Only 9 days now until I board the plane that will take me across the world. Almost a 12 hour time difference will separate me from the life I've been living here in Richmond and I'm practically jumping out of my socks.
You get to a point where you just really need a change of pace.. a change of scenery.. and a change of lifestyle and I'm taking it to the extreme.
I still have too much to do and (it feels like) not enough time to do it. From packing, to mundane chores and errands, to saying goodbye to friends. Even though this time I won't be gone for a year - to many, 4 months is a long time. But it's not a long time for the desperate traveler that needs to explore and adventure the world. Four months is a very minuscule amount of time to see all you want to see and do all you want to do - to live and experience the culture of the place you're going.
Unfortunately, this time I will have to be a little more strict on myself, for my research. Conducting a field study with x amount of kids from Ball State University and writing my thesis is the main reason I am taking off to India and Nepal; to study their culture and compare the cultural impacts on the public transit systems of Bhubaneshwar, Kathmandu and Richmond. But the closer I get to my departure, the rationalization kicks in that I will be chained to my studies more than I will get to explore and that sparks a pain in my soul.
Reminder to self:
Keep an open mind and an open heart and let in that which was once never there.
