Every once in a while I am reminded of why journaling is so great, and this past weekend was one of those instances. As I sat in my apartment on a lazy Monday (I had Monday off thanks to a national holiday), I was trying to entertain myself by watching movies and reading a bit of classic literature. As I grew tired of reading my novel by Austen, I went to the bookcase only to come across my journal. It had been a while since I looked through the contents of my past memories, so I decided to take a stroll down memory lane.
Now this particular journal is not very old since I started it when I moved to Japan, but nevertheless, memories are easily forgotten if we don’t remind ourselves of them now and then. As I flipped through the worn pages (it’s been through a lot!), I came across a quote that I recorded just before I left Japan. The quote is by Samuel Johnson:
The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.
As I peruse over the words, I can’t help but think of the truth that they hold. We can dream about the world as much as we want, but until we take action and explore the unknown, we will never know what is truly out there.
I laugh at my first entry in the journal. As my eyes take in each sentence, I can remember the excitement I felt at the time the ink first touched the page. I can’t help but think how right I was about my decision, even though I was incredibly scared with the idea of leaving everything that was familiar to me. It is this memory that I will share with you now. I hope you find it entertaining and possibly gain some insight into my thoughts during my last few months in the United States:
May 3, 2009
And the journey begins. I spent the last six months applying and waiting for an acceptance letter to the JET programme, and finally, it is official. I will be taking another life adventure and will be moving to Japan as of July 25th.
Am I crazy? Possibly. I am quitting my job, and the business world in general, to go teach English in Asia. I justify my actions every day that I still work at “my company”. “This industry” is definitely not my cup of tea, despite the fact that I am often complimented on how talented I am at my duties. I have been unhappy for a while now, and I’m tired of waiting around for my life to change on its own. I truly believe you have to take destiny into your own hands sometimes… so I did.
Not to be critical, but every day I see people who are unhappy with their life, yet they refuse to take action. I do not want to be one of those people who look back only to regret decisions they never made or actions they never took. Even if Japan is the worst experience of my life, at least I won’t have the question “What if?”
Am I scared? At times. But I’d have to honestly say that excitement overpowers any feeling of doubt or fear. Life is too short not to take chances. The fears I have are of family members being hurt, growing old, or losing touch while I’m away, but all of these things can happen with me in Chicago. Living in fear is no way to wander this earth. Instead, I will wander with curiosity, intrigue, and adventure. I will answer my questions with experience. I will explore for new questions to ask. And I will take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself during my journey.
I never thought I’d have the chance to travel like this again, so I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity. Traveling was a dream I gave up for other dreams, but life has a funny way of working out. I’ve learned the best thing to do is just catch the wave that is this life and ride it out. Don’t have expectations as they rarely work out as you wish. To close, I’ll leave you with a quote from a movie… “The easiest way to make God laugh is to tell him what you have planned for your life.”
No more planning… just living in the moment.
Why is this entry so important to me? It’s because everything I said I still believe to this day. Japan has been an amazing adventure, and it’s not even close to being over. I’m thankful for my decision every day, and reading this again inspires me to push myself even further in my curiosity for the unknown. Not just traveling, but also to explore things I’ve never done, information I’ve never learned, and talents I’ve yet to acquire. There is so much to do, and life is too short!
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