"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." -Andre Gide
One also can't express just how much I hate starting anything with a quote, but as soon as I came across this one years ago, it resonated with me and I don't think I knew just how much it would mean to me until now.
The truth is, I hate open waters. I'm a shore clinger. The shore is fixed, it's visible, and most of all, it's safe. I've lived a long life on the shore line, resting on a variety of steady everythings. But every so often, the tickle of the sea would lure me, and my God though it's been the slowest of courtships, I'm finally ready to set sail.
As of two weeks ago, I took a leave of absence from my job. Prior to that, I've also had a year that arguably is deserving of throwing in the towel, and just saying, "alright...I surrender." And for a long time surrendering felt like giving up. It felt like failure. But now I see things quite differently.
Surrendering means not feeling the need to solve every problem at this very moment.
Surrendering means letting the will of the world take over.
Surrendering means letting go, and letting God.
Surrendering means finding peace.
And Lord knows, I want peace. So I'm embarking on a 4 month journey, and will chronicle my adventures (or lack of...at this point, whatever!) here. My intention is to keep this as a forum where I can share my experiences, hopefully lending a bit of ease to anyone else out there in the world facing the same.
At this very moment, I'm about to board a plane to Bali, where I'll live for the next 30 days. I wish I could say I am pumped and positive and ready for the adventure, but the truth is I'm terrified...