The Trip of a Lifetime.
I remember looking at the month of May as this long, yellow-bricked road, with lots of potholes and missing bricks, slowing down time until I reached the end, and the ultimate day: May 29th.
I hopped on a plane, flew 3,000 miles away from where I live, and hopped back into the world I knew, and the world where I felt most comfortable. I knew it would go by fast, and I knew at the end of it, I would leave not wanting to go back, but like all vacations, there comes a point where you have to go back and jump start your daily life.
As I was leaving Fayetteville this morning on the search for a Starbucks to park myself at, I wondered what was next for me. I was obviously sad as I drove by my friend Kelson's current place of work, knowing it would be at least 10 months before I'd see him again. But as I kept driving up Highway 54, I thought about my journey over the next 10 months, and what I want to do for myself. And the more I drove, the more I thought about the changes I hope to make.
In a way, this trip, even though it flew by faster than I wanted, served the purpose I hoped it would.
It gives me a drive and a goal to strive for.
It's no secret that I pretty much had lost my will to do a damn thing. I went to work, I came home, I sat in my room, and that was it. I talked to my friends, but I didn't go anywhere nor do anything. I didn't want to. I felt like I was going to be stuck in California for the rest of my life with no way out and a mundane lifestyle. What was the point, I thought?
Over the last 10 days, I've seen my friends who I haven't seen in 3 years.... or, as many as I could in a short time. I met new people, and put voices and IRL faces to the texts I've sent over the last 2 years. I drove everywhere, saw everything, did as much as I could.... and it was glorious.
I couldn't wait to get out of bed in the morning to see what was next on the list of things to do. Even if that meant just sitting in the living room with Kristin while we talked about everything, or walking downstairs to see the Van Gunst family, it was something.
June 6th was a pretty remarkable day. Two friends committed their lives together in a hand of marriage (congrats Britt and Nicole!!) and I got to be a part of a day that ended with two friends beginning the next journey of their lives together.... AND take impromptu engagement photos (congrats Kylan and Kelson!!).... all in all a pretty great day.
It didn't matter what we did, I was just happy to be there. I even managed to fall asleep in complete darkness and silence, something in my life I thought was never possible. I even managed to find the bit of faith I thought I never would regain by visiting a church out here.
All of it was glorious. I feel like my life has a purpose again. Even if that purpose is to get to 2016 so I can get my butt back to Georgia, it is a drive that will propel me forward. That is what I've been looking for over the past 3 years.
I set a goal, and I accomplished it. Even though I'm sad in a way because I know today that I'm leaving, I'm also ready to get back, so I can start the task of saving as much as I can so I can get back here in 2016.... and potentially twice!
I'm sitting in Starbucks, and I've got one more friend to see. She's someone who I've actually known for quite a while, and I remember long phone calls over summer breaks about pretty much a lot of things. It'll be the last thing I do before the unwind begins: rental car return, check-in at the airport, and hope on a plane to head back to Fairfield, California.
I'm sad to leave. But this truly has been the trip of a lifetime. I'm glad I committed to making this happen, and not letting my fears and my disdain for the unknown get in my way. It's amazing what a simple plane ride across a big hunk of rock, water, and land mass, and several swipes of a credit card can do for a person's psyche. Like.... I'm ready to get back in the gym tomorrow! I'm ready to get into photography and improve on my craft. I'm ready to go balls-in at work, and give my co-workers the 100%+ that they deserve from me. I'm just ready.
Who knows, after 2016, I may save up for a trip to Europe, my dream vacation. I have started the process of getting my passport, which I need to hop back on once I'm back in California.....
10 months. Let's rock it out, guys.
I hopped on a plane, flew 3,000 miles away from where I live, and hopped back into the world I knew, and the world where I felt most comfortable. I knew it would go by fast, and I knew at the end of it, I would leave not wanting to go back, but like all vacations, there comes a point where you have to go back and jump start your daily life.
As I was leaving Fayetteville this morning on the search for a Starbucks to park myself at, I wondered what was next for me. I was obviously sad as I drove by my friend Kelson's current place of work, knowing it would be at least 10 months before I'd see him again. But as I kept driving up Highway 54, I thought about my journey over the next 10 months, and what I want to do for myself. And the more I drove, the more I thought about the changes I hope to make.
In a way, this trip, even though it flew by faster than I wanted, served the purpose I hoped it would.
It gives me a drive and a goal to strive for.
It's no secret that I pretty much had lost my will to do a damn thing. I went to work, I came home, I sat in my room, and that was it. I talked to my friends, but I didn't go anywhere nor do anything. I didn't want to. I felt like I was going to be stuck in California for the rest of my life with no way out and a mundane lifestyle. What was the point, I thought?
Over the last 10 days, I've seen my friends who I haven't seen in 3 years.... or, as many as I could in a short time. I met new people, and put voices and IRL faces to the texts I've sent over the last 2 years. I drove everywhere, saw everything, did as much as I could.... and it was glorious.
I couldn't wait to get out of bed in the morning to see what was next on the list of things to do. Even if that meant just sitting in the living room with Kristin while we talked about everything, or walking downstairs to see the Van Gunst family, it was something.
June 6th was a pretty remarkable day. Two friends committed their lives together in a hand of marriage (congrats Britt and Nicole!!) and I got to be a part of a day that ended with two friends beginning the next journey of their lives together.... AND take impromptu engagement photos (congrats Kylan and Kelson!!).... all in all a pretty great day.
It didn't matter what we did, I was just happy to be there. I even managed to fall asleep in complete darkness and silence, something in my life I thought was never possible. I even managed to find the bit of faith I thought I never would regain by visiting a church out here.
All of it was glorious. I feel like my life has a purpose again. Even if that purpose is to get to 2016 so I can get my butt back to Georgia, it is a drive that will propel me forward. That is what I've been looking for over the past 3 years.
I set a goal, and I accomplished it. Even though I'm sad in a way because I know today that I'm leaving, I'm also ready to get back, so I can start the task of saving as much as I can so I can get back here in 2016.... and potentially twice!
I'm sitting in Starbucks, and I've got one more friend to see. She's someone who I've actually known for quite a while, and I remember long phone calls over summer breaks about pretty much a lot of things. It'll be the last thing I do before the unwind begins: rental car return, check-in at the airport, and hope on a plane to head back to Fairfield, California.
I'm sad to leave. But this truly has been the trip of a lifetime. I'm glad I committed to making this happen, and not letting my fears and my disdain for the unknown get in my way. It's amazing what a simple plane ride across a big hunk of rock, water, and land mass, and several swipes of a credit card can do for a person's psyche. Like.... I'm ready to get back in the gym tomorrow! I'm ready to get into photography and improve on my craft. I'm ready to go balls-in at work, and give my co-workers the 100%+ that they deserve from me. I'm just ready.
Who knows, after 2016, I may save up for a trip to Europe, my dream vacation. I have started the process of getting my passport, which I need to hop back on once I'm back in California.....
10 months. Let's rock it out, guys.
I enjoyed seeing you! Safe travels!
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