There are things that happen in life that can break us, make us, beat us down, and help us to rise again. Through each experience, it helps to have a hand to hold or a shoulder to lean on; especially when the going gets rough. And if there was ever a time to band together, it would be now, when stories of survival and strength continue to pour in regarding Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
I've written briefly about this disaster and its impact on my colleagues at GoAbroad.com, but today I'd like to get a bit more personal.
With so many crazy things that happen in this world, it's easy to become desensitized to all that we read about, or hear from others about. It's another thing entirely when those you hold close to your heart experience these situations firsthand. It can make you feel helpless, a little bit angry (or a lot), and wondering what you can possibly say to express the depth of your emotions.
Yet, in the face of these circumstances, it's often those who lived it who inspire you to be stronger, to be more hopeful, and to keep a smile on your face.
I've been thinking a lot about hope lately.
In the wake of all that has happened in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), and its impact on my friends and colleagues there, clinging to hope has become a source of motivation and keeping a positive attitude.
Hope is what I reached for when we lost communication with our GoAbroad Asia offices during the storm, when word started trickling in regarding staff safety, and as I viewed image after image of the sheer devastation done to the country.
It was heartbreaking to see and hear about things from thousands of miles away; I don't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for those who lived it. I still struggle to even know how to write about this. I can only send my hopes for recovery, trusting in the strength that defines the Filipino people, and all the volunteers providing on the ground relief support.
Thus, it seems appropriate that today's #TravelTuesday be about the hope that guides us - through the good times and through the darker ones.
