Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3, 218–224
As I ride out the last few hours of being 23, I will take some time to reflect upon how much has happened during the past year. It has certainly been an incredible one, proving that you never can tell where time and life will take you. When I think back to the place I was in my life one year ago tomorrow it is a little mind-boggling. I was living in Vancouver, dreaming of plans and trips, working at a soul-slaying restaurant job and feeling generally inadequate in various departments of my life. I celebrated my birthday with a group of friends and a delicious dinner in the little apartment I called home in East Van.
Since then, I have moved house three (and a half) times, visited six new countries, gotten my first "grown up" job, filled four notebooks with journalling, seen twelve West End shows, visited Shakespeare's Globe and made London my own. I have climbed the Eiffel Tower, admired the beauty of Stonehenge, seen the famous white cliffs at Dover, been horsebacking riding in Wales, sat in a boat on the English seaside, seen a clog-making demonstration, been to the edge of the world in Norway and seen a real live reindeer. I've waved to the Queen, watched an Olympic event, and figured out London's tube system.
I have grown in so many ways that it is difficult to quantify them, especially while I am still in the midst of this whirlwind journey. I've become more confident in my self and my abilities - in all things. I did something I was really afraid of (i.e. moving to London on my own, not knowing anybody in the entire city...) and survived! I feel more joyful, more open and like I am living the life I am supposed to lead.
That's an awful lot to be grateful for in one year, and an awful lot to process as well. I try to remind myself every day of where I am and how lucky I am to be here, but it's not always easy to appreciate the magnitude of something while you're living it. There are still growing pains every step along the way. But for today (and hopefully tomorrow) I just want to be present in my life. The life that I have created for myself here, in beautiful London.
The thing about birthdays is that they sure are once in a lifetime, so I must grab the turn of this tide and carry it on to fortune. Who knows what the next year of adventuring may bring?
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