From kickboxing and yachts to waterfalls and space needles

These past two weeks have been fun and exciting. It was such a blessing to spend time with the team in LA before taking off for two months all over the country. The life of a road warrior is definitely unpredictable and challenging but also an exciting one.

We have had so many incredible opportunities so far and we aren't even halfway through the trip! On top of our incredibly rewarding work (which is still so incredible) we have gotten to see beautiful parts of the country and meet amazing people. Last week we spoke at schools in LA and did more outreach work in the office. I also got to try kickboxing with our host and we were able to celebrate our wonderful CEOs birthday on a yacht...with some famous people!

This week Katie and I have been travelling throughout the Pacific Northwest. We've spoken at schools in Portland and Seattle and seen incredible responses. When not speaking or driving we have tried to see as much of this area as possible. We visited Multnomah falls and Crown Point, spent a day in Portland shopping and ate at the famous Voodoo Donuts. In Seattle we visited Pike Place Market, the first ever Starbucks, and the Space Needle.

While these adventures have been awesome and exciting, they are nothing compared to the honor of speaking to youth about the water crisis. Before this trip I often wondered if giving the same speech every day, sometimes as many as 4 times a day, would get old. I didn't know how I could possibly give the same amount of passion and energy every single day. But now I understand. This trip has absolutely nothing to do with me, my qualifications, or my accomplishments, it is all about the 1 billion people living without safe, clean water.

Don't get me wrong, there are days when I wake up and have absolutely no desire to talk to a room full of teenagers, especially when we drove the entire day before. But then I remember what I tell the students every day: "these aren't just photos and stories meant to make you feel bad and maybe give a few dollars to our cause, this is real life for millions of people." Its amazing how quickly it became routine, the speaking and inspiring of youth became such a common experience that I forgot the power of these stories. These are real people, facing poverty so absolute that as Americans we cannot even imagine. They are incredible, courageous people who look death in the face every day but keep fighting, they keep finding ways to survive despite the dire conditions. And by some miracle I have the honor of telling their stories.

So I count my blessings. Not only have I been incredibly blessed to live in America where I have never once gone hungry or thirsty, but I have the privilege to know how blessed I am because I have seen the alternative. Through both my time in India and my service with Thirst I have seen and heard incredible stories, some inspiring and some heart-breaking. Now I get to share these stories with thousands of students and see lives changed. And that will never become routine.