This truly
is becoming more and more real every day. A couple of weeks ago I officially
submitted my final deposit to the organization that manages my summer projects.
It definitely feels really good to know that I’ve got that totally taken care
of now. I also recently put in my summer leave of absence at work, which was
surprisingly very painless. I’d originally figured I’d just have to quit when I
left, but after thinking about it and talking to my supervisors, I decided it’d
be nice to still have this job when I return in August.
Okay, now I’ll put the Africa trip aside for a
bit and say that today is my last day of being 21. Wow. I’m never really sure
if birthdays are meant more for looking back on the previous year, or looking
forward to the one that’s coming, so I always try to do some of both. I can
honestly say that this past year has been the best of my life, and has really
changed who I am. First, I spent my entire summer, from May to September, away
from Texas, separated from my friends and family, in a totally new environment
and around totally new people. Four months was by far the longest that I’d been
away from home, and that was the best summer of my life so far. Up in the
gorgeous Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, I had plenty of adventures that
I’ll never forget. I spent my days off going hiking, camping, kayaking,
rafting, and more. I went cliff jumping into the frigid Gros Ventre River. I
saw views that truly took my breath away. I slept out on a picnic table, under
the most beautiful night sky I’ve ever seen. I almost got killed by an elk. I
sang in public for the first time. I played my first drinking game. I took
risks that the twenty-year-old version of me wouldn’t have. And I made some
wonderful friendships that truly made that summer great. I really miss
Cristina, Tanner, Nate, Jesse, Elliot, and the other friends I made up there,
and not a day goes by that I don’t think about them. I definitely left a piece
of my heart in those beautiful mountains, and I know I’ll return someday.
One thing
that the last year has helped me realize is that I really want to get out and
travel more, which brings me to this coming year. Near the end of last summer I
began to officially make plans to make my dream of going to Africa a reality.
Now, on my 22nd birthday, that trip is less than a month away. A few
evenings ago I got home from work to find that, as a wonderful early birthday
gift, my passport had finally arrived. It took months of battling the
government, but it’s finally here. I’ve hardly been able to stop looking at it
since it came. Holding that passport in my hands made me see that this really
is happening, that the adventure I’ve been dreaming about for as long as I can
remember is becoming reality.
Thanks for
all the great memories, 21. I’ll cherish them for a very long time to come. You
were an incredible year. Let’s see if 22 can top you! See you in 27 days,
Africa.
This post’s
food for thought: “Don’t just count your years, make your years count.”- George
Meredith
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