Sunny, in the 80s and we are leaving Asheville after a wonderful stay with Amanda's brother, Zac and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Vicki. Monday was a long driving day highlighted by some beautiful scenery and roadside attractions ("Foamhenge"... Stonehenge made of foam) Yesterday we spent most of the day in town exploring shops and eating at some local favorite places!
We are heading into Tennessee with Nashville as a drive-by destination and will be staying near Memphis this evening. Asheville has been wonderful and we have loved having some time here. Onward and upward to experience more of the journey! =)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Young and Restless
Well, here we are- standing on the brink of adventure, challenges and discovery. It's been several months since I first called Kate on a sunny November afternoon and told her that we should make our dream a reality. Throughout our year as volunteers in South Africa, we talked about driving cross-country, seeing weird things, visiting new cities and exploring our own country together. Our fellow volunteers always thought we were a little nuts... maybe we did, too. But as I drove up the interstate on that crisp fall day and pondered the words of an email I'd recently gotten from a good friend, I wondered, "What do I want to do with my life right now? I'm too young to be bored and stagnant. I want to grow. I want to be challenged. I want to live a life that inspires and excites me." I knew I wanted to move out and start a new life in a new place. But what was my heart telling me? What did I need to do for me?
Being young with the world at your fingertips can be intimidating. Each day, something new appeals to you. Each day, you are pulled in a new direction by new passions and new ideas. The ambiguity is purely thrilling at its best moments and deeply troubling at its worst. Your dreams range from impossibly perfect to nightmarishly dreadful. If you think too much, you'll end up wishing away these incredible years of indecisiveness and adventure! If you don't embrace your restlessness, you'll quickly become stagnant.
If you don't appreciate the gift and privilege of ambiguity, you will squander it away for a more certain existence. Life is for living and there's a time and place for all types of living. Right now, for me, life is for living largely and deeply. Dreaming about the future... but mostly dreaming about the present. What kind of a person do you want to be? Be that person today! Don't wait. Nothing is guaranteed to you. As I wrote to Kate after that initial phone call "...anything is POSSIBLE. We are young, wonderful, interesting people with the WORLD in front of us and a LIFETIME to experience it."
But as a friend recently reminded me, I don't have to explain this decision to anyone. This is not about approval. This is about doing what I know I need to do. So, you can disagree. Feel free to! =)
In this spirit, three of us, Kate, Dominigae and I will be leaving Pennsylvania on Monday, March 26th headed South and then West on our cross-country adventure. It will be about 6 weeks of driving, camping, hiking, exploring, learning and experiencing. We hope to bring you along via this blog. Though we're not sure how frequently we'll be able to update it. We will try! =)
Your positive vibes and happy thoughts are appreciated. If you'd like a postcard, let us know!
Being young with the world at your fingertips can be intimidating. Each day, something new appeals to you. Each day, you are pulled in a new direction by new passions and new ideas. The ambiguity is purely thrilling at its best moments and deeply troubling at its worst. Your dreams range from impossibly perfect to nightmarishly dreadful. If you think too much, you'll end up wishing away these incredible years of indecisiveness and adventure! If you don't embrace your restlessness, you'll quickly become stagnant.
If you don't appreciate the gift and privilege of ambiguity, you will squander it away for a more certain existence. Life is for living and there's a time and place for all types of living. Right now, for me, life is for living largely and deeply. Dreaming about the future... but mostly dreaming about the present. What kind of a person do you want to be? Be that person today! Don't wait. Nothing is guaranteed to you. As I wrote to Kate after that initial phone call "...anything is POSSIBLE. We are young, wonderful, interesting people with the WORLD in front of us and a LIFETIME to experience it."
But as a friend recently reminded me, I don't have to explain this decision to anyone. This is not about approval. This is about doing what I know I need to do. So, you can disagree. Feel free to! =)
In this spirit, three of us, Kate, Dominigae and I will be leaving Pennsylvania on Monday, March 26th headed South and then West on our cross-country adventure. It will be about 6 weeks of driving, camping, hiking, exploring, learning and experiencing. We hope to bring you along via this blog. Though we're not sure how frequently we'll be able to update it. We will try! =)
Your positive vibes and happy thoughts are appreciated. If you'd like a postcard, let us know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)