Life. Life is ok right now. Not great, not bad. Just good.
Nothing special. At times I like the "nothing specialness" because it
means I'm at least not falling. But most of the time I don't because it means
there's nothing to look forward to. There is scientific evidence showing that people
who have things to look forward to are happier and more productive, even if
it's simply getting together with friends on the weekend, a drink after work,
or a weekend getaway.
The little things are all well and good, but I want
something that will thrill my soul, make my heart beat faster and my eyes open
wide. My dream for a few years now has been to pick up and move to a random
city every few months, find a job in a coffeeshop or little local store -
definitely someplace local in order to really discover the culture of the place
- find some like-minded roommates and live simply. Seattle, Vancouver, Boulder,
Boston, Northern California (in the forests), Portland, Bayfield (northern WI -
beautiful), anywhere near Yellowstone, Missoula, work on an organic farm
somewhere out west, find out how far north I can get in Alaska or Canada and
learn how to dogsled. There's so many places and so much to do here in our own
country!
So what's stopping me? There's the feeling of
"home" that I've discovered here, and I like being close to family
and good friends, but since I'm being honest here, I'll admit those are merely
excuses. The real reason is money of course - there's the burden of loans that
I would give anything to get paid off today, but since that won't happen and
I'm too responsible to ignore it, I will carry it with as light a heart as I
can manage.
After some time living here, secure and content, I realize
that home and family will always be here, but Alaska
is melting, and the mountains are eroding, and who knows when California
will break off and float out to sea. There may not be time to wait!
So I'm putting my New Year's dream out here for all to see
in hopes that by getting it out of my head and in a physical form, it may help
keep the dream alive. I wish to road trip around the country, staying long
enough in a place to get into the culture before moving on, discovering more
about nature, this country, and what makes me who I am. No TV, reading and
writing a lot, living off the radar, doing things I never would have imagined
my body or mind could do... Setting the soul free for a time.
