So my mother is very upset with me, my dad is worried, my co-workers and boss think this is awesome, as do my close friends. Most importantly, I'm excited about this!
I’m running towards adventure with fierce abandon and embracing life with feeling – Finally!
February 14th last year, sitting in Costa Rica with my brother at this fabulous little French crepe café in El Coco, I found out my marriage was over and had no idea what I would be coming home to. One year later I’m still in Calgary, faced destiny or whatever it is you want to call it and I have (after much deliberation, tears, fights with mom and NO I’m not going to adopt a child so you can have grandchildren, and agony over a failed marriage) a plan.
While having given up the idea of work for the day, I’ve promptly fallen into doing research for my upcoming life-altering decision to sell everything I own (except a bare minimum) and be a gypsy for a year or two. (Now see why my mother’s upset??? ;D)
Having said that, now the big thing is to find out where exactly to go!
Being legally divorced in another month opens up a variety of options for the SWAP program (www.SWAP.ca) since I’m still young enough to go that route however the options are not all that inspiring for me wanting to dive. There’s Ireland (cold, but beautiful and would be doing office work – ah, no…) France (oo – that could be nice – not sure about the language… learning Spanish, remembering French and getting the two mixed up – oy!), however I hear the diving is good; this could be very cool… never mind the food, the wine the history – (I wonder if I have cousins there still…) Close to Italy, Belgium, Spain (Love Rioja…) sounding better and better~ will have to give this more concentrated thought…
Germany (uh-no thanks, sorry…) & New Zealand (definitely an option, but I’d rather go to Ireland – just not my cup of tea)
Countries totally on my own: Mexico – well, I love Mexico, but I know way too many people there and that defeats the entire idea of being a gypsy… It would be awesome to hang out for a month or two, but I can’t see it for more than that, unless I had the flexibility of a boat.
Belize – this could be amazing. Warm, beautiful, I know NO one, and looks breath-taking, and from what I’ve read some of the most amazing diving in the world.
My dream of buying my boat is on hold until I actually learn diesel mechanics as well as settling on a specific long-term destination, so in the mean time, I’m searching for a tiny place to call my own while I write, live and have an amazing fantastic adventure, and enjoy being single. Money / work is being covered (which is awesome – besides worst case scenario I’m sure I could waitress…) along with getting my dive certification – I’m scared to death to do it, but at the same time, I’m more scared of not trying it.
All the what-if’s that have plagued me over the past year are just that. What-If’s – risks I’ve never taken, a life I've put on hold and ultimately, nothing would have changed the outcome of the disaster my marriage became… Adventures I’ve never had and a wish-list a mile long. No More.
I think the only thing I’m scared of now is actaully having regrets.
Life comes at you whether you’re ready or not – sweeps you off your feet and dumps you on your ass sometimes, but its so not about falling, but picking yourself up even if it takes a while to catch your breath and dust yourself off! Greatness is borne from failure – you have nowhere to go except up, so why not? The only fears we have are the ones we place on ourselves. I fear regret.
Well, it’s going to be a very tight 7 months but come October 1st, I’ll be going somewhere; I just need help deciding where.
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