Roze and UB at the 58th Commission on the Status of Women in New York (2014)

Many think he’s quiet – which he is – and they mistake his quietness for disengagement. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Ulysses, also known as UB (or Eubie to some of us) is one of the most observant and deeply engaged people I know. As his bio on the Journey Guides page reveals, he takes listening very seriously. I’ve known UB for something like 20 years, which blows my mind. When do we get to the point in our lives that we know people longer than we haven’t?

UB travels a lot. He’s curious about the world around him and likes to learn best by immersion. When he commits to learning something, he’s all in. UB’s life was on a particular trajectory through medical school. Did I mention that he’s also a doctor? Much of his training and focus was on cancer. This life-taking disease left it’s mark on UB, taking his mother’s life and impacting many whom he loves. He decided early on that he was going to find a cure. I honestly can remember UB in a scrubs and a lab coat as a boy. That’s how far back his passion for science and health goes.

Something changed though in 2008. UB moved to Argentina for a year to work in public health, specifically with those affected by HIV/AIDS. His time in South America left an indelible mark on him – on his values, his life plan and his understanding of what it meant to be of service in the world.

Over the years, I have seen the boy grow into a man. UB is a person I trust with my life, quite literally. We have traveled together throughout the US and have gone to Jordan, Israel and Palestine. He is always aware of his surroundings and takes the time to understand everyone he encounters. He takes every journey home with him and has a gift for contextualizing the reality of our global brothers and sisters for those of us in the US. I often call him a man after God’s own heart. He seeks justice with every fiber of his being and lives a life that models his values and commitments.

UB balances me out in many ways and I look forward to sharing our love of the Holy Land with you in 2015. Traveling with us will be an experience of cool, calm, collected (him) and a what some might describe as a little high strung, decisive and outwardly expressive (me). Are you interested in joining us? Visit the Contact page to sign up for our journey, January 15-24, 2015. Spots are filling quickly!

Sending you light and love,

Roze