The Things I Learned (poem)

I carried my luggage into my house, for the first time in months I walked up the brick steps to my front door.

A Ghanaian drum, a Vietnamese rice hat, clothing from India, Chinese chopsticks, and a thousand new memories loaded in my arms.

The floor of my Dad’s truck is still littered with Japanese candy wrappers and a half eaten bag of macadamia nuts.

I have been around the world and now I am home.

I can now recognize the difference between Yen and Yuan, the Hong Kong dollar and the Singapore dollar, Real and Rand, a Dong and a Rupee

And yet I still tried to pay for my Chai at Starbucks with a handful of Cedi I found still in my 

wallet.

I have seen and done more than most people will in their entire lives.

I know how to deal with both stressful situations and heartbreaking moments.

I know how to test to locks on a cab’s doors to avoid getting locked in and forced to pay more money,

And I know how to destroy the cab if the driver succeeds in locking me in.

I know how to take on another’s culture, though I am still not sure how to let go.

I have seen monkeys, deadly spiders, caiman, and giant lily pads in the Amazon,

I have seen the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China, Ha Long Bay, Table Mountain, and thousands of other hidden treasures of the world

I have formed bonds around the planet and made friends that I will keep forever.

I have journeyed around the world, but there is far more for me to learn.

I have learned how to cry for someone else’s pain and to praise the Lord even in the middle of the ocean.

I have learned to see the world through my own eyes instead of through a camera lens and that getting lost can sometimes be the best way to explore a new place.

I have learned how to be a world traveler and I have a passport full of stamps to prove it.