10 Years ~ Robin's Global Adventures

Ten years ago, I shared the beginnings of a journey to Ghana, West Africa and kicked off this blog, Robin’s Global Adventures. The theme says a lot about the intention of the blog. The idea was to share the journeys as I embarked on learning, sharing, and growing with experiences around the world and in our own backyard. I never imagined the journey taking me along the path it has and experiencing life in 25 US States, the District of Columbia, and 13 countries outside the US over the past 10 years.

Not only have I experienced the world near and far over the past 10 years, but the professional and personal journey of life has been full of valleys, mountains, and plains. Two years ago, I stepped out in faith after a series of experiences changed my life and guided me more intentionally towards my passions and smile. David Whyte, an Irish poet, says, “How do you know that you're on your path? Because it disappears. That's how you know. How do you know that you're really doing something radical? Because you can't see where you're going. That's how you know.”[1] Today’s journey reflects this sentiment as the foreseen path disappeared for the visionary path that is unseen but purposeful. What I have found constant is this passion for learning, sharing, and growing with experiences around the world and in our own backyard.

The blog found little interaction in its first six years, but over the past four years, I have engaged and shared stories and reflections on the first two experiences in Guatemala and some backyard and US experiences. I also reflected on a Simple Smile that reflects our passions and loves and opens us to authentic happiness. Many adventures remain to be shared either here or in another medium. In the meantime, I encourage you to reread some of the past posts. The Guatemala posts of 2015 resonate and reflect similar cores from more recent Guatemalan experiences. They speak about relationships, physical therapy, and embracing life with what we have.

You can also learn more about the 2017 and 2018 experiences in Guatemala by reading the posts on the Move Together blog. Over the past year, I accompanied Move Together to Guatemala on multiple occasions and have engaged more deeply with the organization. This accompaniment includes sharing the stories and impacts of the organization around the corner and around the world as Content Writer for the Move Together blog. In the months to come, you can read more of the journey as I listen, accompany, and share the stories of physical therapists and others as we move together improving the health of communities around the corner and around the world.

The path may have disappeared and be unknown, but it is the path laid out for me. When the moment is right, clarity will come, and I will share more details of the journey ahead. Until then, I thank you for accompanying me on this journey and hope that the stories of the past and the stories to come may resonate with you. May you find the depths of your smile and pursue it with intentional action, with love and compassion.

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[1] David Whyte, “David Whyte: Preserving the Soul (excerpt) – Thinking Allowed with Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove,” June 9, 2012, produced by Thinking Allowed Productions, video, 8:28, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlz3mf7jxkc.

Life at Forty: Full of Joy and Happiness

Life is a journey with God and one another.

It is a journey of faith, hope, and love.

Life is transformed by encounters with another.

Each encounter, good and bad, deeply embraced brings new life.

Life is filled with inner joy and happiness.

Inner joy and happiness expressed by the smile of the inner soul.

Life is not free of obstacles, hills, and mountains.

Obstacles, hills, and mountains are opportunities and challenges not impediments.

Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala ~ May 27, 2017

Life is full of opportunities and challenges.

Opportunities and challenges, faced with a smile and God’s grace, bring joy.

Life is about the transcendent vision to eternal life.

Transcendent vision goes beyond self in bi-directional compassionate accompaniment.

Life is a journey of familial love in community and friendship.

Familial love continuously walks bi-directionally with each other in joys and pains.

Move Together Familia in Villa Nueva, Guatemala ~ May 25, 2017

My life is full of hope and joy because of you and God.

God’s grace and love in you shines forth in my life.

My life has never been so full of spirit and excitement for the future.

Forty is not “over the hill”.

Forty is seeing the glorious light awaiting the top.

Life is not getting older but becoming wiser.

In wisdom, the journey is always something new to embrace

Embrace each new day with a smile as something new.

Sunrise @ Saint Meinrad Archabbey ~ December 1, 2017

Thank you for your compassionate accompaniment over the past 40 years!

The journey is only beginning,

And I hope you will join me for the next decade and beyond

In the amazing and exciting journey God has envisioned.

Take your sails throw them into the wind,

Discover the depths of your simple smile,

Rise from the challenges of life to the mountaintop,

Never stop playing, smiling, and embracing life,

Share life’s joys and pains with one another, especially the true friend on your heart.

The journey is only full of joy and true happiness 

When taken together in God’s love and grace!

The Transforming Ripple of Love: Relationship, Thought, Action

"[The] world can be transformed by one accompanying relationship after another and intentional follow-through on the ‘what if’ thought. Life is not about coincidences but the ripple of love through intentional actions."

