In movies or stories, whenever a struggling writer is looking for guidance, an older, wiser, been-there-done-that mentor says, “Write what you know.” Writing a blog is sort of taking that advice and putting it under a microscope. I mean, it is certainly not like I am going to be doing research and writing any big, explosive, world-changing stuff. I am only going to be writing what I know and my opinions on things.
On my mind today is Spring and the changes that the season brings. Spring is a time of new beginnings, and this spring a friend of mine announced that she is leaving us to go to the other side of the planet to pursue her dream. While I am really happy for her, I know I will miss her. There is also a part of me that is terribly jealous. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life and would not change it, but to be able to drop everything and embark on a new adventure sure sounds enticing! I know that when I was in a position to be able to do stuff like that, I was definitely not mature enough, and would not have lasted even a week. Now that I am older and wiser, I am no longer in a position to be able to just drop everything and go.
Anyway, back to my friend. About a year ago, she traveled to Japan on vacation. Over the course of 10 days, she fell in love with the country, the people and the lifestyle there. Upon her return, she told everyone that she could envision herself living there one day. And then real life crept back in, and we didn’t really hear about it again. Until earlier this month. One day she posted on Facebook that she was moving to Japan. And all of a sudden, we found out that she had quietly been pursuing her dream WAY under the radar. She had taken “vacation” to go to an out-of-town interview for a company that runs English-speaking schools in Japan so that Japanese adults and children can learn English. And, of course, after seeing how wonderful she is, they just had to hire her!
So, now July seems like it is looming, getting closer by the moment. And all too soon, we will be waving goodbye until she comes back for a visit, or I win the lottery and can afford to take time off to go see her! And as I write this, I am listening to “Taking Chances” from the Glee soundtrack. How appropriate. Good Luck, K! I’m pulling for you!