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Over the last decade, I have traveled across the country and around the globe, visiting new places such as India and Costa Rica, exploring new cultures such as the Creole culture in southern Louisiana, and attending amazing events such as the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. However, out of all the travel experiences I’ve had, I’d say my most significant experience would be when I cycled across the country to raise awareness about poverty in America and created a documentary about the whole experience. In the summer of 2011, I joined a group of cyclists from the Lasallian Volunteers to cycle across the country to raise awareness about poverty in America. Dipping our wheels in the Pacific Ocean in Warrington, Oregon, we cycled 3600 miles from west to east, stopping in 52 cities across 13 states, ending our journey two months later by dipping our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean in Long Branch, New Jersey. Along the way, at each city, we connected with social service providers, homeless shelters, food kitchens, and the underserved population, hearing their stories and struggles, sharing our experiences, performing volunteer work ourselves, and capturing it all on camera. That's right! My particular assignment on this journey was to produce and direct a feature-length documentary of this experience, as well as take photos and post weekly update videos throughout the ride. The weekly photos and video updates gained a nationwide following, earning the attention of several local and regional news stations. In December of 2011, the documentary premiered in Rome, Italy to a standing ovation. I found this experience especially meaningful because in addition to the fact that I just cycled across the country, I was able to connect with people from many socioeconomic stratifications and witness the contributions they made to their communities in hopes of breaking the cycle of poverty in America. I was able to capture their story on film and share that story with the world, all the while seeing the country, meeting new people, volunteering and giving back to communities, and honing my craft. However, my biggest takeaway from this experience was that although the experience seemed daunting at first (I would have to cycle 3600 miles AND produce a documentary), I realized that if you take a small leap of faith and push yourself outside your comfort zone, the rewards are priceless! This is a life-long memory I will treasure forever.