Photo Friday: The Beginning

I've always believed that travel is one of the most transformative experiences a person can have. It helps us to relax and recharge. It delights our senses and inspires us. It allows us to lose ourselves or find ourselves. 

So, in the spirit of transformation, I would like to introduce the concept of "Photo Friday." Each week, I will share a personal photo from some of my travels and explain how the experience changed my life.

My love of travel started at a young age. I was lucky because my parents had an adventurous spirit and were generous in sharing international experiences with my sister and me. I credit them with instilling an innate curiosity about the world. They planted the seed for my global appreciation by turning the world into a classroom. I learned about religious tolerance in Istanbul, history in Williamsburg, caring for animals at a Dude Ranch in Montana and the power of the ocean on a sailboat in Tahiti. It is because of my parents' encouragement and support that I was able to visit almost 50 countries in my young life. To me, there is no greater gift.

Enjoying one of my favorite places on a sailboat in the Aegean Sea. Age 7.