For those who don't know, when I was seven years old, I spent about three weeks in a children’s hospital after a gun accident incapacitated me. Seventeen years later, the hospital stay itself is but a distant memory—except one of the parts that I distinctly remember from that time is watching the Disney Pixar movie “A Bug’s Life” nearly every single day. The once-traumatizing “flashbulb memory” of the accident is psychologically associated with that movie. Recently, I came to...

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The last 10 days have been pretty crazy. I started off 2017 by driving from Wisconsin (thanks for letting me couchsurf again Meredith and Dan!!!! <3 ) to South Carolina to pick up Paige and Isaac from South Carolina. I went from -20 degree weather to 75 degree weather in a matter of 24 hours. The drive to SC was brutal; being trapped in a metal box without being able to move around or look away from the road for 15 solid hours felt like a form of torture. Granted, I was able to listen to...

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    Since June, every week is a new adventure for me. When I was attending college, there was a weekly routine; when I was working any job, despite the newish experiences in the environment, it was still close to a routine. This summer has been the opposite. Situations present themselves in such various shapes and sizes, even if they do resemble a past experience—it’s in a completely new environment, with unique characters. This week, I’ve been bashed with the choice between fear an...

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Is it ever justifiable to steal from the rich to give to the needy? Is it ethical to do something bad in order to do good? I’ve been faced with this question since I was old enough to understand the concept. In college, I did a big presentation on "The High Cost of Low Price" about Walmart's practices overseas. Is the quality of affordable life for an American worth more than the quality of life for a Chinese? Walmart isn't the only one either, obviously. Monsanto is attacked all the ti...

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    One of circuses’ missions is to play on the concept of novelty. “The1^st Official Aquatic Circus in U.S.” is plastered on a few of the Cirque Italia trucks and novelty items are sold by the dozens every show.  The performances are designed to keep you on the edge of your seat, and children especially swim in the ignorance during the clown acts and intermission activities.

    What is it with our brains and the addiction to novelty? Is it something that’s been around since humans ...

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I had the pleasure of starting off this new chapter in my journey by riding with Emilio (my tightrope walking counterpart) on my way to the next circus stop in Tennessee. We talked about our past and future, he taught me some Spanish, and he comforted my troubled heart after he mentioned the long-lived state of murderous affairs in Mexico. My time with him has been a series of reminiscing my angst-driven teen years, testing my moral compass, and feeling my heart melt into a puddle despite the...

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Last weekend was a crazy one for me. I reevaluated my morals, immersed myself in the culture of a circus tribe, worked 28 very sweaty hours in four days, fell in love with a circus performer, changed (slightly) the way I look at myself and humanity, and have (slightly) changed my travel directions.

 Joining the Cirque Italia was a last minute opportunity. I completely ran out of money by the time I hit North Carolina (not to mention going negative from a $180 seatbelt fine…). After hour...

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