As I walked along the seashore, this young boy greeted me. He was tossing stranded starfish back to the deep blue sea.
I said, "Tell me why you bother, why you waste your time this way. There's a million stranded starfish, does it matter anyway?"
And he said, "It matters to this one. It deserves a chance to grow. It matters to this one, I can't save them all I know. But it matters to this one, I'll return it to the sea. It matters to this one, and it matters to me." -Story of the Starfish
Dear Friends,
I was recently at a party and was trying to explain the purpose of My Travel Bug, Inc. It's not easy to summarize in sound bites but I started My Travel Bug, Inc. because I think that international travel is important. I think it's important to know, to see, to speak and to experience cultures outside your own. We're not saving the world but we are trying to change people, one trip at a time.
I was recently at a party and was trying to explain the purpose of My Travel Bug, Inc. It's not easy to summarize in sound bites but I started My Travel Bug, Inc. because I think that international travel is important. I think it's important to know, to see, to speak and to experience cultures outside your own. We're not saving the world but we are trying to change people, one trip at a time.
It is a time and year of war and natural disasters. It is a time when citizens of the western developed world feel powerless and frustrated. Education is the first step to ending this cycle. I believe travel is a big part of that education as we strive for more understanding.
Travel can bring many things into your life. It doesn't cure everything. In fact, some people try it, hate it and never leave home again. But the point is to try something new. For some traveling abroad is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream or the start of a new career. All that matters to us at My Travel Bug, Inc. is that each year we get to help a few people travel of self-designed trips abroad. Our Fellowship program may be small but it matters- to the Board and myself who volunteer our time and to those who are chosen as My Travel Bug, Inc. Fellows.
We hope you've enjoyed reading the winning Fellows' stories and visiting the website. This year we're offering another batch of Fellowships. The Fellowship deadline is March 12, 2005. For more information about applying, please visit our website at www.MyTravelBug.org .
Two of our Fellows have written in this month. Margot de Messieres continues her travelogue on woodcarving in Bulgaria and Elizabeth Williams has sent us some wonderful pictures from Guatemala, which will be on our *new* Photo Gallery at the end of the week.
Thank you for all your support last year. We know you're giving to the tsunami relief but we did receive almost $1,000 last month in donations. Every dollar helps expand our Fellowship program so that we can award more Fellowships this spring. Won't you tell a friend and increase the circle? It matters...
Sincerely Yours,
Amanda O'NeilExecutive Director
Want to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and stories at My Travel Bug? Join our newsletter! Send a blank email to: MyTravelBug1-subscribe@topica.com
