The most common response to my latest news, "I'm moving to New Zealand," is "Wow! That's so exciting! What a cool adventure!" Yes...it is an adventure alright. But what is adventure?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines adventure first as-
a : an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks b : the encountering of risks
and secondly as-
: an exciting or remarkable experience
I tend to view my adventures in light of the second definition and ignore the "risk" side of things. Risk is like gambling. It means something really good could happen...or something really bad. I understand that you can't have adventure without the risks and I do enjoy walking into the unknown but maybe the optimist inside me is the one believing that I'll come out on top every time.
It's nearly 2 am and the optimist has gone to bed so I'm left with the realist and the pessimist discussing this endeavor I'm about to embark on in 10 days. I wish every blog entry about my time in New Zealand was going to be positive and full of grand exciting "adventures," but I know that some will be filled with homesickness, questions, and culture shock...the other side of adventure but adventure none-the-less.
I tend to view my adventures in light of the second definition and ignore the "risk" side of things. Risk is like gambling. It means something really good could happen...or something really bad. I understand that you can't have adventure without the risks and I do enjoy walking into the unknown but maybe the optimist inside me is the one believing that I'll come out on top every time.
It's nearly 2 am and the optimist has gone to bed so I'm left with the realist and the pessimist discussing this endeavor I'm about to embark on in 10 days. I wish every blog entry about my time in New Zealand was going to be positive and full of grand exciting "adventures," but I know that some will be filled with homesickness, questions, and culture shock...the other side of adventure but adventure none-the-less.
Dearest Tiffy,
ReplyDeleteAs a Grade-A bonafide worrier, I can tell you that you are going to be FINE. :) I have been through it the last three weeks, and there have been good times and bad times, but my adventure has totally been worth it . . . and mine doesn't involve a wonderful man who is my FIANCE! I have confidence in the optimist in you, and I'm pretty sure she is going to be in control most of the time. LOVE YOU.