove down the highway away from Columbia indefinitely. I absolutely cannot wait until I come back to Columbia to see the people I love and the school I love! I hope it's sooner rather than later...

After moving out of my apartment, I celebrated my 22nd birthday! Very exciting? I guess...Not as exciting as turning 21 but I got to celebrate with my family which was wonderful. My Aunt Cyndie gave me a fuzzy blue crown to wear so that was fabulous.

The time with family was well spent, especially with my mom and sister who I don't get to see very often. I also had the opportunity to hang out with some good friends from high school, Michael and Paige, while I was home as well. After two weeks at home I made a big move...well maybe not super big-only eight hours technically-down to Orlando, Florida. This brings me to my next announcement, what I will be doing for the next six months...

I will be interning for Walt Disney World as the International Travel Industry Sales Intern! I am absolutely thrilled about this opportunity as it combines two of my favorite things: Disney and traveling! I have my first day of work today so cross your fingers everything that goes well!

Now that the craziness of graduation, moving, moving again, and starting a job has passed, I plan on writing regularly! Keep checking in to see my reflections on traveling, my adventures as a Disney intern, and my musings on Orlando, the various beaches in Florida, and whatever other things I get into! 

My family :)

All of my extended family came for graduation!

Skydiving!

Friends at my birthday lunch

Thesis Thursday

Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection. ~Lawrence Durrell

As part of the process to graduate from the University of South Carolina Honors College this May I have to complete a senior thesis project. The project can be about anything of my choosing which is both a gift and a curse.

For a long time I really struggled with finding a topic for my thesis. With the freedom and flexibility to do my thesis about absolutely anything, it was difficult to narrow down topics. While I initially struggled with selecting a topic, as soon as I began hiking Kilimanjaro I knew that the whole experience would be my thesis topic.

My thesis focuses on two main things: reflecting about my hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro and providing detailed information about my experience hiking Kilimanjaro to others. First I wanted to look at the experience introspectively to identify what hiking Kilimanjaro meant to me in terms of a learning experience.

Second, I wanted to share this experience on a large scale which is why I opted to incorporate a blog into the thesis process. Hopefully this blog will help anyone considering hiking Kili or anyone who is planning their Kilimanjaro adventure with the preparation process and with what to expect.

Also I have found a love for blogging. I look forward to continuing to blog about my travel experiences. Summer of 2009 I spent five weeks in Spain, four of which were in Barcelona. Right before hiking Kilimanjaro I spent several days in London and two and a half weeks in Tanzania. Fall of this past year I took several weekend trips, one of which was to Asheville, North Carolina. Already since I began this blog I have been on a ski trip to Colorado and a spring break trip to Walt Disney World and Naples, Florida. I love to travel and want to continue sharing my trips and travel opportunities with others through this blog.

In the process of working on this thesis I have learned a lot. Tomorrow’s post will be about my reflections on the hike overall and what I feel I learned throughout the whole process.