Home Again, Home Again... Jiggity Jig...

I know, it's been a while. I do have a good excuse though. I just got back from a half cross-country road trip to the mid-west and back. I traveled on a grant from PBS' Roadtrip Nation with two of my good friends, Lauren and Sarah. Along the way we interviewed people who are passionate about what they do and who have fulfilled the Roadtrip Nation slogan by "defining their own road in life". The entire experience was incredible. The place we got to see, the people we got to meet, and the discussions we had on the road are priceless. Having done the gross part of my road tripping experience in the past four years, I can say assuredly that the road has a unique way of opening my mind and spirit to new possibilities.

Along the way, Sarah, Lauren and I met so many interesting people. It amazes me how willing people can be to give their advice. I would have never thought a few months ago that I would be able to say that I stepped foot in to the office of the Editor-in-Chief of National Geographic or that I got spend time in Hallmark Card's humor department. I loved being in the places that I have dreamt about and meeting the people who have made similar dreams their reality.

When I returned home the night before last I was still in the road trip mentality. I was happy to be home where I could relax and process my trip away from highways and pit stops. I was also sad that all of the work put into planning and executing the trip had come to an end. I absolutely loved everything about the road trip. Every aspect of it thrilled me and brought me to that level of consciousness that comes with new and exciting experiences. Today is my second day home after the trip. Yesterday I was adjusting to not waking up in a hotel room and enjoying being able to bask in the thrill of my recent venture. I still feel that way today, but to a lesser degree. I can already feel myself slipping back to my habitual lifestyle. Today it has finally hit me that the road trip had served as a book mark of sorts. I imagined my return marking the beginning of a new chapter. I hadn't really considered the difficulty of a job search before and during the trip, but now I am faced again with the crushing weight of college loans and bills.

I started a new blog called "Year of Yes" on which I am documenting my journey (almost) day-by-day towards discovering my life's passion. I know that I have it in me. I know that God has put it there. There is something that we can all do in a way that no one else can. This trip has served as a reminder that we are not only denying ourselves, but the world as well, when we deny what we are passionate about. I have been trying new things and challenging myself to step out in different situations that may scare me. I'm hoping that doing so will help to melt away all the "junk" (the lies, the criticism, the shut downs) that I have listened to and believed for far too long and leave me as a refined piece of passionate gold.

I can't deny how passionate I felt about this trip. Like I said earlier, every aspect of it thrilled me in a way that I want to feel again. I have to, no..., I need to feel that way again. I want to learn and see and feel. I want to explore and teach and express. I want to have passion and be passionate. I hope to get there soon.