The Present is a Gift.

Some of you know what I'm about to do, but most of you probably don't, so let me lay it all out there: I'm about to embark on a cross-country road trip to Oregon with my girlfriend to explore natural building and sustainable living. I realize to some of you that this may be coming out of nowhere, and trust me when I say the process that led up to my decision to do this wasn't easy. I've gone through a lot of ups and downs recently. It's taken several months of mental and physical preparation, and though my adventure doesn't "officially" begin until tomorrow, in many ways, I feel as though it began long ago.

The journey out there is going to be quite an undertaking in itself, as you can imagine spending 10 days in a car with another person would. The workshop lasts 7 weeks and ends in mid-September and involves learning how to build using all kinds of natural materials while living in a community atmosphere. There are programs in the fall as well, but my experience over the coming weeks will determine whether or not I decide to continue with the program or decide to try something else, out there or otherwise. I'm really eager to get out there and see what this is all about, but honestly, I really don't know what's going to happen. My return date is questionable, and there are no guarantees I'll get anything out of this other than the experience of having done it. There's the very real chance that I'll get out there and not come back for quite a while.

So why do this? Won't I miss my home, my friends, family, and lots of other things? Of course I will. I've already gone through that on a smaller scale last year. I love my home, but even though it sucked to leave and even though I'm really glad that I made a brief return, I can't allow that to hold me back. I'm sad to leave again, but also excited for right now. I can't relive the past, and I don't know what the future holds. I don't want to say I don't care, because that's not true. Whatever comes my way, I'll deal with it then. Right now, I'm focused on right now, and right now I'm in a positive frame of mind and ready to love more of life.

Basically, this is going to be quite a ride, and I intend to enjoy every moment of it. It's a gift.