"This is me. In my classroom on one of the last day of school. I never thought coming here would have changed me so much. This place has opened its arms to me and has found its way deep into my core, a bond unshakable. I came here to be a teacher, but like always it has taught me much more than I could ever give. Its beauty doesn't just lie in golden pagodas or busy street markets and old colonial buildings. Its beauty lies in the people - the people of Myanmar and the people who have flocked here to find something. I've always been attracted to places that are deeply rooted in trauma, perhaps in order to deal with my own. Myanmar is no exception - its had a rough past and now a quick rebirth. In the moments that were difficult or different from what I deem "normal", no matter how devastating, something beautiful was always around the corner. That polarity allows you, if you are willing, to connect to the people here. A smile, a mingalabar, a new found openness. There is beauty in everything here and if you just open your eyes and your heart, it will change you. It is what the people have given me that I will remember the most - their unwavering, insurmountable kindness and beauty that I hope to carry after I leave. This place will change. I will change, but I am grateful that I got to connect in whatever way possible and that I have so much to take with me. I am full. " - Keegan Luttrell, 2017
Check out Keegan's own work here www.keeganluttrell.com
