Dear Mom,
For some ridiculous reason, I am already homesick. I miss you so very much, but this is good for me. I’m 19 and ready to explore the world, so Africa seems like a great place to start. I know that I have a whole life ahead of me, but I’m ready to start living it now. I don’t have time to sit around and let my life pass me by. I just want you to know that I’m not doing this to hurt you. I’m doing this for you and me; to help you let go and to help me hang on. I love you and I’ll write to you again soon.









Love Always, Katie
Dear Mom,
Its Day two. I’m hot and I miss my flat iron, but I absolutly adore it here. Last night, I arrived in Egypt and saw the long, twisting Nile River for the first time. It was magnificent. I got to know some of the locals and tomorrow I’ll get the chance to learn about the Valley of the Kings, where some of the tombs were contructed for the Pharaohs. Mom, I really wish you could’ve come with me. This is the experience of a lifetime. I’ll talk to you again as soon as I can.









Love Always, Katie
Dear Mom,
Oh my goodness! Learning about the Valley of the Kings was so great. I saw so much. There were at least 60 tombs known to be there, and they were covered in many carvings and painting. You’d think that since it was called “Valley of the Kings”, only the kings were buried there, but sometimes they buried the kings’ families there, too. Most of the kings’ tombs were decorated with royal texts or quotes, while others were sparsely decorated, if at all. The Valley of the Kings only has about 18 tombs open to the public, so I looked a few and then left. I hope you are as excited as I am. Talk to you soon.









Love Always, Katie
Dear Mom,
Early this morning, I decided to set my sights on Ethiopia. I didn’t know what to expect, but it was great. I went to the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, which is on Mount Entoto. Since its October, the weather here is beautiful. I think the most amazing part of being in Ethiopia was getting to see the Ethiopian Wolf. It is practically extinct and theres only about 500 left. It is a very dangerous animal to humans and livestock so I kept my distance, but it sure was beautiful. It’s coat was a creamy chocolate color and it’s tail was pure white at first, but then turned to a dark auburn towards the tip. I fell in love with the colors immediately. Well, I promise I’ll write more tomorrow.









Love Always, Katie
Dear Mom,
Today, I ended up back in Egypt, where my journey in Africa began. I wanted to learn more about the history and I did. I learned that the Nile isn’t just beautiful; it helped the plants along the river to grow into lucious greenery. I also learned the harsh struggles the Egyptians had to go through, like making sure the Nile’s floodwaters were just right and dealing with lack of communication due to the vast deserts. I learned about hieroglyphics, the writing system the Egyptians used, and that women had some of the same rights as men, like owning and trading property, and divorce. I never would have thought that I would be learning so much here. I love you Mom and I’ll talk to you soon.









Love Always, Katie
Dear Mom,
Today is the day. I’m coming home. It feel likes I’ve almost made this my second home; like my real home is a foreign land. But I’m still excited. I learned so much on this trip, like how the Egyptians used a pyramid to classify their society and how they developed a calender to track the Nile floods. I learned more than I ever thought I would and I’d never take this oppurtunity back. It was a glorious experience that I will never forget. Thank you Mom; not only for allowing me to go on this trip, but for allowing yourself to let go of your little girl and let her grow up. I love you and I’ll see you soon.









Love Always, Katie