In my young adult years, I had a hard time being seen for who I was.
I was always identified by where I grew up, whose sister I was or who I hung out with. Although I loved those aspects of myself, I was more.
As years went on, I had to make choices for my happiness. Choices often opposite of what I thought was expected of me. That meant becoming vulnerable to change and criticism.
That shift came with a yearning to experience more of what life had to offer. I began to look outside the walls put in place by others and myself to live a life God wanted me to live.
I began to capture these experiences in my writing. This became a way for me to purge, process and heal.
This blog is that journey and it continues. A journey full of love, tears, pride and lots of laughs.
Thanks for joining me.
The Imprint Left on my Heart from The Congo - Hospitality
The two-week emotional ride in the land of my ancestors with a rich, complex history, can’t be fully explored in a single blog post. But there is one thought that rises to the top of the entire experience:
What does it mean to extend hospitality and what does it mean to receive it?
HospItality
The quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.
As a tourism professional, I understand how to show hospitality from a professional point of view. I made a career of it for many years. Beginning as a front desk agent at a 4-diamond hotel, I became a sales manager for a convention center after years of work in the industry. On a personal level, my definition of hospitality was broader.