Flying Without a Parachute

When I returned from my escapade, I discovered a post-it note on my countdown message board from my housemate. In true educator form, the note read, "What did you learn?" Still processing through my re-entry, I was jet lagged, exhausted, and my brain was on stimulus overload, so I really had not thought much about it until prompted at the moment. The first thing that came to mind was that I was more of a Bad Ass than I had ever imagined I could be. I had finally pushed past all of my fears, doubts, and extreme shyness to find a strength in me that I did not know that I possessed. I allowed myself to release of all the things that held me back daily from fully living, and stepped out into the world. 

This was my dream trip and I had put it off for decades because I had never thought that I could do this on my own. I watched others take off in flight and my travels remained wishes in my head,  My shoes were cement blocks of fear because I could never find a travel companion to journey with. When talk of some far away place would come up in conversation, friends would always say, "Oh, we should do this...go here..." but then we never did. Life is too short. Too damn short not to live your dreams. My years seem fleeting and I knew I should not wait any longer. Time to just do it. 

I kept quiet about my plans because whenever I mentioned it, the naysayers lectured me on how dangerous the world is. I started thinking that it couldn't possibly be any more dangerous than my own homeland. You want me to live in fear? I survived and recovered from one near fatal accident all alone...but what if I had not recovered? What it I had left this place without fulfilling my desire to put stamps in my passport? What was my life about if not to live my dreams? The previous chapters of my life were all lived for someone else...family, friends, mates. It is definitely time that I live my remaining chapters for finding me and knowing who I am. 

We owe it to ourselves to travel the unbeaten path, explore the world, connect with people, immerse ourselves into the diversity of other cultures, and expand our minds. 

Do it. Be Bad Ass. Live Fearless. Just Live.