I have pondered may a-times how lucky I am that I can travel to places around the world mostly for personal reasons and sometimes even for business. I, like many others, are blessed with the opportunities possible in this day and age to make long distance travel possible. In 14 hrs I can be in Seoul should I choose. 50 yrs ago, maybe a lot less years ago, that trip would have taken much longer to do. And on and on I could go about how good we have it.
And then I realized that I can do these trips not only because the world is smaller and technology facilitates many things. I can travel because where I was born and where I live have afforded me opportunities to be in a good enough situation to travel, something many people in other less developed countries may never have. But I go further the more I think about it: even if I didn’t have the wherewithal to be able to travel, I still don’t have to worry about many basic things. Malaria is not a threat in my country. Water safety is not a concern (usually, anyway). There is good medicine accessible within a mile or so from where I live. Etc.
Many people in this world have to worry about such things. Forget about whether they would have the wherewithal to travel abroad – they have to worry about the basics that you and I, dear reader, more than likely will never have to worry about. Yes, we do have issues too but not at the scale of what a good portion of our fellow human beings have to worry about.
It is with that in mind that I decided to do a trek to help some folks who may have a lot less of the basics than most of us. A friend of mine founded an organization a few years ago that organizes treks in support of orphanages around the world. They have gone to base camp in Everest, to the top of Kilimanjaro, done the Camino in Spain, hiked to Machu Picchu, etc. This July they are organizing a “lite” trek in the mountains of Romania – the Transylvanian Alps – and I have decided to join them for the first time! The organization is called Trekking for Kids. The trek will begin and end in Brasov in central Romania, an area with well-known beauty and famous (or infamous as the case may be) for Bran’s Castle that inspired the Dracula story (I even hate to mention it but had to!).
Trekkers raise funds that directly fund the projects that will be done for the targeted orphanage (capital improvements, sustainability-oriented projects, etc.). Not only do we fundraise for the orphanage but we will pitch in with sweat equity while at the orphanage as well as just be with the children.
I am thrilled to be undertaking this challenge. It is a lite trek but that is 4 days in a row of hiking and I have not done more than one day ever… My longest hike was over 20 yrs ago… So I will share a little between now and July about preparations for the trek and then share with you the experience once the trek is done. I am hoping my troublesome knee will cooperate as it has been acting up the last 3 years. But I hope it all works out for the best first and foremost for the kids in that orphanage in Brasov, Romania!
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If you’d like to support the orphanage projects via Trekking for Kids via my trek, go to their site, click on “Donate” on the top right, go to the “Select Trek or Fund” box and select “Romania 2012”, and then (don’t forget!), select me as the Trekker you are supporting! (If you prefer to pay by check, please email me so I can get the form to you which will also provide you with your tax receipt.)
