let me first start by saying that i’m writing this post because my co-worker is currently on a trip with her hubby in south america and it looks pretty darn awesome. i’m jealous. only slightly jealous. i know it’s not right to be jealous so i figured if i’m only slightly jealous then i avoid being all kinds of spiritually depraved for wishing i was also on a vacation at this very moment. aw, it feels so good to get that off my chest. confession is indeed good for the soul.
as i was silently coveting her trip, it got me to thinking about all the trips i have not taken. a few years ago, i took my fabulous niece to paris for her sweet sixteen. it was a great trip and wonderful memory i will cherish forever. i promised all of my nieces and nephew a trip to anywhere they wanted to go when they turned sixteen. my youngest niece has chosen italy and i look forward to traipsing around the boot country with her for her special day. but that is a few years off and i need serious adventure in my life now.
many of my friends take fantastic trips every year and i always wish i were tagging along. well, actually i don’t want to tag along. but i do wish it were me off on some fantastic worldly adventure. you see, i was completely enamored with indiana jones when i was a kid. who wasn’t? he had the absolute best life evah! and the coolest dad, but that’s a different story. the point is i always envisioned a life of travel and adventure. so far, i’ve fallen short.
i’m not sure what exactly to attribute this lack of adventure to. sure i’d like to be exploring the world with my hubby and to be honest i was sure i would have one by now. but i don’t and it’s not the end of the world. so that’s not a good enough reason to postpone my travels. many of my friends share my desire to see the world so it’s not like i actually have to go alone. maybe our plans to see the world are a lot like the road to hell — paved with good intentions! but the thing about good intentions is they rarely lead to good outcomes. or successful outcomes.
and so, as i’m banging out this post about my failure to live an exciting and adventurous life, i decided to at least make a list. lists are great because they help you visualize the things you want. like the lists of new years resolutions people make in january. or the list of things you want in a man/woman that is completely unrealistic and will only leave you frustrated. or the list of your favorite foods just in case you get sick and have to rely on someone else to cook while nursing you back to health. you get the point. lists are good. and this is my list of the places i’ve always wanted to visit. i don’t necessarily have to go to all of them, although that would be awesome, but i do want to acknowledge that my heart yearns to see the world and i will make it happen one place at a time.
i’ve learned the hard way that life isn’t promised just because you’re young. and you may never get those hearts desires you’re “promised” for being faithful and true and all of that. but you can try to make the most of every day you are given. i’m not afraid of many things but i am afraid of not living my life out loud. people should know you were here, and they should feel your absence when you’re gone, right?
that was so philosophical for a monday afternoon. back to the list. here goes!
