Dear Winterites,
I'm about to embark on a new journey, one that will take me to greater heights and new opportunities. I have been avoiding the possibility of going to school for over a decade now, but the time has come for me to embrace this new challenge. I have the mountain in my sights. It stands majestic and imposing. Its goading call reaches me on a powerful wind which threatens to deafen me with its summoning might. But I do not bend, oh no. I do not obey.
I answer.
The journey will take me far. I must leave my family, my home, and the mundane reality that nearly consumed me. My adventurous spirit had nearly been quashed. I tottered on the edge of settling. Menial routine had thought my wings to be clipped. For a time, I swayed on the verge of giving in, of rendering myself ordinary.
Regressing to a state of numbness, of mindlessly following the normal conventions of society, I narrowly avoided being consumed. Until, the beckoning whisper of adventure reached my ears. It stirred an awakening within me, a revival, if you will, of self. And now, I breathe, and I seek, and I long for the taste of something new.
Bravely, excitedly, I take my first step towards this new reality. I'm ready to reach out and seize it.
And I forget to watch my step. There is nothing solid beneath my foot. Gravity takes this prime opportunity and grabs hold of me, and I plummet into a pit. It's deep and dark, and I berate myself because I knew something like this would happen. I'd forgotten the oldest rule in the adventure handbook.
Things never go as planned.
Getting financing was supposed to be easy. Filling out forms online was supposed to be a piece of cake. But the technology and online systems that were supposed to bridge the gap over this pit were under construction, and there were no obvious signs with neon lights to catch my attention and alert me of the danger ahead. Typical. Side-blinded by the unexpected.
This is only the first of many challenges that I must overcome, I know. So, whilst trapped in this pit, awaiting a rescue line to pull me back to where I miss-stepped, I pace. It's all a waiting game. At least, physically. Mentally, I'm already running a hundred steps ahead, guessing and calculating what hurdles may be lying in wait for my foolishly impulsive rational.
Eventually, a ladder is lowered in the form of a student line of credit at the bank so the first fees can be met. I climb back to where I started, and this time, I stop to consider the crevice before me. It is wide, like a monstrous mouth, one that already claimed me as its victim if only for a short while. I really should have seen it before falling in.
I consider ways of crossing if this bridge takes too long to be rebuilt. Unfortunately, there seems to be no way around it, nor do I possess the ability to leap across. There will be no doing this on my own. I must rely on the generosity of . . . the government.
Damnit!
It seems there is no current way of speeding the process to move forward. Thankfully, there is a small town nearby, and I need to gather supplies anyway. Really should have thought of that first. I mean, there are probably other towns along the way where I could stop to pick things up, yeah? But, while I'm here, I may as well see what I can collect. It might be good to have a pack to carry my belongings in, a bedroll for sleeping, clothing, toiletries, etc. It's going to be a long journey after all. Best to be prepared as much as possible. No time to start like the present.
My hope is to record my travels here regularly. The key word here is 'hope.' Really, I will try my best, but I also know this first semester of college is going to put me through the ringer. Learning how to do school again, learning how to use new tech, learning how to incorporate drawing into my every day, plus managing my writing time so I can get more books out there for you all to read?? It's enough to make some people turn tail and head for the hills!
But not me.
Why aim for something as low as a hill when you can tackle a mountain?
This journey has already begun. Next month is going to be all about getting everything together that I need, and then moving to a new province. Yikes!
Wish me luck! :)
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