Less Than One Week From Departure

Hey Everyone!

First of all, thank you for at least venturing to my so called "blog" to see if what I write is worthy for a future read. Hopefully I won't disappoint! However I must admit that I am an English teacher's worst nightmare when it comes to comma splices. Also, this is my first attempt at a blog.... so here goes nothing.

In four days, I will be departing on a journey for the summer that will take me halfway around the world....twice. Pretty intense, right? Especially since I recently ventured out of the country for the first time for spring break a month ago. Over the next three months, I will be taking 16 hours of courses, ten hours in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji and six in Innsbruck, Austria to finish my degree in International Affairs. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I graduate in four days with a degree in Political Science; needless to say life has been hectic and filled with uncertainty over the last few months.

Having been blessed to play football for four years at the University of Georgia, I decided, like every man lucky enough to play this great game must decide at some point in his life, that it was time for me to hang up my cleats for the last time. This decision was not an easy one for me; especially given the fact that I still had one more year of eligibility and all of my best friends would still be playing. The camaraderie with my teammates and sharing a common purpose with 125 guys that is greater than yourself is something that few people have the opportunity to experience. Nor is there anything like running out of locker room and onto the field in front of 92,000+ in Athens, Georgia. However, I decided upon a different direction for my life; one that I hope would open many opportunities for me and open my eyes to things I would never see if hadn't taken this leap of faith. 

So why study abroad? Why not venture across the states or take a road trip to a random spot on a map? Or better yet, why not get a job like my parents keep hinting towards? Well, so many of my close friends are entering into the work force or moving back home next week after graduation; and to be honest I was almost in that same position. However, my uncle, who is kicking lung cancer's ass right now, told me that his greatest regret in life was not seeing the world while he had the chance to after college. So with his support (verbally and financially... thanks Uncle Steve) and with the money I have had saved up over the years, I decided I would venture to the places I have dreamed about traveling to my entire life and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

As of now, the plan is to finish out my last hours of school, along with a few other activities such as survival adventures in the Outback, scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef, skydive and bungee jump in New Zealand, live with the locals in Fiji, and not to mention run with the bulls in Spain.... Don't worry, I plan on documenting all of my experiences as much as possible with blog posts, photos, and video via a GoPro camera. I encourage each and every one one of you to follow in my footsteps and do something extraordinary this summer, no matter how small of an act it may be. Step out of your comfort zone and take leap of faith. So if you could, remember to keep me and the rest of my group in your prayers over the next few months, we will definitely need it.


Stay Classy San Diego,

-Dustin