What's the deal?

Well, I've decided to start a blog about my gap year... half way through!
I've attached all of the e-mail updates that I sent out during my time in India.
And from now on, I'll post my thoughts, whereabouts, comments, pictures, and what not here.

Here's a little about me and my gap year...
I graduated from high school in June of 2009. I decided to spend a year traveling and volunteering before starting college because... when else will I have this opportunity? I have no serious responsibilities (thankfully, I don't have to worry about getting a full time job just yet). I'm not trying to prove myself to anyone or beef up my resume. This is a chance for me to explore the world, pursue what excites me, and learn outside of a classroom environment. I hope that this gap year will give me a better idea of what I want to study in college. I already feel that what I have learned about myself and the world so far will help me make the most of my time in college.

So what have I been up to so far?
Starting in September, I lived in Northern India for three months. I volunteered at an all girls orphanage outside of Delhi for a little over two months. I also got the chance to travel around Rajasthan, to Varanasi, and to Darjeeling. (See the e-mail updates I have posted for more on India!)
I spent time traveling and with family and friends in France and Austria. I experienced the Lights Festival in Lyon, visited every single Christkindl Market in Vienna, couch surfed for the first time in Linz, and finally saw my family again in Salzburg.
Since early January, I have been in Frisco, Colorado. I'm working a little bit at an art gallery here. But mostly, I am skiing...A LOT. Today was my 22nd day skiing.

Future plans?
In a week and a half, I'm headed to Kakamega, Kenya. I will be living with a family, teaching at a girls high school, and volunteering at an orphanage. In April, I will start interning at an emergency hospital in Salzburg, Austria. Once that is finished, I'll head back to California to coach swim team and replenish my bank account a little bit. I have yet to figure out what I'll be doing in August. Working? Hanging out? Traveling? Volunteering?
In September, my gap year officially ends. Then it is time for college... which should also be quite the experience!