Roots, Travel & Adventures: A Self Portrait

Roots, Travel & Adventures: A Self Portrait

Is there anything better than an adventure? Here is a quick look at some of the places I have traveled and the different meanings they hold for me. It makes an interesting snapshot of my interests and experiences.

1. Charlotte, NC, USA: Where I was born—I’m a 5th generation Charlottean.

2. New Delhi, India: I volunteered at the Southeast Asia Regional Conference on Autism. It was inspirational to see parents from different cultures unite over a common cause.

3. Gulfport, MS, USA: I volunteered with the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. Words don’t describe the destruction—I saw a car at the top of an oak tree and a boat 120 miles inland. I met a man and a dog he just adopted - the dog saved his life by helping him stay above water after his home flooded.

4. Tucson, AZ, USA: I volunteered on a state senatorial campaign in Tucson – advocating takes on a whole new meaning walking door to door in the desert.

5. Wellington, New Zealand: Here, I met my namesake Sir Edmund Hillary at the Te Papa Tongewera National Museum. He signed my book “To Hillary, from Hillary.”

6. Paris, France: My first international choir concert - we sang in the Notre Dame Cathedral!

7. Kathmandu, Nepal: The Royal Family had just stepped down, paving the way for a fully democratic government. While there, I heard Buddhist monks singing at the Syayambhunath Stupa and flew over Mt. Everest

8. Jackson Hole, WY, USA: I drove more than 2,000 miles to help my cousin move “Out West.” There’s no better way to see America.

9. Chapel Hill, NC, USA: I got my BA in psychology, MS in rehabilitation counseling and psychology and wrote my master’s paper “Transforming Attitudes about Mental Illness in the Workplace.”

10. Brattleboro, VT, USA: Attended the High 5 Adventure Training Camp—ropes courses, trust falls, teambuilding activities? I’m in!

11. Sydney, Australia: Started at the Opera House and traveled down the coast as student ambassador.

12. Carrboro, NC, USA: The “Paris of the Piedmont” and my current home. I co-led group therapy for folks with severe mental illness and substance abuse problems. I also completed EMT training here with Orange County’s finest.