Hey everyone! I thought about doing a couple different topics, some more along the lines of tangible objects, like water. But for me, I think the idea of gratitude was a larger overarching theme that I felt. Even with tangible items like water and how we take tap water and freshwater so for granted at home.

I am grateful to be here. Opening my eyes to the beauty around me, connecting with new people that have very different skills and talents, and learning so much every day. I am grateful to have this opportunity and to see some things that most people don’t see. I am halfway across the world, flying in on a plane, which many people don’t do, to see things like elephants, waterfalls, beautiful villages, and more. I am so lucky for this. Seeing these types of beauties is a very rare thing for most people.

I am also grateful for what I see here and comparing it to what I have at home. Wow, I am so thankful to have fresh water at home, toilet paper in bathrooms, cleanliness, and modern-ness in our cities and homes. Public transportation as well is a huge plus. It makes you realize that you really have it pretty good.

I am also grateful for communication. Wow, not being able to communicate has shown me how necessary this is to humanity. All I want to do is talk to the people here and give them love and kindness, so that is definitely hard to do with few words known. But, I’ve also learned and have been grateful for the ability to use non-verbal cues. These are so important and I am so happy they exist.

I am grateful for the people I have met here. Everyone is in different majors so it would have been hard to meet them, so it is cool to be in one place with these people. It pushes me to step outside my comfort zone and connect with people in a new way. And I’ve met some people that I really hope stay in my life as well!

Finally, I am grateful for who I am becoming when I am here. I have learned how to handle my anxiety better, I am becoming more worldly, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the positivity that I will take away from this and the gratitude for all that I have.

I am very lucky. And so, so grateful!

Hi there! My name is Madison Brandt and I am a sophomore at UMN studying strategic communications, which is like advertising/PR in the journalism school. For interesting facts, I am a vegetarian and I have been since I was 5 years old or so. I also have a podcast and a blog of my own!

A learning goal for me is to learn the mindsets of Buddhism. I love the idea of being so present and in the moment and learning to observe rather than judge or evaluate. I really want to throw myself into this experience and just be and learn to find peace with whatever comes my way.

I have no idea why this image isn’t showing up as a straight image, but anyways, I am so excited for this trip!