A year ago today, we were sitting in my brother’s kitchen with a bottle of wine to celebrate the closing of a chapter and the start of our new adventure. It was a crazy few days. I can still vividly remember feeling a whirlwind of emotions including fear, anxiety, nervousness and excitement … all at once. Everything had happened so fast and I was feeling unprepared for all the changes that were unfolding. In the previous three days we had:
- finished packing all of our possessions into boxes
- moved everything we owned into storage (i.e. my brother’s basement & garage)
- turned over possession of our home sweet home to a tenant
- bid farewell to Kevin’s place of employment for the past 15 years
In a matter of three days, our “norm” was no longer concrete and defined. It was turned completely upside down. We were no longer employed. We no longer had a house to call our own. Nearly everything that we owned was either sold, packed away or stowed. Yes, this was officially the start of a crazy, new adventure. Exciting? Sure. Liberating? Maybe. Scary? Most definitely!
As I sit here in the same place a year later (coincidentally trying to establish a “big plan” for the next 365 days), I think back to that day and remember all the raw emotions that I could not put into words. I could have never imagined what the year would hold for us: new friends, incredible memories, beautiful sights and eye-opening experiences. We learned a lot about the world, cultures, people, each other and even ourselves. We had lots of great times and some not-so-fun times. It all makes me thankful that we decided to embark on this journey.
However, today is bittersweet. I celebrate all that we experienced in the past year. I am thankful for quality time with family and friends over the past few weeks. Yet, I find myself starting to miss our life on the road! The next 365 days are unknown and I hope that they will be filled with even more challenges, new experiences and amazing life lessons.
What a difference a year can truly make! We’re back in the same place we started but in such a different place.
1 Comment
Jillian…I was emptying some old files and ran across your blog site. We are off to Asia again in two weeks. Bali and Thailand this time, and yes we will be at the JWMarriott in Khao Lak for about a week. we reall enjoy our down time there. As the sun sets we will raise our free glass of wine and toat you two. Hope all is well. We are doing fine for a couple of old travelers.
karen and Bob Kimball