Holy hats!! That means we have been gone over eleven months! That the end is just around the corner! How did that HAPPEN??
It's an odd thing, the thought of going home. I am super excited to see my family and friends. I am looking forward to lazying around on my sister's couch and seeing how much my nephew has grown and driving around a city I know and actually putting on a new pair of clothes! I am also dreading the thought of looking for a job, anxiety-ridden at the notion of being stressed out again, sick with the realization that this incredible journey is almost over.
The general consensus of every person we have met on this trip who has since returned home is the same: DON'T DO IT! Postpone the end as long as possible. Suck every minute out of this trip. Don't go home if you can help it. It stinks! They shout it from the mountaintops of facebook status updates, and it threatens to fill me with a heavy feeling of despair. Will life ever be this good again??
The answer, which I am determined to achieve, is YES. This isn't an isolated event with a beginning, a middle, and an inevitable end. A "holiday" to reside within the pages of a photo album that we'll look back upon in old age. Not a chance. This is a shift in perspective. An awakening to the realization that you don't HAVE to do things like everyone else does. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I feel like I have been let in on a secret, along with a handful of folks from around the globe who have made a similar journey.
And I am about to let you in on it too: There are many, many different and wonderful ways to live your life out there.
The nine to five and the house and the dog and the kids - that is one way. One really great way for those who enjoy it. But for those who don't, there are lots of other options! I have the overwhelming feeling that this little tidbit of information is something that America wants to squash out of it's citizens. But I am desperate to hang onto it.
Several folks have used the phrase, "coming back to the real world" with regards to this trip coming to an end. And I've gotta say, it's become a real pet peeve of mine. Cause I personally think that the experiences of the past year are much more "real world" than those I had sitting in a cubicle ten hours a day. Hiking to ancient historical ruins VS filling out expense reports. Teaching in an African village VS watching 'The Bachelor.' It seems like people have this idea that without the responsibilities of a traditional day job, you are living in a fantasy world. Yet we've come across thousands of people this year who are gainfully employed, doing things every day that we pay a fortune to experience. Guiding us through the rushing river canyons. Pouring the wines we're tasting at vineyards. Renting the boards we'll surf along the coast. The list goes on and on.
Anyhow, does this mean I want to run off a join the peace corp? No. Become a sea kayaking instructor on the shores of Indonesia? You know how I feel about kayaking. But it does hopefully mean that these types of journeys will remain a way of life from now on. It's unlikely we'll ever travel for an entire year again. Really, Mom! But it's even more unlikely that we'll return home only to become slaves to the two-week vacation. Cause I've been let in on the secret! And this knowledge could either be highly depressing or incredibly empowering, depending on what I do with it.
It's an odd thing, the thought of going home. I am super excited to see my family and friends. I am looking forward to lazying around on my sister's couch and seeing how much my nephew has grown and driving around a city I know and actually putting on a new pair of clothes! I am also dreading the thought of looking for a job, anxiety-ridden at the notion of being stressed out again, sick with the realization that this incredible journey is almost over.
The general consensus of every person we have met on this trip who has since returned home is the same: DON'T DO IT! Postpone the end as long as possible. Suck every minute out of this trip. Don't go home if you can help it. It stinks! They shout it from the mountaintops of facebook status updates, and it threatens to fill me with a heavy feeling of despair. Will life ever be this good again??
The answer, which I am determined to achieve, is YES. This isn't an isolated event with a beginning, a middle, and an inevitable end. A "holiday" to reside within the pages of a photo album that we'll look back upon in old age. Not a chance. This is a shift in perspective. An awakening to the realization that you don't HAVE to do things like everyone else does. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I feel like I have been let in on a secret, along with a handful of folks from around the globe who have made a similar journey.
And I am about to let you in on it too: There are many, many different and wonderful ways to live your life out there.
The nine to five and the house and the dog and the kids - that is one way. One really great way for those who enjoy it. But for those who don't, there are lots of other options! I have the overwhelming feeling that this little tidbit of information is something that America wants to squash out of it's citizens. But I am desperate to hang onto it.
Several folks have used the phrase, "coming back to the real world" with regards to this trip coming to an end. And I've gotta say, it's become a real pet peeve of mine. Cause I personally think that the experiences of the past year are much more "real world" than those I had sitting in a cubicle ten hours a day. Hiking to ancient historical ruins VS filling out expense reports. Teaching in an African village VS watching 'The Bachelor.' It seems like people have this idea that without the responsibilities of a traditional day job, you are living in a fantasy world. Yet we've come across thousands of people this year who are gainfully employed, doing things every day that we pay a fortune to experience. Guiding us through the rushing river canyons. Pouring the wines we're tasting at vineyards. Renting the boards we'll surf along the coast. The list goes on and on.
Anyhow, does this mean I want to run off a join the peace corp? No. Become a sea kayaking instructor on the shores of Indonesia? You know how I feel about kayaking. But it does hopefully mean that these types of journeys will remain a way of life from now on. It's unlikely we'll ever travel for an entire year again. Really, Mom! But it's even more unlikely that we'll return home only to become slaves to the two-week vacation. Cause I've been let in on the secret! And this knowledge could either be highly depressing or incredibly empowering, depending on what I do with it.
oh my god sabrina, i so loved this. you just made my day!
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