Final Thoughts Before Departure

In approximately 3 hours I leave my house for the Toronto Airport. I thought I would share my thoughts at this time.

For starters, in roughly the next 30 hours I will be present on two flights which both will be longer than any other flight I have ever been on (continuously). Being cooped up in a tiny metal tube for so long is likely to be one of the least exciting things I have done (though I was on a train for 74 hours once with only a few breaks and that was pretty neat). About 30 minutes into my second flight I will be farther from where I grew up than I have ever been before. Then I have 11 hours more to fly.

Big changes are not new to me. Every time my life changed (usually because of a new school - though you could argue this is a new school for me too) I have enjoyed the change and have become a different person. After these moments pass it is often hard to look back and understand why I was the way I was. I think that sometime very soon I will experience one of those moments. Life will never be the same.

Change is never easy, even if it is for the best - and this certainly is better than my current situation. Change is even harder when you're not completely sure of what to expect.

On some level I do have some expectations, but most of those are vague. One thing I do know is that the distance from home is likely to be the easier adjustment than my way of life. I am not worried though. What I consider normal circumstances has changed so much even in the last few years that I think I could adjust to almost anything. The speed of this adjustment, however, will likely be a shock to me.

I want to go into this with an open mind and a sense of adventure and exploration (that being said, I won't kid myself: I am not a traiblazer by teaching in Korea; I am following in the footsteps of thousands of others).

It is because of all the above reasons that I have been alternating between excited and scared out of my mind. There are so many unknowns and that is both thrilling and terrifying. I am certainly glad I am not doing this alone (well, I am getting to Vancouver all by myself, but that's easy - I've been there before).

For better or for worse I want to look back on my decision to teach in Korea as a wise decision. No matter how bad it could be or how great a time I have, I will not regret trying. I'd rather know this one slice of life than wonder what it's like.

So here's to big changes and doing what you want to do. Here's to living.

See you on the flip side...