Culture shock happens to the best of us. In case you don’t know, culture shock is described as the disorientation someone may experience when they have been exposed to a culture with which they are unfamiliar. I’ve travelled to 19 countries since my childhood. I’ve been sick on a plane, puked in a cab, seen snakes on a plane… the movie… experienced minor food poisoning, I’ve almost been robbed and threatened, but despite all of those things, I’ve always maintained my composure.

Holding out a banana slowly, I’m unsure of what to expect. In a heartbeat, a massive trunk snatches the tiny piece of fruit from my bare hand and whisks it into his mouth. Astonished, I face the 10,000 pound Asian elephant in disbelief. It’s not every day that you get to hang out with an elephant.

New Years Eve, a day of new beginnings. It’s a day meant to remember your accomplishments from the past year, forget the ills, and to look forward to a clean slate of possibilities. When we celebrate the New Year, we do so by attending lavish parties, dancing the night away, and secretly hoping that we get that New Years kiss when the clock strikes twelve.