Why am I going on this trip?  Obviously I don’t like my job and want to do  reset, but what am I really hoping to achieve while I’m gone.  But what am I really hoping will change about myself.  I believe that the time spent planning this trip, traveling and after the trip will be life changing.  At least I hope it will.  But what areas in my life do I think I need to change the most?  I need to work on not being so self focused, but to look outwards.  I need to embrace the not knowing what comes next.  Which I can feel I have started doing this, in small bits.  I know that being a planner is something that I am good at.  I like to plan things and make lists and have things in an order.  So I don’t want to change that about myself.  However I do want to be more spontaneous and just let things flow where they need to.  Which means I don’t get angry or anxious when things don’t go how I anticipated. 

I was talking with a friend and coworker today and recognized in him what I have been going through with this whole process.  I am very much debating telling him  about what I plan to do as a way to motivate him and give him hope that you don’t have to be stuck in the dead end.  While hearing him talk it was so eerie recognizing everything I was thinking.  But the best part was that I was able to recognize how much better I feel about my day to day life since I can now view it in the scope of this is only the part of a bigger story that is my life. 

Goals:

-       To talk with someone of every generation (under 18, 20-40, 50-60, 60+) at length in every country

-       To push myself outside of my comfort zone by interacting with people in unfamiliar situations

-       To embrace spontaneity

-       To encourage a simpler lifestyle.  I hope that by getting rid of stuff prior to my trip and only having one bag during my trip I will come to realize that I don’t need so much stuff.  I’ve started this by getting rid of cable.  I don’t need to be able to watch over a hundred channels. However I do need books.

-       To see something beautiful and awe-inspiring.  Many something’s if possible.

-       Try a local food that would be considered gross at home.