Inspiration from a Friend

I will be the first to admit that writing is not my forte.  I spent a good deal of time in college planning my classes around the fewest writing assignments.  The same is not true of a very dear friend of mine who I met while at UVa.  Whitney has gone on to earn a master's degree in journalism and is now a magazine editor.  Even though we differ on if writing is a pleasure or a chore, we share many other passions.  History, travel, and UVa sports (Wahoo Wa) have made us life-long friends. 

I grew up in rural Augusta County, Virginia where international travel was only for those who joined the military.  Even when I went to college and saw numerous classmates make their way abroad I was too scared of the distance and the finances to really consider leaving the US.  Then came the opportunity after fourth year to work at The American School in Switzerland for two months.  I was engaged, getting ready to start student teaching, and terrified to tell my mother that I was thinking about living in Europe for a summer.  The odds were against me actually capitalizing on the opportunity of a lifetime, but then Whitney confirmed that she was going.  Together we led Saudi Arabian boys on hikes, showed Japanese girls how to play basketball, and taught slang to Russian teenagers.  This was my first true experience that it is a small world after all.

Whitney is now in Missouri, but she still inspires me with her Quote of the Day blog.  Oh and by the way she has kept up a post once a day for over four years. 

• http://www.quoteofthedayblog.blogspot.com