Read the full post on the Global PT Day of Service Blog.

Georgetown College: Homecoming 2017 Reflection

            Our lives grow and transform within communities. In living life, we encounter, interact with, and become part of a variety of communities. The depth of the interaction varies from community to community based on our intentions, values, and vision and the values and vision of the community encountered. The relationships with the community and its members move along a continuum dependent on the circumstances and intentions involved by the varying individuals and community whole.

            I reflect on a community first encountered 23 years ago during the summer prior to my junior year of high school and relationships that have formed over those years. Summer of 1994, I visited Georgetown College with my cousin who was entering his senior year of high school. Of the schools we visited, Georgetown is the one that captured my attention. The following summer, I spent two weeks on campus as part of the Pre-Academic Experience in Math and Science program. Then fall of 1996, I arrived on campus as an incoming freshman to proceed to graduation in spring 2000. Seventeen years later, I continue to return to campus yearly for homecoming festivities and enjoy seeing where the community is, meeting new people, and cultivating past relationships.

            Reflecting back on the conversations of the day, a smile radiates from my inner soul and shines on my face. The Georgetown College community is more than a community. It is a family that loves, cares for, and walks with its members day in and day out. Times have not always been easy, but those family members who believe in the true vision of Georgetown College continue to stand steadfast and make a difference.

            The relationships formed at Georgetown College pre, during, and post attendance have no boundaries. The lovely thing about a small liberal arts campus is you get to know a lot of people whom you never had class with and who you may have only met at gatherings like Homecoming. I spoke in depth with nine professors only having had two in class and another I knew but did not interact with during my undergraduate years. I engaged with administrators and staff, whom have only arrived since I graduated. Of course, there are fellow alumni members, who I knew in undergrad or have met afterwards. Lastly, there are encounters with current students. I enjoyed meeting up with a current student, who I have known for about 9 years now. She started last year, 20 years after I, and is also now a sorority sister. It is great to walk with her and experience Georgetown through her eyes 20 years later.

            The day was beautiful in many ways from weather to relationships. I enjoyed reminiscing on times of old, catching-up on the lives of many, hearing the amazing things happening on campus, and being inspired by alumni, faculty, staff, and students. I also missed some usual faces and conversations. I never know what awaits when I arrive for homecoming festivities, but I always leave with a smile on my face and joy in my heart from the reconnections and new connections. It encourages me to continue going out sharing in God’s love and compassion as we all make a small rippling difference in this world. Thanks to the entire Georgetown College family from fellow alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, and current students!

Homecoming 2017 Pictures

Summer 2017 ~ Journey of Accompaniment

            Over the past few months, I opened my sails trusting the wind to catch hold and start directing the summer journey of 2017. The course is still being set, but the path is full of amazing opportunities and adventures. As I concluded my 39^th year of life, I shared with many that this year leading to my 40^th birthday would be one not to forget and hopefully full of unforgettable moments with friends, family, and new people. This year, I would also believe and take intentional action on my Simple Smile engaging the depths of it and my passions.

Ghanaian Naming Ceremony

Thus, I am here embarking on a journey of accompaniment to walk alongside, sharing with and learning from others across the street and around the world. It is about a sense of family, friendship, and community where we come together mutually fulfilling one another creating a space for cooperation, learning, sustainability, vulnerability, compassion, and unconditional love.

I look forward to you accompanying me as well. See more about how to join me in spirit, physically, and/or financially below but first more about the journey.

Where am I going and what am I doing?

Late May for 11 Days ~ Rehab Clinic in Villa Nueva, Guatemala with Move Together

Move Together is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase access to quality rehabilitation medicine around the world. They collaborate with communities focusing on responsible and sustainable change.

The purpose of this international project is to build a clinic from the ground up and operationalize it for immediate sustainability so that patients can be treated while we are there and after we leave. Move Together, the municipality of the town, and town leaders, including the mayor, are accompanying and partnering with one another for this sustainable project of compassion for the people of Villa Nueva. The municipality has set aside funds for construction and for the salary of the local therapists and student interns to provide treatments throughout the year and in the years to come. In addition to the folks on the ground in Villa Nueva, 21 other individuals will be accompanying me on this leg of the journey from across the United States in varying professions and stages of life.

June to 4^th of July ~ Anticipated Travels in the Northeast United States

4^th of July weekend finds me in the Washington, D.C area for a friend’s wedding. The journey leading up to my arrival in the D.C. area is still to be fully actualized, but I do have some thoughts. If you are interested in joining me and/or live in the path and would like to catch-up, please reach out.

