And the Journey Begins

The day has finally arrived!  Through the Father Smith Fellowship offered at Providence College, I have the incredible opportunity to travel to Sydney, Australia and the Solomon Islands.  In Sydney, I will be meeting with members of the Dominican community and immersing myself in the Australian lifestyle.  In the Diocese of Auki located in the Solomon Islands, I begin the four week service oriented portion of my trip.  Cayla McKernan, a rising senior at Providence College, was also selected for the program.  I am thrilled to share this exciting experience with her.  After months of planning and last minute preparations, we are ready to go.    Here is a brief outline of our itinerary:

July 2nd - Fly from New York to LA to Sydney to Cairns
July 4th - Destination Cape Tribulation for a few days exploring the Daintree Rainforest and beaches
July 7th - Cairns for scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef
July 9th - Sydney
July 19th - Depart for the Solomon Islands
August 16th - Return to Sydney
August 21st - Arrive home!

The past few days at home have been busy with work, packing, and barbecues.  I hope to harness all of the enthusiasm and love from my family and friends and share it with everyone I meet in Australia and the Solomons.  As I prepare to leave for the airport, get comfortable for 23 hours of flying, and spend 6 weeks across the globe, I find myself both eager and anxious.  However, I learned a few encouraging words last week that have helped to settle my nerves and seem very fitting for the journey Cayla and I are about to embark on: "Turn the fear of the unknown into the excitement of the potential."

See you later Long Island!