How can I feel as though I’ve been gone a lifetime, but also as if my adventure is just begining?
17 days. 3 countries. Many people. Countless memories.
This journey might be coming to a close, as much as I hate to let it go, but the chapter of my life it’s opened up has just started.
I’ve learned many things on this trip. Things about myself, about others, about the world around me. But I think most importantly I learned the importance of letting the world in. In deep into our souls, allowing it to seep through our veins and run through our blood and expose our greatest vulnerabilities while softening our hardest edges.
It’s not always about doing, doing, doing. Listening , simply listening — to the whispers of the wind and the words of the universe expressed through the rustle of leaves, the splatter of rain drops, the footsteps of strangers passing us by — can often tell us more than our own efforts ever will.
To me, letting the world in means slowing down. It means being okay with pursuing who I want to be, instead of living my life in a way that constantly aims to please others. It means taking the time to breathe, to let go, to allow space into my heart that serves to separate unnecessary stress from what is really important. It means allowing myself to take a few moments to figure out what it is that’s important.
There is so much beauty to be seen, so much happiness to experience. True, real, and raw. It’s ours for the taking. And it’s a lot closer than we ever expect it to be.
I just want to see it all. I want to keep going, keep feeling, keep seeking. My search is not done but I know I can find gratitude in the sliver of the world I’ve been lucky enough to hold so far.
Evan Petschke 