Weber students travel the world

By Rob Daniel/Iowa City Press-Citizen

Dean Jacobs has gone scuba-diving in the Cook Islands despite not knowing how to swim, taught English to Tibetan refugees and listened to the Dalai Lama in India.

The experiences were the fulfillment of a dream come true, he said to Weber Elementary students Wednesday.

"I had a dream and that was to take a trip all around the world," Jacobs said.

Jacobs, a native of Fremont, Neb., visited Weber Elementary at the invitation of Weber fifth- and sixth-grade teacher Mary Jo Williams to share stories and photos from his two-year trip around the world from 2001 to 2003. He said he quit a successful sales and marketing job to take the trip, a journey he hopes inspires students to follow their own dreams.

"What I hope to accomplish is to tell these kids is it's OK to have dreams," Jacobs said. "The world is far more kinder, far better than it's given credit for."

During the presentation, he talked about how he lived on $10 to $15 a day, staying with families at different points and working odd jobs teaching English. He said the small budget allowed him to be with the local people rather than in tourist areas.

"It gives you a chance to learn about the world and to learn about yourself," Jacobs said.

Among the highlights of his trip were crossing the equator four times, staying at a base camp at the 18,000-foot mark on Mount Everest and seeing wildlife in the Serengeti in Africa. He said he was touched by the friendliness of people around the world as well, especially the well wishes of people in Australia after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"We actually have many friends in the world," he said. "It just doesn't make the news."

Students said they were inspired by the stories and photos of the journey,

"It kind of changed how I thought about the world," said third-grader Minsoo Kim, 9. "(People) were a lot nicer and they were more poor or more wealthy than I thought."

Fourth-grader Mikinna Kerns, 10, said she liked the photos of the wildlife.

"I liked the penguins and that they lived in such a warm climate," she said.

Jacobs said he plans to return to several locales such as Africa and Russia in February, documenting his travel on his Web site, www.travel4life.org.