“Many people are happy with things as they are. They are comfortable with what they already know. But if I didn’t move outside my comfort level, how would I ever experience anything new, how would I learn, or see or explore? I believe that each of us has a purpose for being here, that we have certain gifts and certain challenges we need to learn from and fulfill for our lives to have meaning and richness.” Lynne Cox, author of Grayson

While traveling by bus from Lusaka to Livingstone, Zambia, I read a really great book called Grayson by Lynne Cox. The memoir tells about Lynne’s experience with a baby gray whale early one morning while swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Lynne’s words created a perfect picture in my mind. There I sat on a warm, dry, and dusty bus in the middle of Africa, but felt like I was in that cold Pacific sea water watching Lynne try to find Grayson’s mother.

Books are powerful. Books take us places. Books help us to better understand struggle, determination, and success. Lynne had so many thoughtful lines throughout the story, and I found myself tabbing pages with memorable quotes. The  short passage at beginning this blog post struck me as I watched the A to Z team of teachers learn and explore, better understanding life in Zambia, wanting to know more about the people. Pushing outside our comfort level is tough, but we all have gifts to share and challenges to overcome.