What Me Worry?

Hey! It's April 2009! Why does that date ring a bell? I know...it's the month at the end of the long tunnel. I've been at Dal for 276 months...and this is the last one. Boy, are my arms tired.

I have a To-do list as long as my shirt. House fixup, finances, computers, licences and contracts. I hope to be away from my house for up to a year. This presents some special problems. Nothing big, just a lot of little detail. I have been busy on some task or another everyday since January. There is no doubt I am psyched up for this change in my life track.

As a student, I was at Dal and had to pay $$$.
As a staff person, I was at Dal but received $$$.
As a retiree, I'm not at Dal and yet I still receive $$$.

HOW COOL IS THAT?

I am doing lots of reading, but the list may surprise you. Yes, I have been checking out cheap airfares, round-the-world stuff and visa/vaccine sites, yet the reading is mostly head-space stuff. I hope to spend 3-6 months in New Zealand and know nothing of the place. I am reading travel journals, following travellers on Twitter, reading a book about a walk across Afghanistan a few years ago, collections of travel stories, etc.

I am trying to be ready to travel...not anywhere specific. That detail is easy. What frame of mind will I bring travelling with me? That's what counts.

A lot of the long-term travel sites talk about fear. In my case dropping my career job, my $$$ status and the cocoon of insurance that currently envelopes me. What if this is all a big boo-boo? Why take this chance? This being the last month, I am signing things that kick me out of my current lifestyle. Fear is not in the bag of emotions. Neither is excitement (need to get past the post for that). The biggest feeling is expectation (really...worth the price of admission). Whatever is coming down the pipe, it will be different.

Will this be looked back upon as a bad decision? Irrelevant. It's the best decision (and in my opinion, the only valid one) for my current state. It is a major decision and wasn't made lightly. I've been wanting to jump off this cliff for 5 years, and now the time is here.

Take off the blindfold, buddy. I want to jump. I have to jump. I NEED to jump.

4 comments:

Dwight said...
It takes courage to jump. You live once...go for it!

See the fork, don't hesitate.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009
In another land said...
I wonder what you will be blogging about next April. I would bet any money you will be saying "what was I so anxious about?"

(and the code I have to type in to comment?... 'ratled')

nd

Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Jon said...
Godspeed, old friend...

Thursday, April 09, 2009
Delta Dave said...
Buddha said that expecations are the caue of sorrow - 1 of his 4 noble truths. If only you could get rid of the expectations and just go on.

Thursday, April 23, 2009
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