And So It Begins

I’ve thought about creating a blog for a long time--years, actually. I’m a fan of several personal blogs and have always wondered if my own attempt at self-documentation would hold a candle to the wit, humor and charm that these writers use to engage their readers and make even the smallest accounts of their daily lives seem meaningful and interesting. It’s a challenge, for sure, but one I feel the need to address.

This is the first step in breaking down several walls, both in terms of technological experience (of which I have very little) and personal exposure. While I’ve never had a problem sharing an opinion here and there, I’ve closely guarded my thoughts and feelings to all but the best of friends and family. I’ve preferred to be a listener or an observer, rather than the center of attention and scrutiny. I’ve been comfortable with my station in life and have been hard-pressed to deviate from that role. The transition from audience to narrator is bound to be more difficult than I can relate, but there’s no time like the present to start anew. If I can be half as charming as the bloggers I admire, then I win.

Personal growth aside, I’m about to undertake one of the biggest challenges of my life, emotionally, physically and spiritually--a two-month solo trip around Asia. This whirlwind tour will require some major documentation! I’m leaving home October 24th, a date that has significance to me as it marks the second anniversary of losing my job as an Account Executive at an advertising agency in Washington, DC. Unemployment allowed me to reprioritize my life and make decisions that have little to do with conventional ideas of success. For the past two years, I’ve been attempting to tick through some of those crucial “must-do” tasks on my list of Things To Do Before I Die. Obviously, the older we get, the harder it is to make these things happen. There will always be excuses to not do these things so sometimes its best to buck logic and seize the day! Sell belongings and move to a new place? Check. Road trip across the country with BFF in tow? Check. Work for a ski resort and play every day? Check. Learn to ice climb and mountaineer? Check. Explore the West in my free time? Not enough, but check. Flip a house by myself? Check. Book extended trip abroad? Check. My greatest fear is to look back and regret that I didn’t make the most of this time my life when I have no obligations to children, a mortgage or a career. Not that I don’t want those things. Eventually, and on my terms. All things in their time. For now, I’m enjoying living in the moment, taking things as they come and seizing opportunities that come my way. This path has led me on some fantastic adventures and I’m eager for whatever lies ahead.