This is one of my last posts as an Italian Resident. My head spins when I think about how quickly this semester has gone by. I wonder if I'm not just dreaming.
All of the wonderful places I have gone, all of the wonderful people I have come to adore: They will forever be a part of my life and will never escape my memory.
I am honored to be a 21 year old with a personal take on three continents. How in the world have I lived such a life? God sure loves His kids. I am grateful for His mercies.
And now, for another dose of vulnerability:
I have learned a lot in the three months that I have been in Europe.
I have learned many valuable lessons, indeed. When I first embarked upon my long journey, I had many goals and I was prepared to do whatever it took to meet them. I spent hundreds of dollars just to ride a donkey through the hills of Greece. I went to extraordinary lengths to sit under an olive tree and soak in the Tuscan sun. And, I spent money that I did not have in order to convince myself that I was who I dreamt to be…an artist, in the truest sense of the word. I pierced my nose. I planned to go to London and paint my hair with blue streaks. I invented new trends that I would bring back to the states, which would be the start of my trademark days. All of these things, I had to do in order to see the dream come alive. Then, one night, while washing the day off of my face, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It was in that brief moment that I realized that no matter what, I would always be me and nothing could ever change that. I looked again, and realized that I like my nose the way it was meant to be…with two holes. And, I like that the only blue things about me are my eyes.
It was certainly fun while it lasted, but my time of acting is over for now. I did what I came to do. I have grown. I have gotten to know myself. I have seen all of my goals accomplished. At the end of the day, I am still me and I always will be. I am OK with that. So, I removed the tiny faux diamond and put it aside. I think I will save it…to remind me of the special days that taught me about life. I canceled my trip to London. Sounds absolutely crazy, doesn’t it? I guess it’s a matter of finding out what is really important. Sometimes in life, we have to be extreme in order to discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yes, there will be many people who will call us foolish. There will be many who accuse us of wasting our time and not taking advantage of incredible opportunities. But there will be a few gems along the way that will believe in us 100%, blue hair and all. Those are the ones who will guide us to the path of abundant life.
I regret nothing. For, even the little things (and every dollar) make/s us who we are…and they create wonderful stories for future grandchildren. For now, I am back to my ole’ self; who knows what tomorrow will bring.
“…I’ve seen a lot of special things around this world…I’m a wanderer, I have no place or time, I’m just drifting on this lonely road of mine, and if you like, you can come along with me, but I promise you that I am not the [one] I used to be…”
All of the wonderful places I have gone, all of the wonderful people I have come to adore: They will forever be a part of my life and will never escape my memory.
I am honored to be a 21 year old with a personal take on three continents. How in the world have I lived such a life? God sure loves His kids. I am grateful for His mercies.
And now, for another dose of vulnerability:
I have learned a lot in the three months that I have been in Europe.
I have learned many valuable lessons, indeed. When I first embarked upon my long journey, I had many goals and I was prepared to do whatever it took to meet them. I spent hundreds of dollars just to ride a donkey through the hills of Greece. I went to extraordinary lengths to sit under an olive tree and soak in the Tuscan sun. And, I spent money that I did not have in order to convince myself that I was who I dreamt to be…an artist, in the truest sense of the word. I pierced my nose. I planned to go to London and paint my hair with blue streaks. I invented new trends that I would bring back to the states, which would be the start of my trademark days. All of these things, I had to do in order to see the dream come alive. Then, one night, while washing the day off of my face, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. It was in that brief moment that I realized that no matter what, I would always be me and nothing could ever change that. I looked again, and realized that I like my nose the way it was meant to be…with two holes. And, I like that the only blue things about me are my eyes.
It was certainly fun while it lasted, but my time of acting is over for now. I did what I came to do. I have grown. I have gotten to know myself. I have seen all of my goals accomplished. At the end of the day, I am still me and I always will be. I am OK with that. So, I removed the tiny faux diamond and put it aside. I think I will save it…to remind me of the special days that taught me about life. I canceled my trip to London. Sounds absolutely crazy, doesn’t it? I guess it’s a matter of finding out what is really important. Sometimes in life, we have to be extreme in order to discover the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yes, there will be many people who will call us foolish. There will be many who accuse us of wasting our time and not taking advantage of incredible opportunities. But there will be a few gems along the way that will believe in us 100%, blue hair and all. Those are the ones who will guide us to the path of abundant life.
I regret nothing. For, even the little things (and every dollar) make/s us who we are…and they create wonderful stories for future grandchildren. For now, I am back to my ole’ self; who knows what tomorrow will bring.
“…I’ve seen a lot of special things around this world…I’m a wanderer, I have no place or time, I’m just drifting on this lonely road of mine, and if you like, you can come along with me, but I promise you that I am not the [one] I used to be…”
posted by bargame at 4:04 AM
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