I feel like I have been testing the waters, scoping things out, trying South America on for size. It doesn't matter how I say it, that is what this has been.
Of course, I have had a good experience working at FOSIS and I have gained valuable experience for my future career. My online class has also lead me to take some major steps in preparing me for the job search after graduation in the Spring. However, as I look towards leaving Chile in two weeks, I can think only one thing: "I'll be back"
I have spent a good amount of time here talking to people and so many of them have told me how young I am and how much time I have. They envy me for the freedom that this youth grants me and they so often say that they wish they took advantage.
I want to take advantage! I want to "aprovechar"!
Because I was working, there were so many plans that I had for my time in this beautiful country that were never realized.
I want to stand on the salt flats of Bolivia, bathe in the hot springs of the Atacama dessert, climb to the top of Machu Pichu, and conquer those waves that I tried so hard to surf last week.
Following graduation, I will be without commitments. I will be free as a bird for at least a couple months so I AM going to "aprovechar" and I am going to fly back to this beautiful place at the end of the world and do everything that I said I would.
While the amount of metaphor in that last sentence may be sickeningly cliché, I mean every word. So I want to 'publicly' declare my intension to come back. If someone ends up reading this, please hold me accountable.
Make a comment, send me an email, come knock on my door and make sure that I follow through. I know I will regret it for the rest of my life if I don't. I do not want to be that person who waists years of their lives doing something they hate only to take off traveling when they are 35 -- it's admirable, but I don't think that's the right way to do it.
People are going to tell me I'm crazy. They will tell me it is dangerous to travel alone, but I have come this far without getting robbed while traveling so I think I can do it. They might think that I am running away from my responsibilities, but at the same time I have a responsibility to myself to live the life that I am capable of living. I've also chosen to do the more responsible thing in the past-- to chose the summer job over the once in a life time experience-- it has left me with nothing but a bunch of "should of", "could of", and "would of"s. It's not worth it. That's not that the way I want to live my life.
There are times in your life when you are meant to be responsible, but I don't believe this is one of those times.
"There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living"
-- Nelson Mandela
No comments:
Post a Comment