This stint was the one that everyone realized at some point we have to go back to the lives we left…and some of us have little to return too. I am lucky to have a beautiful family, a comfortable home, a supportive community and job opportunities, but some interns don’t have that, some of us have left apartments, bought one way plane tickets, and quit jobs or school.
So, I started to think, all of those things are nice and important, but for what? Warning: I’m about to get philosophical. Living in the Valley has shown me things that I didn’t even know existed, and now I couldn’t imagine a life without them. I have formed bonds to people around the globe that will surely be a part of the rest of my life.
But, most importantly I have realized the fundamental difference between a journey and a quest. A journey is simply the path you walk and the things you accomplish along the way; a quest is a search, a longing to find something (social, spiritual, emotional, etc.) and the reason for progress. Crap: I need a goal…I need a reason to continue. I need the thing that makes you thrive, not simply survive. I need the thing that gives you goose-bumps and keeps you awake at night planning (in the good ways). But lucky for me,life in the Valley incubates an inert need to move forward, climb higher, breathe deeper, and laugh harder.
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So this stint was very introspective, but I followed the pull of the Valley and of nature and allowed myself to climb higher, breathe deeper, laugh (and cry) harder and it brought me to the top of the honey creeper tail, where I sat for a few hours. And this is what I figured out:
My life quest is to change the world, and bring out the best in every person I meet. Yeah, I know it’s cliché and grand but, dream big right? So, I started a list. With the help of the beautiful Jen, I’ve created a list of all the things that give me goose-bumps. I’ve created a list of journeys. I won’t share the whole thing, but it ranges from learning acupuncture to reading the 100 American Classic books.
I know, it sounds like a bucket list, but Jen also suggested that I evaluate every activity to see what area of my life it is engaging (emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, or social). This will allow me to really see what it is about each little journey or idea that is impacting my life and balance out each of the 5 parts. *This is an extremely basic summary, Jen has spent many years doing this and developing a lot a awesome things and progressing her life.
So the big summary, I have no idea what I am doing with my life. I have no idea where I will be in 6 months, I have no idea what the next journey is.. but I have a goal: Change the world, and living in the Valley helped me realize that.
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* DISCLAIMER: I hope you enjoy the pictures of the beautiful scenery that has almost nothing to do with the content of this blog.