T-Minus 8 Days Until Departure

Just like when you are preparing for exams in school, there is a tipping point a few days or weeks before the exam (or maybe the morning of the exam) where you realize that it coming up fast. Really fast, and you are extremely unprepared… One week before the departure on a two month trip seems to be my tipping point.

Doubt

Like most people in the world, I tend to second guess myself. Well actually tend to might be putting it mildly… More like constantly, relentlessly, and incessantly. I’m not sure if this is the same for other people, but deciding to go and booking the flights was the easy part. Now with only two weeks to go, the realization of how long of time two months actually is and how short of time one week is really sets in! And with that comes the second guessing about this whole trip and the thoughts that I am making a huge mistake and my life will be ruined forever. OK, maybe that is a little over dramatic. But I do worry that I will not accomplish the things I am setting out to accomplish on this trip, and it will be one big waste of time.

Why Not To Go

A lot of reasons have gone through my head as to why I shouldn’t go. Being a junior at a large company getting work on projects can be competitive at times, and one thing I learned is to never say no to work (unless already preoccupied). Part of my reasoning for choosing to leave in May and June was the fact that this is usually a slow period at work, but still I have found myself having to turn down work. And of course some of the work I turned down had to be in areas where I am really hoping to gain experience.

In addition to missing out on work opportunities, I will also be missing out on my personal life at home. Last month my dad completed his final chemo treatment for his lymphoma. The treatments have gone really well and he is now on the road to recovery, yet I will be leaving before he is 100% better and part of me worries that something could happen while I am away. Also with the start of summer comes the start of the rodeo season. For most of my life I have competed in rodeo, and for the past eight years every summer I have competed in the Canadian Girls Rodeo Association. But this summer as I will be on a different continent for half of the rodeo season I will not be competing.

It’s Never Going to Be a Good Time To Do It

I can come up with numerous reasons as to why it is not a good time to go right now, what I listed above is only a small portion of what goes through my mind. But really there will always be reasons not to go, no matter what when you plan to do something that is a major change from your daily routine.I’m going to generalize a bit here as not everyone desires to travel to a foreign place, but each of us desires to do something.  It’s very easy to only think of the negative side of things, and end up getting so caught up in the negatives that you never end up doing what you wanted to do. The conclusion I have come to about my trip is that even with all the things that can go wrong, the possibility of the things that can go right mean I will not be happy until I have at least tried. Without great risk will never come great rewards. 

With that I will leave you with a couple quotes and a fun picture..

“The little ideas that tickle and nag and refuse to go away should never be ignored, for in them lie the seeds of destiny” – Movie “Babe”

“Once an idea has taken hold of the brain, it’s almost impossible to eradicate.” – Movie “Inception”