"There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second."
- Logan Pearsall Smith
A few weeks have passed by since my last post. The truth is that I hadn't taken the time to sit down and write since I've been moving a little too fast... . That is to say, I've been wanting to experience so fully all the opportunities that lie right outside my door, that I've barely taken the time to take a step back over the past couple of months. It was only a matter of time before going from city to city and mountain to mountain on the weekends would knock my body out of balance and give me the signal to slow down and let the last couple of days to simply "ride out". What surprises me most about being sick and having missed work yesterday and today is that it corresponds exactly with the day in which I attended my graduation ceremony at UBC to close off an important chapter of my life and begin a new one.
I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams at the time that the year ahead would look anything like the way it's been. I often tell myself that the very fact that I left the familiar and walked into the unknown without having any preconceived expectations is the reason why everything has been so incredible. Indeed, I've had to pinch myself more than a few times just to see if this really is the life I'm leading.
I had envisioned being here for so long... sixteen years to be precise (though I was never in a rush). It all started during my very first Karate class. Interestingly, although the class was given in a language which seemed foreign to me, there was something about the movements which rang a bell inside me. Since then, a feeling of intrigue into this far away country and its culture took hold of me in such a way that I pledged to myself that one day I would not only make it here but stay here for some time.
Earlier today I asked myself the question: "What are some of the things that I've learned while being here?" I reached out for a scribble notebook and a pencil and began writing... but of course, I quickly came to realize that I could probably devote paragraphs and paragraphs to just some of those things - starting with my students inside the classroom. However, after thinking about it for some time, I concluded that it is what I've seen/witnessed/experienced outside of such restrictive parameters, which have had the most profound impact in me.
I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams at the time that the year ahead would look anything like the way it's been. I often tell myself that the very fact that I left the familiar and walked into the unknown without having any preconceived expectations is the reason why everything has been so incredible. Indeed, I've had to pinch myself more than a few times just to see if this really is the life I'm leading.
I had envisioned being here for so long... sixteen years to be precise (though I was never in a rush). It all started during my very first Karate class. Interestingly, although the class was given in a language which seemed foreign to me, there was something about the movements which rang a bell inside me. Since then, a feeling of intrigue into this far away country and its culture took hold of me in such a way that I pledged to myself that one day I would not only make it here but stay here for some time.
Earlier today I asked myself the question: "What are some of the things that I've learned while being here?" I reached out for a scribble notebook and a pencil and began writing... but of course, I quickly came to realize that I could probably devote paragraphs and paragraphs to just some of those things - starting with my students inside the classroom. However, after thinking about it for some time, I concluded that it is what I've seen/witnessed/experienced outside of such restrictive parameters, which have had the most profound impact in me.
As a matter of fact, I can actually sum it all up in one sentence: Curiosity is the most powerful thing one owns. Indeed, it is from one's curiosity (your sense of wonder) that imagination flows; thus, allowing your reality to be manifested in real form.
I end this post with these words:
Do not suffer from loneliness.
Go outside, go AWAY.
Pick a spot on the horizon and head straight for it.
Weave your way through a strand of redwoods.
Kayak an island chain.
Take a walk in the rain without your Goretex on.
Jump on a train without knowing which destination is in store.
Peek over your toes at the edge of a canyon.
Go to your favorite place.
Again and again.
This is what you need to do.
Not because it fuels your independence,
but because it reminds you that you're part of something BIGGER.
And although it may not occur to the baffled onlookers who can't keep their eyes off you;
smiling, mud-covered, wired-up, insane self;
it will occur to you that you are part of something more.
Indeed, you are not the one who's alone.
P.S. - It's been a year since I published this Blog's first entry. As a result, my "Visiting Location's Map" on the right side margin has been restarted to 0. I just wanted to thank all those of you who've payed a visit just to see what I've been up to or out of simple curiosity. It's been exciting for me to see it's audience grow from among a few peers to hundreds from around the world (especially in places I am yet to visit one day). Thank you!
