THE PURSUIT OF A BEAUTIFUL SURVIVAL
I recently listened to a talk given by Mr. Pico Iyer, in which he tried to answer the question: Where is home?
I was captivated by his words and the notion that I am part of a generation who is constantly asking themselves this question, often with an echoing silence in response. Initially taken back and put off by the idea of belonging to the fifth largest "nation" in the world, referring to the ever expanding population of individual living outside of their countries of residency, it was not until a bit of reflection that Iyer's message really hit home for me (that wasn't even meant to be puny). And I guess that is a good place to begin my story.
As I write this, I am sitting on a twin bed in a small apartment in Antwerp, Belgium. Yes, where diamonds come from. Last week I was laying on a couch in front of a fire place in Upstate New York, a week before that I was riding the subway in Berlin, Germany and a week before that I was sharing a life changing donut at the Markthal in Rotterdam, The Netherlands after booking a flight to Bhubaneswar, India, and the week before that... well, I think I have made my point.
My name is Katha and I was born in New York City and raised on a horse farm in Delaware County before moving to the Hudson Valley, in my parent's pursuit to provide a better education for their children. I was fortunate enough to have spent a majority of my youth traveling the East Coast, competing as an equestrian in show jumping competitions. I chose to go to college in Upstate New York (have you seen Upstate in the Fall? You would understand), attending Siena College and graduating with a degree in French and International Business. During junior year of my undergraduate degree, I chose to study abroad in Brussels, Belgium and I guess that is where you could say I was first "infected" with this passion. It was by accident that I came across my latest endeavor, a Masters program of Global Management that spans three continents and culminates in dual degrees from two leading business schools, but it was quite clearly an opportunity that I could not turn down. Et Voila, that is where I am at. Currently living in Antwerp, Belgium and moving to Bhubaneswar, India in January before finishing my degree in New York, New York during the summer of 2015.
To return to my original point and concern for the "homeless" generation, I can most simply clarify my feelings by sharing a poem that defines what I hope to one day embody:
i want to change people. i want them to learn how to feel each other. how to lose and find themselves in the eyes of someone they don't know. and i want them all to feel like they're not alone, that we're all in this together, and i hope that never changes. imagine that. what a beautiful way to live. what a beautiful way to feel, and what a beautiful way to survive. -r.m.drake
I ask you to join me in my journey and invite you, just for a short while, to see and experience the world through my "Quarter Life Lens".
I was captivated by his words and the notion that I am part of a generation who is constantly asking themselves this question, often with an echoing silence in response. Initially taken back and put off by the idea of belonging to the fifth largest "nation" in the world, referring to the ever expanding population of individual living outside of their countries of residency, it was not until a bit of reflection that Iyer's message really hit home for me (that wasn't even meant to be puny). And I guess that is a good place to begin my story.
As I write this, I am sitting on a twin bed in a small apartment in Antwerp, Belgium. Yes, where diamonds come from. Last week I was laying on a couch in front of a fire place in Upstate New York, a week before that I was riding the subway in Berlin, Germany and a week before that I was sharing a life changing donut at the Markthal in Rotterdam, The Netherlands after booking a flight to Bhubaneswar, India, and the week before that... well, I think I have made my point.
My name is Katha and I was born in New York City and raised on a horse farm in Delaware County before moving to the Hudson Valley, in my parent's pursuit to provide a better education for their children. I was fortunate enough to have spent a majority of my youth traveling the East Coast, competing as an equestrian in show jumping competitions. I chose to go to college in Upstate New York (have you seen Upstate in the Fall? You would understand), attending Siena College and graduating with a degree in French and International Business. During junior year of my undergraduate degree, I chose to study abroad in Brussels, Belgium and I guess that is where you could say I was first "infected" with this passion. It was by accident that I came across my latest endeavor, a Masters program of Global Management that spans three continents and culminates in dual degrees from two leading business schools, but it was quite clearly an opportunity that I could not turn down. Et Voila, that is where I am at. Currently living in Antwerp, Belgium and moving to Bhubaneswar, India in January before finishing my degree in New York, New York during the summer of 2015.
To return to my original point and concern for the "homeless" generation, I can most simply clarify my feelings by sharing a poem that defines what I hope to one day embody:
i want to change people. i want them to learn how to feel each other. how to lose and find themselves in the eyes of someone they don't know. and i want them all to feel like they're not alone, that we're all in this together, and i hope that never changes. imagine that. what a beautiful way to live. what a beautiful way to feel, and what a beautiful way to survive. -r.m.drake
I ask you to join me in my journey and invite you, just for a short while, to see and experience the world through my "Quarter Life Lens".