The Quest

For those that are still avid followers of my blog after these two years (if there are any...), you will have probably noticed my lack of posting lately. This last months have been crazy, as I'm finishing up projects, saying goodbye, and packing my bags. 

I don't exactly know what I'm feeling at this moment, since it changes about every day. I suppose I would have thought that I would feel sadder, but as the days come closer I'm getting more excited for my "next adventure" ahead. Granted, I will probably cry like a new born baby when I leave, but I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach--excitement/fear/sadness/anxious/happy. It's the same feeling I had when I was leaving my home two years ago to go to Peru and become a Peace Corps volunteer.

I recently ran across this blog, "The Art of Non-Conformity" written by Chris Guillebeau (http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/the-quest/?awt_l=C9Ksl&awt_m=JwGK0.P_Psnt7W) . He has made it his goal to travel to every country in the world by his 35 birthday. Here is what he has to say:

At first, you weren't sure you had it in you. Fear, doubt, naysayers, and what-ifs threatened to hold you back. You left anyway, determined to see it out.   

The people around you talked about consequences and the risk of uncertainty. Wouldn't it be safer not to go? Wouldn't you be better off homebound, shut off from the world in the comfortable setting you knew so well? You smiled and went anyway, knowing the real truth: consequences can just as well be positive. Unexpected surprises can be good. 

But if you don't go, you'll never know for sure. You embraced the logic of the underdog: the last shall be first; the poor shall be rich; blessed are those who live for adventure, for they shall never die with regrets. These things kept you alive along the way: 

The love of good friends. 
The belief in yourself. 
The conviction that your life should count for something.  
The resoluteness of purpose.  

Others debated whether the journey or the destination was more important; you split the difference by choosing to enjoy them both. 

It's good to arrive, but it's good to enjoy the ride. At the end, you rest for a while. And then you're ready to do it again.