Walk the road until your eyes open.

I had no option but to spend Spring Break in a post conflict area.
When the opportunity to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo came to a friend of the family, my wanderlust asked "can I go?"
Of course my family was not happy about this. In fact, for a month we fought over the danger of an 18 year young, blonde, woman traveling to a country with an outstanding travel advisory from the state department.
My stubbornness won out in the end.
Two weeks in Africa showed me the usual things that we learn in developing countries. Most of our daily lives at home are taken for granted, but at the same time, there is a lot we can do without. Although my hosts and the teachers and students I worked had vastly different personalities and attitudes than I do, I also realized how incredibly similar we all are.
Finding our common interests lowered my guard and I found myself in the exact situations I promised not to let happen. Not that anything bad happened, I am still here after all.
I found that the risk, like walking home with a student or drinking a bit of local alcohol, paid off. Discovering the perspective of a 8th grader who survived the death of her family completely shadowed my hesitation about being without my host as I walked home. Sharing stories about travels would not have come around if I had not gone out with a teacher as he got a drink after work.
Fear and hesitation keep us safe, but they also keep us bored. If you are smart, no, prepared, no, vigilant, no, if you are lucky the risks that you take will pay off in amazing experiences.