I met a stranger the other day who has a deep passion for elephants. We talked about all of our own experiences with elephants and how special and unique they were to us. She was obsessed. She wanted to know every detail about every elephant I have ever seen. She even told me that when she was little, she researched how much it would cost to have an elephant and tried to convince her parents to buy her one every year.

A day or so later, I came across this PBS program about Echo the Elephant. Echo lived for 65 years and recently died. She was the matriarch to a family of 34 elephants. Researchers believe this particular elephant to be special. She was full of patience, love and wisdom. How can you atribute these characteristics to an elephant you ask? Just watch this documentary and you too will find yourself in love with the species.

I’ve been thinking about how fast the lessons from our great adventure faded. Every once and a while, I want to go back to the feeling of it all. I wrote this the night before we left for New York after 6 months of traveling. I am so glad I did, even though it might seem intense, these are my truths from the whole experience:

I’ve literally been around the world.

I have starved. I have been excessive.

I have been snobbish. I have been humbled.

I have been obsessed with the news. I have had to ban myself from the news. 

I have been ashamed of my country and embarrassed to be an American. 

I have felt pride in my home and dread to return to it. I have been miles from war zones, genocides, terror and imprisonment.

I have spent weeks meditating and hours watching tv in languages I do not know.

I have read books that made me cry, laugh, nauseous, yearn and lust.

I have been haunted and I have been completely exposed.

I have embellished and I have omitted.

I have faced my fears and I have gained more.

I have never slept worse and never slept better.

I have sobbed when saying goodbye to a stranger I met 30 minutes earlier and I have said hello to my family with serenity.

I have learned grace and I have learned age.

I have faced my truths and i have lied to myself.

I have brooded in tragedies and ignored the ones at the tables next to me.

I have been so alone and I have been so comforted.

I have had strangers weep their life stories to me within minutes of meeting. I have been cold to perfect strangers for no reason.

I have been jealous of others and I have flaunted.

My heart has pounded through my chest and at times. I have never felt so calm.

I have held on and I have let go.

I have been stubborn, childish, foolish and insecure.

I have been strong, mature, wise and proud.

At times I feel suffocated by the unbearable weight of the world and its complexities.

There are moments when I feel the answers are so simple.

I have felt sick, surprised, moved and annoyed.

I have had moments that I will cherish for as long as I live.