I'm on a flight to Thailand, living deliberately, listening to Florence & The Machine, and oddly enough, thinking about the pond outside my window. The pond constantly reminds me of this theory I once heard, that a goldfish will only grow relative to the size of its environment. There are various explanations for this "phenomena," some rooted in science and others rooted in myth. I'm not concerned with the actual reason as to why or how this occurs. Instead, I'm fascinated with the implication that individual growth is directly related and relative to the size of one's environment. I believe there is great importance in its meaning, and I relate a lot of it to the explanation of why I moved and why I feel it is so important to travel.
So, to give you a brief 6 month update with this theory in mind: I've created a new home on the other side of the world, taken up (and passing) a subject that I'm very passionate about at an amazing university (However, I actually learn the most from my fellow students turned friends that have come from all over the world to study here), I have a boyfriend that I'm constantly in awe of, and every time I see his face I can't help but smile, and I'm taking lots of time to travel.
This is my leap of faith in action. I committed myself (and my entire savings account) to the creation of this new world, to emerge out of the small and stagnant pond I had been so comfortable in, to take a chance on the unknown. So far, it has paid off in the most immeasurable of ways. I have no physical commodities to show for this life investment, but I often get that "butterflies" feeling (something I can only blame Joe for), and a fire inside of me that gets ignited during my classes and discussions with friends, and freedom and escapism when I'm running through the forest near my house, and I'm learning a lot about myself and the world.
So that's where I'm currently at. I have no idea where this road is taking me, and even though this all sounds amazing, it's far from perfect. But for the first time in what feels like forever, I'm happy and content with where I am.
Now, onto the good traveling stories...
Jillian aka Jilly, Jillypet, Jillybean, J-Dilla, J-Bones, and sometimes Crab Cakes
