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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Call to Adventure






It's the oldest troupe in the world. The moment when everything changes pulls the protagonist out of the normal everyday routine, and they are forced to make a choice. Do I continue to live my life this way, or do I risk the unknown? Well, the funny thing is, this moment actually exists in real life. Most people recognize them as the midlife crisis, the life-changing decision, and the ever important epiphany. These moments are celebrated in stories, because they are important events in our lives. 
Once we discover that we don't like the pattern of our lives, or the situations we end up in, we realize that something must change. 
Change can be scary, but it can also be exciting. Once you change, or you accept a change, the possibilties are endless. This can be anything from moving away to adapting to a new schedule. Either way, one fact about the world is that change is always happening around us. In fact, stories would be boring and bland without the element of change. 
How many stories have you read where the protagonist stays the same? In most stories, the main character must go through a series of events, many of which that are painful, in order to change their perspective  in the world and what they believe they can do.
But the fact of the matter is, change is crucial to life. It is the ever flowing element that surrounds major events in history, and the entire spectrum of growing from a child to an adult. 
So I'm about to face a major change in my life, but in my opinion, it's a late one: leaving the nest. It's time, and I know it's been time to get out into the world and actually discover what I am capable of. It's time to broaden my horizons and begin a journey I should have begun years ago. But I put it off for one simple reason. I was afraid. Afraid not only of the unknown, but of my ability to handle whatever came at me. I'm still afraid of many things, but I also know that whatever you're afraid of, you will have to face sooner or later. 
So this is my call to adventure, and it's about time I answered it. Whatever happens after this moment is one step on the journey that I will now decide on my own. Yes I have a number of weeks before I leave, but that doesn't mean I should stay the same. 
If I want to be brave, I must act brave. So here I go. I have made my decision, and now there is no going back. 
I will be in South Korea for a year, teaching English. My adventure begins here.