This internship also reminded me tthat I have a restless soul that needs literal movement. I had the opportunity to travel to many places either through folks’ experiences abroad on the screen or another traveler’s words but I soon wanted to be moving myself. I recognized that desire in me to be the person behind the camera, behind the chilling or revolutionary photograph, behind the beautiful prose. I wanted to be the explorer and not the editor…

Now, I just had to work up the nerve to tell the world who I was just as those inspirational men and women around me had.

I later re-visited the lyrics to the DJ Tiesto production “Just Be.” It resonates with me still and I want to share it with whoever reads these words. I think that we are never too wise, old or lucky to learn or remember. The lyric goes:

“You can travel the world/But you can’t run away/From the person you are in your heart/You can be who you want to be/Make us believe in you/Keep all your light in the dark/If you’re searching for truth/You must look in the mirror/And make sense of what you can see/Just be/Just be.

They say learning to love yourself/Is the first step/That you take when you want to be real/Flying on planes to exotic locations/Won’t teach you/How you really feel/Face up to the fact/That you are who you are/Nothing can change/that belief/Just be/Just be/

’cause now I know/It’s not so far/To where I go/The hardest part/Is inside me/I need/To just be/Just be Just be Just be.”

Thank you to the team at National Geographic Channels.

And that is all folks. Remember— Just be!!

Goodnight and Good luck to all those about to graduate!!