Congratulations!!
Tiffany Strietelmeier

The THIRD winner in the
LONG WAY DOWN Adventure Stories Contest

She won a LONG WAY DOWN Prize Pack that includes:
	2-sided poster signed by Ewan McGregor LONG WAY DOWN Book LONG WAY DOWN CD	Fox Reality Channel (FRC) Tank Top FRC Long & Short Sleeve T-Shirts Other fabulous prizes

Winning Story:

My cultural adventure has not quite finished yet.  I am a German, Irish, African American and this year I turned 30.  My goal for the next 3 years was to take an adventure to each of the countries of my heritage.  I had the extreme pleasure and joy last April to tour the many shades of green in Ireland.  I started out in Dublin and then rented a car to road trip on a full country tour including, Belfast, the Causeway, Derry, Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Claire, Limerick, Cork, Kilkenny, Kildare and back to Dublin.  This experience reminded me of your Long Way Down adventure for I found myself wanting to enjoy every bit of the journey which became the destination.  I will never forget the heights, sights, kind people and great conversations that I made on the way.  The trip changed my life and surprised me in how much I felt a spirit of kindred with the land and people.  It felt like home to me.
  
In March I will continue my quest to visit my ethnically homelands by a 4 week long trip to South Africa.  I will start my journey in Jo'Burg for a few days and head to East London where I will meet up with 20 or so other volunteers with Global Volunteers (a private, non-profit, non-sectarian, non-governmental organization engaging short-term volunteers on micro-economic and human development programs in close partnership with local people).  We will be working with the Malungeni community and help by teaching English to school children, establish a HIV/AIDs library and help to promote local businesses.  After spending two weeks volunteering I will head to Cape Town to tour the wine country, Safari and really get more of a sense of who South Africa is and what she is made of. 

Germany will be my next destination, and plans will be developed after my SA journey.  I share this story with you and others who might grow up not really knowing the history, culture and tradition that resonates deep in your make up - in your blood and I encourage anyone to plan a trip like I have for I guarantee, it will feel like home to you! Cheers!