This
is a post I’ve been very excited to write for months now, as it serves
as the culmination of a lot of work, and marks the real beginning of
what I hope is the next major journey in my life. To build context
around this post, I first want to reiterate what my study abroad
experience has meant to me and how it has been instrumental in
developing the young man I am today.
From
the multiple failed attempts at studying abroad, to the countless hours
searching, brainstorming, and submitting scholarship applications, to
the day I was surprised by Go Overseas with the Education New Zealand
Scholarship, to the first day getting off the plane and meeting my
IFSA-Butler Group, to today, this whole experience has been challenging,
reaffirming, and ultimately inspiring to my life. New Zealand lit a
fire inside of me that I didn’t know existed, this drive to run full
speed at something for no other reason than because I believe in it, to
break the status quo and alter the path I’ve been on for years now, and
to put a passion above comfort, money, security, and my reputation. That
doesn’t mean this decision is reckless, actually just the opposite.
Although many may question its validity, I’ve never felt more confident
in a major life decision.
I
have had the privilege to explore some of the most beautiful places in
New Zealand, and really on earth. Through this, I’ve met an abundance of
some of the most interesting people I’ve ever encountered. I’ve
broadened my educational horizon through classes at the University of
Auckland focusing on human’s interactions with the oceans, the earth,
and the inhabitants we share it with. Through this whole process, I’ve
been awakened to what I believe is one of the most pressing issues to
our entire civilization.
As
a species, we have to cull our destruction of this earth and start
preserving its resources. By no means am I arguing that we all need to
jump to extreme measures, for I actually believe change will happen on
an individual, small scale level. I also believe that as this change
begins, it will have a snowball effect as people realize that the
pursuit of excess materialistic goods, and the hoarding of resources
isn’t what happiness is truly about. I believe that as people begin to
start living within their means again, and make socially and
environmentally conscious decisions, that ultimately communities will
strengthen, and we will become more fulfilled and healthier in life.
Now
that I’ve began painting an image of my beliefs, and hopefully shown
why I am currently so motivated, I’d like to give an insight into my
aspirations. I’ve realized that the most instrumental tool in educating
myself on the importance of preserving this earth is through seeing its
beauty. Because of that, I am starting a cross platform awareness
project with the intent to connect people with some of the most
astounding locations, intriguing cultures, and common sense alternatives
to wasteful and reckless common practices. The ultimate goal of this
project is to promote sustainability through stunning imagery, and to
encourage socially and environmentally conscience lifestyle choices. I
have started a website that will be the base of the project. This
website will feature the highest quality, non-compressed images, and
will obviously grow as the project grows, and I will be converting my
blog over to the website, where I will continue my writing and focus on
my passions.
Next will be a social media campaign through Instagram and
YouTube. The Instagram account will contain compressed versions of my
photography, and will serve as a mechanism for reaching the widest and
broadest base of viewers. The YouTube account will provide me with the
creative outlet that I crave, as one of my biggest passions is
connecting with people through speeches, conversations, and videography.
The YouTube account will also be a way for me to document my adventures
and for people to stay connected with the project on a more intimate
level.
I
am very aware of the risks involved in pursing this project, and the
sacrifices and challenges that I will endure in doing so. I am also
aware that this may not seem logical to many people and that the
opportunity cost is massive, but I cannot let this motivation, this
inspiration, this burning desire that’s been consuming my mind for
months to go to waste. At this point, this is what I need to do for my
own self worth and for my own pursuit of success and achievement. I
understand that this could very well fail, and that I may end up putting
myself behind through the time, energy, and resources necessary to
properly enact these plans. That being said, I have already justified
this to myself, and I know that I will never regret throwing myself at
something I believe in.
To
end, I want to thank everyone who has supported me up until this point,
and for the future support that I hope to receive. I have been so
fortunate to have the family and friend support systems in my life, and
work everyday to perpetuate that to the people in my life. I hope that
all these people understand where I’m coming from in jumping into this,
even if they don’t share the same passion or interest in it that I do.
Additionally, I want to thank all of the companies, organizations, and
people who have made this trip to New Zealand possible. Education New
Zealand, Go Overseas, IFSA-Butler, Zespri, Hogs Abroad at the University
of Arkansas, UARK Center for Retailing Excellence, The University of
Auckland, and STATravel. I hope that I can continue working with
organizations and companies who are interested in promoting
sustainability, and can continue to make these connections with great
people that have come in such abundance over the last half a year.
If you have any interest in supporting this project, there are multiple free ways to do so. If this appears to be something you’re interested in, sharing links to these accounts would be wildly helpful in getting this project out there. Also, following the project on Instagram, and subscribing to the project's YouTube account would be a great way to stay engaged and up to date. I have every intent to put in the time and energy to produce a very creative, original, and quality product, and would love to take everyone possible along for the ride.
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Read more from Colin during his study abroad with IFSA-Butler program at the University of Auckland at https://planestrainsandtravelsustained.wordpress.com/
Read more about Colin's new website
