I took this photo July 4th, 2011, while hiking on the outskirts of Andringitra National Park in Southern Madagascar. I was hiking with a guide and porter, both of whom I work and live with in a small village, and two French tourists. I remember feeling nostalgic for the U.S. because of the 4th of July holiday, but moved by the beauty of the country in which I now reside. In this photo you can see mountains, rice paddies being flooded in preparation for the next planting season, and a few very small villages in the distance.