The Unknown Is My Friend

-->
-->

The Unknown Is My Friend

Fly Fishing in the Highlands of Pennsylvania

            Thailand, Australia, Havana, London, Venice, Chile, Moscow. These are all places I’ve never been, places I know little about, and places that I dream of. There are about 196 countries in the world, each with their own food, their own art, their own songs, and their own typography. I believe in travel.

            I must have been ten or eleven years old when my family and I went on vacation to the Bahamas. I loved it and I loved all the tourist-trap activities I took part in. The parasailing, the snorkeling and the dancing all made me smile and I will cherish those memories, but, while those were all well and good, they aren’t what I remember most. My clearest memory was much more eye opening. It was early in the morning and my Mom and I had just walked out of a jewelry store. At the end of the parking lot there was a hill that seemed to be blocking something. Being the curious little ten year-old that I was, I wanted to see what was over the hill. Needless to say, it was not the bright palm tree forest that I expected. No, it was a magnificently huge field covered in sheet metal shacks. Ten foot by ten foot structures at most. It soon became clear that these were not just metal shacks in a field. No, they were home. They were home to hundreds of amazingly poor Bahamian locals. The image burned into my mind like an iron on a bull’s backside. You’re not in Pittsburgh any more, William.

            I’ve been to Toronto, Boston, Savannah, Costa Rica, Maine, Alabama, and I’ve learned something from every one of those experiences. For example, in Costa Rica I learned that, believe it or not, monkeys do exist outside of the cages at the Pittsburgh Zoo. In Alabama I learned to be careful when choosing which gas station to stop at, and which to avoid at all costs. In Maine I learned that my family is the most amazing thing that I can call my own. I learned that memories of time spent hiking up mountains and playing poker after an amazing lobster dinner with my family become memories that make me tear up when I think about them. Traveling makes you realize where you home really is, and what their names are.

            I currently live in Lexington, Kentucky, and I will be here for a while. While this is my new home and I am glad to remain here to study, I will not stop traveling. The city of Lexington will be my world for the next four years, and I intend to travel as much of it as I possibly can. In fact, I’ve already begun. I’ve made a point to try out new ethnic cuisine at least once a week and learn about the culture through the food. Yesterday I went all the way to Thailand and back! I walked to a local Thai joint, picked up some soup and talked to the waitress about its ingredients. Once she knew I was genuinely interested, her face lit up like a brand new LED bulb. She and I managed to not only hold a conversation, but to laugh together. And to think, all we had in common was a bowl of soup. I believe this shows how easy it is for two people with different skin tones, different cultural back rounds, and different first languages to feel connected with each other. Surely this must hold true to the world outside of Lexington. I will set out to prove how similar we all are, and how the differences that we boast of are miniscule compared to the things that all of us can smile about.

            I am William Wright, the year is 2042, and I have been to Thailand, Australia, Havana, London, Venice, Chile and Moscow. These are the places I continue to dream about and continue to learn from. I’ve walked through many markets, made many friends, and laughed with many people that don’t get my jokes. The planet Earth is my home and humanity is my family. I will never stop meeting my distant relatives, visiting my undiscovered homes, and, most importantly, I will never stop looking over the hills outside of jewelry stores.