It's Actually Happening...Right?

Sometimes I wonder if this is actually happening. I can't wrap my head around it.

And then there are days when it all comes together. There are days when the world seems magical, and the realization finished creeping in. Things here are different. No, they're not different. They're exotic.

You walk out of school at 1:00, in the heat of the day. You see a friend waiting to be picked up, and you give them a friendly punch on the shoulder. Something really funny just happened as you left class, and you're still laughing about it. The sunlight feels good on your forearms and face, and although it's bright, you're wearing sunglasses, and you're pretty used to it now. And those everyday objects are so much more exciting, things you would never see back home: a man moving his tapioca cart to a different location; long, dead leaves stacked on either edge of the sidewalk; tons of kids in uniform and tons of cars - honking, anxious looking, chatter, acknowledgement.

It appears, for that moment, like a scene out of a fairy tale. That fact that you're on an adventure becomes fully realized. You're not in Kansas anymore.

But this is their lives. These people do this every day. To them, it's not exciting. It's all they know, just like your life was all that you knew. But then you did something crazy. You stepped outside your comfort zone. You did something extraordinary.

The magic comes from you. It comes from inside you. It's all about how you see things.

I quoted Paradise Lost in the sidebar because I think it hits the nail on the head: it's all about your perception. Keep it positive, and nothing can go wrong.

I quoted Jane Eyre as a warning. Look for the good things, and do not blind yourself to that full brightness. Your host country is a wonderful place. Your host family are wonderful people. Don't be a Miss Scatcherd.

I quoted Out of Oz for the simplicity. Live life without grasping for the magic of it. Just enjoy the moments. Know that there will be others. Know that when they come, they will be worth it.

Build that chain. Make it out of gold. Craft the links from clay. Flower symbolize love. Iron will strengthen it. Thorns will keep others away, for this is something personal and sacred. And that memorable day? That one you will remember years from now? It's here. Right now. Today. And it's tomorrow too. And then next day. And the day after that.

Now off to the gym. (Gotta prevent that exchange weight!)

Jake