I sit here roasting Anaheim peppers for my family’s annual chili relleno Christmas breakfast and find myself contemplating the adventure that awaits me. A year and a half ago I realized although I had achieved success in my career as an accountant, the job didn’t bring me a sense of fulfillment. I had thought that I would simply focus my passion for making a difference in the world in my personal time. What I found was almost every hour of my life not taken by work was filled with an endless number of volunteer endeavors. Running myself ragged, I realized I needed to shift to a career that was fulfilling so all of me could be immersed in the Great Work. After deciding on and applying to law school, I decided to take some time off and go on my own version of “Eat, Pray, Love.” I came up with this crazy idea before I had heard of the book just in case anyone is wondering. Apparently, it’s the year for girl takes on world stories. ;)
Over the course of six months I will be visiting – India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, China, Israel, Palestine, Turkey, Jordon, Greece, Italy, and Germany. During that time I will be doing a combination of humanitarian work, spiritual retreats, art immersions, intentional community visits, and traditional tourist adventuring. My friends and family have been asking me what I want to get out of this adventure and like everything else about me, it’s complex. I want a chance to experience the world unfettered by media distortion, to touch hearts with people from radically different backgrounds, and to walk in the footsteps of humanity’s evolution. I’ve specifically chosen several countries that are important to the six major world religions – Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Science(through its roots in philosophy in Greece). I’m hoping there is some wisdom out there that may aid my own late night philosophical contemplations
This trip is also about destroying stereotypes I may be holding unconsciously about the world and taking the time to perceive first-hand the ways in which America has both positively and negatively shaped other cultures. Beyond breaking down borders of culture, race, country, religion, and class; I’m doing this to break down borders in my own mind. We all have strengths and weaknesses that are unique and each of us brings something useful to the world. Some of the weaknesses I am intending to explore are my own emotional reactivity, physical organization, and tendency to worry. Some of the strengths I am intending to explore are my ingenuity, perseverance, and ability to connect with a wide variety of people..
Lastly, as the “poor girl” whose mom could never afford a vacation to Disneyland much less another country, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I might have this opportunity. To all the people who have also struggled, I want to say that it’s possible to go after your dreams and succeed no matter how hard it may appear in the moment. I don’t know what these new adventures will bring me yet but I trust that every time I follow my heart good things result. If there is any tag line that defines my life it’s this – Don’t Give Up and Keep Moving. We can re-invent ourselves in any moment. Next Sunday, I’ll be landing in Mumbai, India and I’m excited, scared, and oddly peaceful given the adventure that awaits. Mostly though, I am thankful for having such amazing friends as I wouldn’t be able to do it without their support. As difficult as my childhood was, my adult life is surrounded by love. I’m looking forward to sharing as much as I can through this blog so that we can all grow together.
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