Arriving to the Present
Trip Start
Mar 02, 2011
1
33
Trip End
Apr 26, 2011
Chino Hills, California
Saturday, April 30, 2011
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Written June 1, 2011
I'm writing this entry more than a month following the completion of this trip. I guess its taken a month of reflection for all that's come about. I finally arrived home when I drove into Chino Hills following a 3,205 mile drive from Baltimore through Savannah, Houston and El Paso. In reality, my travels had begun nearly three months prior when I departed Savannah, into the unknown. 23,575 miles later, I get to re-plant my roots, re-establish my life and start over renewed.
Ironically, I had to leave my life for two months to get back to root of it all. I was already cut off from most of my main support systems for the last two years and a tumultuous 2010 surely put the remnants of that system to the test. Resurfacing on the other side at 2011 pushed me to reevaluate the core and understand what is most important in terms of faith, family and friends.
When I booked my trip to Europe last February, I knew that it would be a chance to escape the norm for a five weeks. At the heart of it, this was my vacation, and a vacation to simply escape, get some time off, travel, and rest. In this trip I had a great time with friends, and visited sites I've wanted to see my entire life. While my trip was a vacation at the surface, at the core, this trip was a bridge between two periods of my life. At 24 years of age, life comes much faster these days. It is easy to see weeks, months and years zip by.
This trip brought me into the present. It kept me invested in my own mind, understanding the value of time as its given to me, as rare as it is. Its easy to romanticize the past or idealize the future. But the true lesson lies in living in the present and the challenge persists in maintaining the presence of mind without the sparkling Mediterranean or the mighty Parthenon or the serene Normandy beachside. The challenge is remaining aware when normalcy of life sets back in. And while I will still look to the excitement of what the future now holds, and will continue to reflect on the past adventures such as those I kept in this journal, I can actively see the present come and go as I live each day. LIfe is too short to get caught up in routines. Whether the day holds cruising across a volcanic island, meeting friends in a French cafe, or wrapping up a project in the office, I will take the days as they come. I will be sure not to forget, like this trip, they come to pass too quickly.
Well, for those of you who have been following my blog over these last couple of months, this is where the writing comes to an end. Thank you for allowing me to share these stories with you, as I hope that you may have taken away a little bit of something through these words and pictures. If reading these blogs have been a mere fraction as enjoyable as they have been for me to write, then I know that this account has served more purpose than a mere artifact of the last two months. The adventures are most assuredly to continue sometime in the near future, as I continue to travel across the vast great world. I never like to stay in one place for too long, as moving is surely living. But now I get to look forward to new adventures of professional endeavors, family reunions, wedding planning, home hunting and enjoying (soon to be) married life!
