“No, Life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath: I’ll tell you how the sun rose A ribbon at a time…” –Donald Miller, Through painted Deserts
“We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out , wouldn’t it? It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out. I want to repeat one word for you: Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn’t it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted it to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don’t worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed.” –Donald Miller, Through Painted Deserts
It is my belief that every great adventure requires at least one thing; growth. If you think back to any significant adventure that occurred in your life, you will surely find that it changed you. It made you stronger, it gave you a different perspective, it made you a better person, it helped you to grow. Sometimes this growth is anticipated before hand, sometimes it is discovered long after the adventure has occurred. Regardless, one thing holds true; without growth, the activity in question is not an adventure, but rather a pleasure trip, a vacation, an empty distraction. Therefore, although I anticipate a great deal of fun, the main reason that I go to Australia is to experience growth.
It is not my goal to be overdramatic in my writings about the adventure to come. After all, I’m only going to be gone for six months, and Australia is a relatively safe country. At the same time I don’t want to downplay it. This is a big deal for me. In his book Wild At Heart, John Elderedge recalls the first time he was given permission to ride his bike around the block. Although a seemingly trivial thing, at the time he couldn’t have been more excited. Elderedge writes that it was almost as if he was given a charter to explore the new world. In a way, this is my first time around the block. The first time that I have truly ventured out into the unknown with only God to turn to for strength and courage. This is why I think I will grow. This is why I see my stay in Australia as a great adventure.
