Frequently Asked Questions
When I tell people about my plans, I usually get one of three responses:
1. Aren’t you scared?
2. Are you traveling by yourself? (which is followed by question number 1)
3. Is this an Eat-Pray-Love thing?
Yes. Yes. No.
Of course I am scared. The list of what-ifs goes on and on….
what if i get malaria? what if i run into a huge snake in southern india? what if i get lonely? what if I get really sick? what if I get abducted? what if I run out of money? what if I get hurt and have to come home early? what if I miss my mommy? what if I get my head chopped off? what if it turns out I don’t like traveling?
as you can see….. the mind can run rampant with these what-if questions (and all of a sudden I am transported to my classroom and how my students love the what if questions and I can understand the 10th grade brain in a whole new way…..)
But, at the same time, I guess I don’t know what I would be missing if I don’t go. I don’t know how lonely or how scary it will be — since right now, I am just imagining the possibilities. But to live it and see it and experience it…. then I will know. And sometimes, the idea of just staying is as scary and lonely as anything else I can imagine….
5 days until I move out of my apartment. Just ask me if I am ready…. come on, just ask! ok, I’ll tell you. um, not ready. nope, not packed.
and as for the eat-pray-love thing…. i mean, i guess because she traveled – there is that similarity. But i am not a writer, not getting paid to travel and not-getting-a-divorce-rebounding-and-breaking-up. So there is that. Nor am I julia roberts. just sayin’
Yay, Aurora! I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you personally before you leave — but I’m so excited for you and so proud of you. This will be just so amazing–and scary and lonely and hard –and wonderful. You go, girl. I look forward to reading more! Have fun. We’ll miss you at Renaissance!
I am terrified too. Fear is a sign that you are challenging yourself to be more than you are, you should be proud that you don’t let fear stand in your way!
thanks Kim! good to hear that I am not alone…. sometimes i get an image of myself next year, alone in India for example, and I think — what the hell am i doing?! but at the same time…. I cannot imagine NOT doing it! 🙂