Our whole lives we search for ourselves and who we are meant to be. When we find out who we are, our life doesn't end, it begins a new journey. A journey to find the puzzle that completes our life puzzle. One that not only completes our puzzle but makes it that much better. – Lukas Kelly
Tuesday, June 12, 2012 (DAYS 100 - 105)
I never could have imagined how I would feel upon reaching one hundred days of travel. To be honest, I had some doubts of whether or not I would still have the desire to be living out of a backpack and sleeping in random locations, since the longest time I have spent on the road has only been a month in Europe prior to committing to this amazing journey. The fears, doubts, and anxiety that once plagued me, have now become a distant thought as I reminisce in all of the incredible experiences I have been fortunate to share in, not to mention, all of the numerous characters I have met along the way as well. Challenged and being challenged with the spark of adventure as I arrive in foreign locations that I have come to only hear of, days or even hours before being completely immersed in a new surrounding follows hand in hand with the heart-pounding thrill of exploring new cultures while patiently anticipating what each particular day has in store.
I never could have imagined how I would feel upon reaching one hundred days of travel. To be honest, I had some doubts of whether or not I would still have the desire to be living out of a backpack and sleeping in random locations, since the longest time I have spent on the road has only been a month in Europe prior to committing to this amazing journey. The fears, doubts, and anxiety that once plagued me, have now become a distant thought as I reminisce in all of the incredible experiences I have been fortunate to share in, not to mention, all of the numerous characters I have met along the way as well. Challenged and being challenged with the spark of adventure as I arrive in foreign locations that I have come to only hear of, days or even hours before being completely immersed in a new surrounding follows hand in hand with the heart-pounding thrill of exploring new cultures while patiently anticipating what each particular day has in store.
The comfort of settling in to a place has brought on an uncanny feeling of familiarity with one another, with our apartment, even, with the pace of each day. La Terraza will be a place that will always remind me of the early lazy mornings as the girls stagger to life hours after the opposite gender has been awake with bouts of questionable productivity. The no-fault condition of our collective living environment that appears as though a massive frat party took place the night before, when in fact, we shared a family dinner before retiring early for the night. Trash overflowing in our miniaturized garbage can, the same with the bins beside the toilets, dishes overflowing in the sink as other discarded and now deserted pieces lay among various piles of scattered belongings, when I pause and take a breath, I think, this has become my life–messy, disorganized, uncertain, and yet, I love what I have given up in order to begin the change to the person I am destined to become. Live the life you were meant to have, free of the restrictive constraints, but rather, full of passion for a desire to embrace daily, the gift of life. Breathe in unfathomable clarity, the precision that provides a liberating peace from that which you cannot grasp, yet, all too easily, it is a familiar presence. Chase down the dreams that may now elude you, and trust that the talents that are unique to you will not arrive at a destination unused, but begin even today towards achieving a goal that lives within your heart and drives you towards a more promising future.
The rains of the wet season in Central America have once again caught up with me as I wake up to the dreaded sound of raining bouncing off the red clay colored metal roofs directly outside my bedroom window. Without sitting up, I pull the thin sheet down and expose my arms on the outside of my cocoon. I stare upward at the overcast sky that is upside down from my current position, and, without helping it I am on the verge of declaring a Me Day. Contemplating this intriguing thought, I give up as the sounds of intense explosions interrupt the once blissful early morning with the annoying blasts of homemade fireworks. The first time you hear the loud destructive combustion of gunpowder stuffed into a piece of bamboo you would swear they were using C4. Now fully awake from the mimicked sounds of the Gaza Strip, I make my way to the living room where John Wayne is already deep in to another thrilling movie. Not wanting to look directly at the screen for fear of melting or possibly losing my soul, I believe JW is tearing up once again, but this time at the classic love story of Gigli. Appearing right on cue, the rain disappears as the heat of San Juan begins to quickly dry the streets. The reverse forecast is the case for Thursday, as we are caught in a torrential downpour that has turned the streets in to fast moving rapids before congregating in to pools on every street corner. In spite of being completely drenched, the weather remains warm, and we are a group of children playing in puddles of water that should have a lifeguard present and depth markers in the murky water. Crossing onto the curb from the street, suddenly, my right flip-flop has lost its mate and has gone AWOL down stream. Running through what can only be described as another poo river, I am laughing so hard as I chase down my lost sandal, when I finally retrieve it almost at the end of the block I look up to see Cameron, Lindsay, and Michelle laughing as well, especially since I am in the right position to catch Michelle’s flip-flop that has also lost its way and is quickly floating in to my hand. The drastic change in weather reminds me fondly of the ever-changing forecast of Colorado as the quick inception of a snowstorm can give way to a day at the pool in less than twenty-four hours, and while we began our afternoon in the hot sun at the beach, we have now been forced indoors.
Since Julie and John Wayne were the first of the current traveling family to depart our group also leaving us without a gourmet cook, we contemplate cannibalism because we are unsure that we can survive on anything less than a five-course meal. Pulling up our big-kid pants, we manage to create a dinner that has given each of us a sense of general satisfaction and pride in our ability to spread peanut butter over bread, crust cutoff of course. The sun fades on another day as we enjoy the view from our rooftop, and I continue to be thankful for the past one hundred days that I never knew could be possible until I was willing to take a chance.
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