Columbus, OH ~ Cleveland, OH (Baseball Game) ~ Pittsburgh, PA (Baseball Game) ~ Shavertown, PA ~ Boston, MA (Baseball Game) ~ Washington, D.C. Area (Baseball Game: Baltimore)

Experiencing a Major League Baseball game in all the various parks is something that if time allows and opportunities presents itself, I would like to accomplish. Interestingly, the friend whose wedding I am attending at the end of this leg has been to 5 MLB parks with me and 1 or 2 Triple-A Minor League parks. We have a souvenir foul ball from a Triple-A game that we pass back and forth.

July ~ Kenya, Tanzania, & Zambia with Fr. John Judie Ministries

Fr. John and his ministries truly embrace accompaniment and walking with those in Africa. Fr. John Judie Ministries, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose goal is to conduct Christian ministry to the people of the world and, specifically, to the people of Kentuckiana and East Africa. His ministries provide assistance to the people of East Africa in four major areas: Clothing, Education, Clergy Support, and Formation. The ministry is active in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Rwanda. In Rwanda, he has established the Mother of Good Counsel Rehabilitation Center, which provides health care and education for orphans and disabled children. Over the course of the travels, 5 others will be accompanying me from Southern Indiana and Louisville.

August ~ Zambia and/or Southeastern United States Travels

Who is open for an adventure and experiencing life in Zambia? I am looking to stay longer in Zambia potentially working with two other organizations in Lusaka and going on some adventures to experience the marvels of creation. Adventure possibilities include white water rafting, safari, and waterfalls. Other experiences may also be included depending on the interests of others and the available time. If you have suggestions or would like to join me, please let me know as soon as possible.

Depending on the length of time planned in Zambia and flight itineraries, I may spend the mid- to latter-part of August in the Southeastern United States with possibilities in Georgia (Atlanta & Savannah) and Northern Florida. Yes, I am open to a baseball game at the new stadium in Atlanta. Thankfully, I was blessed last spring to catch-up with a friend and experience Turner Field before it closed.

Would you like to accompany me on this summer journey? Here are some opportunities:

Thoughts, prayers, and emotional support for planning, openness, health, guidance, safety, and I am sure many other things for not only me but all those who will be accompanying me or come across my path.

Are you in the Northeast or would you like to explore the Northeast? Do you like baseball? Let me know.

Who has vacation time not planned and up for a journey full of adventure and culture in Zambia? Come join me in early August. Let me know asap, if interested.

Are you in the Southeast, Atlanta/Savannah, Georgia or Northern Florida specifically? Let me know, and we can see where things fall with this potential portion of the journey.

Do you have equipment and/or supplies that could help equip the clinic in Villa Nueva? Let me know what you have or I can provide a list of needed items.

Do you have clothes, shoes, and/or small kids toys that you would like to share with those in Guatemala or Africa? Let me know.

Do you have a bag that can either be left or one that could fold nicely into my other bag for return, such as an army duffle, to transport the above mentioned items?

Do you feel led to help defray the costs of the humanitarian components of the journey? Your support is greatly appreciated. Here are some details and associated costs.

Expenses

            Guatemala

                        $1,200: Lodging, food, and transportation (Need by May 1)

                        $620: Flight

            Africa

~ $750 to $1,500: Lodging, food, non-flight transportation,
and local community support (4 to 7 weeks) (Need by June 10)

~ $1,500 to $2,000: Flights

$280: Visas

                        Total Approximate Expenses

                                    ~ $4,100 to $5,600

Notes

-          For additional information and address for sending donations, please email me.

-          The Africa trip is still in the planning stages and acquiring full knowledge of expenses, but I have indicated current approximate minimum and maximum costs.

-          Preference would be checks in order to not incur processing fees. Therefore, I have not setup a GoFundMe account or other comparable avenues for donation.

-          Any donations addressed to the specific organizations over $250 will receive a tax donation receipt.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey in spirit, physically, and/or financially! Your support and encouragement places a smile on my face and in my heart! It also has a ripple effect on my future, your future, and the future of so many others in this world. Your accompaniment in my life and the lives of others has led to this point and that effect will continue forward in ways unknown for years to come. Due to previous support and encouragement, I spent New Year’s 2015 in Guatemala where I met Efosa, a co-founder of Move Together. That is only a small glimpse of your influence on my life and the lives of so many in this world. THANK YOU!