To help or not to help, that is the question

I got a fortune cookie once that said "You will be involved in many humanitarian projects." Now I am no superstitious gypsy, believing that my future can appear within a little deep fried knot I got with my fried rice at a dingy Chinese restaurant called Chopsticks, but I think it was a little inspiration I needed. I have always contemplated running off to an underdeveloped country and getting down and dirty, really helping, seeing a difference. No more of this ivory tower crap. I'm not the only one with this little flame of passion waiting to explode inside me (wow that was kind of more grotesque than I was looking for.) I have plenty of friends that are waiting for the right time to give up on the glamour of their idealized jobs and join Teach for America or the Peace Corp. My sister is currently struggling to decide whether to major in Special Ed when she goes off to college next year, advancing her love of helping autistic children.

I hear plenty of people saying they are going to help, shifting their goals from individual success to success through others. But why are my friends still running off to grad school so they can jump to the tops of their industries and make a 6 digit salary right out of the gate? Why is my sister looking at law school? Why am I sitting in a cubicle? Money. Our parents don't want to see us moving back into our old bedrooms, working for less than we can get by on our own. A valid concern. A catch-22. It's not that our parents don't want to see us help a child learn to read or build a home for a family; it’s that they want us to have a home as well. Apparently, my group of friends are not the only ones with this conundrum.

http://www.collegejournal.com/careerpaths/findcareerpath/20060703-shellenbarger.html

I love seeing positive trends within my generation, instead of the constant nagging of the shallow exterior of today’s young adults that we hear from our older counterparts in the media (which is ironic considering the superficial frame of the media right now, but I'm sure they blame that on us too).

So where is the balance? I do admit that I find my parents pulling me back down to earth when I tell them I'm quitting my job to do something more rewarding, to feel like I'm making a difference, instead of formatting excel spreadsheets and pulling endless numbers from databases. But they continually remind me that I need the money before I can run off to South America to work in a cocoa bean field. Untill then, I have to find fulfillment on a smaller, after-work, scale. Volunteer. So I found a local art center that needs volunteers to work in its gallery during shows. Not only does this get my foot in the door in the art world, something that I have more passion for than queries, but also have something that I am doing where my work is needed, where people love what they are doing. Get involved.

Love from across an Ocean

The NYTtimes never fails me. Today, while surfing through the headlines, not finding much that interests me, I found a section I had not explored yet. Travel. My goal in life is to visit enough of the world to retire as a travel agent, sending people on the same tours I had experienced, giving them advice on the best markets, local music, beaches, wineries, people to get the best out of their break from life. And the place that has forever been at the top of my list is Africa, for multiple reasons that hit areas far outside the simple tourist targets. Of course, there isn't one spot that will satisfy my explorative needs.

I want to go on a safari, stay in luxurious, locally decorated with natural, bare amenities tents set up in the middle of killer game territory, nomads land for miles over miles. I want to see animals in their natural habitant; I want to learn about life outside the zoo, life outside the ozone-destructing developed countries (catch-22 when you think about it). Zambia has yet to be hit with the tourist cameras and Hawaiian shirts, maintaining the chilling serenity of the open land. And then, as I read an article about penthouse safari stays in incredible houses, I imagine a private getaway with your other half, lounging on your hammock overlooking the African sunset, sipping champagne in the pool watching the backyard waterfall run, lying on your outdoor bed watching zebra roam through binoculars. You get the picture. Picture it in one of these suites: http://www.safarihouses.com/ I may want to be one with nature, and will probably only ever be able to afford those canvas tents and outhouses in the desert, but I am still a girl that would give her entire collection of Vanity Fair back issues to be glamorous in this exotic way.

I want to experience the culture. I am a cultural guru wannabe. And Africa has this mysterious, exotic, untouched by American commercialism feel that it is impossible not to imagine what life is like in those tradition soaked, rich community towns in Morocco, Kenya, Zimbabwe. The butterflies in my stomach get excited just thinking about the amount I could learn about life outside capitalists and money-run cultures like the US, Europe, Asia (and at least Europe and Asia can preserve parts of their history and traditions). As involved as I am in corporate America, I am no hypocrite, I just know there’s more out there and cannot wait to find it. A unique culture mix I'm learning about is on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. Also known for being the last stop on Dr. Livingstone's African exploration (A name near and dear to me). It is situated just close enough to Africa and the Middle East to have established its people as moderate-practicing Muslims while integrating African clans, creating an artful mix of music, color, and people. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/travel/10zanzibar.html?ex=1172206800&en=31925d5e864c2d99&ei=5070

And (Angelina Jolie, Bono, and Oprah would be so proud) I want to help. Because I don’t want to see this patchwork culture covering Africa to fade due to poverty, disease, and political upheaval. I am eternally grateful for being in that 5% of the world with an education, good health, financial and emotional support, comfort. And the least I can do is help. I know I won't change anything single-handedly, but I also know I won't sit back and ignore what I hear in the media about the conditions over there. I not only want to experience their lives, but help them. http://www.i-to-i.com/destinations/ghana/

So maybe eventually I'll have a trip under my belt to tell about.