Today I woke up in a giant king size bed nestled in layers of warm and comforting down covers. The last week or so, despite the reason I had come, had been rather pleasant. Each day had been a combination of meeting friends/family, eating good food, and in general taking it easy. To the people I meet I tell my story of adventures to come and hand out my business card. Reality has been relegated to the background and romanticism rules the day. The cold hard truth, however, is all this is about to end. My goal to become a travel photographer means that I will have to leave all these comforts behind and put my money where my mouth is.
A couple weeks ago I had a brush with reality as I strapped my pack on. The weight caused the straps to dig into my shoulders and made me feel like I was walking on the moon (without the benefit of the lessened gravity). With each heavy step I took with the pack I began to understand what I was getting into. Then I dropped the pack off at a friend’s house, got on a plane, and came to the U.S.
Each day as I wander around town finishing up small but important tasks (international driving permit, new bank account, taxes) I wonder if it would be a better idea to come back and find a steady job instead of throwing my fate to the wind and traveling Asia. I have the cash in my accounts to move anywhere I want and settle down while I look for work. I’m already in the U.S and all it would take is a few phone calls and some emails to get the ball rolling to make my stay here permanent. My experience, skills, and drive would open doors for me and within a decent amount of time I could become well established in whatever company I chose.
Then I stop, shake my head, and remember what I am trying to do. Six months ago all of this was a dream, words on a piece of paper. I invested time, money, and a lot of effort to get to this point and I am at the cusp of beginning something that could (and most likely will) change my life. The purpose of this trip isn’t just to find new opportunities, or to work on my photography, or even to see the wonders of the world. It is to prove to myself that I can set and accomplish any goal I make. If I were to quit now and take a different, easier and apparently safer path it would make it simpler for me to do the same thing in the future. Quitting can become a habit and that is one habit I don’t want.
This 12,000 miles detour has been a fantastic time for me to rest and recharge before my trip but it has also been a time of great temptation. After 5 ½ stressful years in Japan the U.S. is awfully inviting. Common language, common culture, and a society that I can fully understand are the sirens calls that I have stuffed cotton in my ears to avoid hearing. I have set my goal, prepared for the challenges, and stepped to the line. I will accomplish what I set out to do come hell or high water.
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Hi Michael!! Long time no speak. Listen, just checking in on ya. You better not bail on your dream of you’ll regret it the rest of your life. Your free now take advantage of it if just give it a couple months. The Great Wall of China wasn;t built in a day.
Stephen