4. There will be times when you leave familiar for
unfamiliar, and ‘decent’ for ‘just okay.’
5. There will be times when you get lost among a
sea of maps and signs, yet lack the knowledge
and patience to truly find your way.
6. There will be breakdowns. Several. And this is okay.
Breakdowns are okay. Transition is okay.
7. There will be times when you find yourself at 6:00AM, wandering
around a city, only to end up at a McDonald’s, and to order more
food than you need, mostly because you felt completely and
utterly alone before you saw that big golden arch.
8. There will be times when you want
to walk away. And that’s okay too.
9. But if you do, walk quickly. And if you
don’t, your mind must also choose to stay.
Your body cannot operate alone. And
your heart must pick up whatever pieces
are missing in your new-found life.
10. There will be times when you find
solace in a Pringles can, and mostly
because you’ve worn out your welcome
at McDonald’s. Eat those Pringles. Eat
the entire jar.
11. There will be times when you loathe you’re own race or gender or
hair color, when every familiar person you see darts their eyes
in avoidance when all you seek is for acceptance and glancing-validation.
Do not be this person. These people suck.
12. There will be times when you
troll the internet, search for a
flight home, and then remember
this is now your home, and
turning back is not an option.
Remember your options.
13. Also remember that nothing is permanent.
And whereas this may be your home now,
you believe in taking risks, and home is
where your heart leads you next, and next.
15. There will be times when you spend five
minutes trying to cross one street, almost
get hit by ten cars, only to eventually find
fifteen other brave souls who are willing to
take the walk with you, purely in solidarity.
16. There will be times
when you are solo,
and you must take
this walk alone. This
moment is essential.
This is transition’s
rite of passage.
17. There will be times when you are the only
person who speaks the language, leaving you
to only speak with the voices in your head.
Befriend those voices. Nurture those voices.
18. There will also be times when you
speak the same language yet lack
shared-experience and personal
connectedness. Befriend the voices
in your head. Nurture those voices.
19. There will be times
when wedding photos
and baby pictures are
the only way to truly
celebrate with your
friends, and technology
serves as the only
vessel for human
connection. This allows
you to opt in and opt
out, and becomes a
beacon of hope. It
becomes a filter for all
the bull shit you put up
with in your previous
adventures.
20. There will be times when all you want to
listen to is Tracy Chapman’s, “Fast Car,” over
and over, and in those moments, you start to
believe you can actually cut it, and that you
can actually thrive in this new-found space.
21. There will be times when you have camaraderie with your
coworkers or your traveling counterparts. Celebrate
together. Capture those memories and share them with
your people, “back home.” You see, they too have a choice
to opt in or opt out. Your captured-memories are essential.
22. Remember, “back
home,” is, ‘back,’ and
you’re moving
forward. And even if
or when you go, “back
home,” you’ll be a
different person. You
get to decide if that’s a
good or a bad thing.
But either way, there’s
no truly going, ‘back.’
23. There will be times when you cry. And you
will wonder if the tears are from happiness of
perspective, sadness of loneliness, or just pure
exhaustion because your mind is on overload.
25. There will be additional
times when you cry. And not
out of anger but mostly
because you lost 14lbs in
five weeks and can finally fit
into that pair of white jeans.
26. There will be times when you wear those
white jeans, meet a stranger, and engage
in, what can only be considered as, “what
happens here, stays here,” behavior.
Engage frequently, engage freely.
27. There will also be times when you gain 14lbs but you cry because the
local food is just so damn good. Engage frequently, engage freely.
28. There will be times when you answer the same
questions over and over again, yet discover that
no one is truly listening. Start answering for
yourself. You’re listening. Watching. Waiting.
29. There will be times when you dream up scenarios
and issue yourself a could-be play-by-play. Allow
this to guide your next steps, your next adventure.
31. There will be, “once in a life,” times, and
times which, “take your breath away.”
These times are not quantified by distance,
duration, or depth. Only you define the
validity and impact of these moments.
32. May your bags remain packed, and
your feet eager for new pavement.
33. May you trust the process, and allow the
process to impact and shape you. If you’re not
dreaming big, someone is dreaming big for you.
