My Team

I want to tell you a little about the people that I’m sharing this experience with.  I feel really lucky to be traveling with this group as everyone is very easy to be with and no one has any weird issues or hang-ups that make it difficult.  We’ve formed a very tight group I think, and we each are looking out for each other.  They are a group of genuinely good, fun, intelligent and sensitive people, and I am so glad that we were brought together by Rotary and GSE.

BJ is probably the most genuinely thoughtful and caring 30 year old guy I’ve ever known.  He truly has a heart of gold and is always thinking of everyone else.  We’ve been teasing him since we arrived at the airport and his suitcase was considerably overweight.  We’ve since learned why.  BJ brought more gifts than you can imagine!  He’s produced half a dozen hard backed books, a case of nutrition bars, a whole bunch of toothbrushes, and a variety of random souvenirs from Tucson that he has given out along the way to everyone from bus drivers to pre-school children to Rotarians.

Barb is very sweet and bright.  She always has a glow about her.  You can tell she is sensitive and wants to please others.  She’s got a great sense of humor and quick to laugh at herself.  I’m so impressed that she’s started her own business at 29 years old without the safety net of a husband and second income.  She loves her coffee and her wine, two things that she has received a great deal of teasing about.  But she is a good sport and has taken it all in stride.  Barb feels a little like a younger sister to me.

Sarah is still a bit of mystery.  She is clearly very intelligent, but rarely talks about herself.  She has traveled extensively all around the world, but really hasn’t talked much about those experiences.  She is a thinker and not a talker, a quality I admire but fail to emulate!  She’s got a sharp sense of humor and will from time to time pull out a zinger that surprises us all and puts me into hysterics.  Sarah is someone I definitely want to get to know more.

Randy, aka RanDELo, is our team leader and kind of like that funny, favorite uncle.  He has a great, but slightly warped, sense of humor, and is always making us laugh.   He’s got a huge heart and is always quick to say a kind word to people around him.  He is obviously committed to Rotary and making a difference in the world.  He plans to return to this part of the world to spend six months or so volunteering.