After a whirlwind week, I’m finally on the plane and leaving Washington, D.C. indefinitely. It was an epic effort that, now, has me on the verge of tears as the fact that I’ve consciously uprooted myself, left my job and amazing friends sets in. Over the past seven days, I’ve seen hundreds of people who have guided and supported me through various endeavors (and adventures to boot) for ten years. Their excitement in my decision to take the road less travelled has been empowering, but also humbling and, in some ways, intimidating. Many have said how brave I am. And a few close friends know that, in reality, I’m quietly freaking out as I leave everything familiar for the foreign.
Don’t get me wrong. I couldn’t be more incredibly stoked about this trip and I know that, for me, this is one more step towards the life I want to lead – one that follows my heart and seeks a deeper understanding of both the world and myself. For the first time in my adult life, I feel completely free and not beholden to anything or anyone – a circumstance almost more daunting then the responsibilities of a day job. But that doesn’t mean that I’m alone and this past week really showed me the incredible mountain of support out there.
The song, “Have a Little Help From My Friends,” could not have rung more true these last few days as Asia’s “Final Countdown” began permeating through every ounce of my body. With happy hours and house parties all week, yesterday, a rag tag bunch of hungover boys and girls joined me for what I’ve dubbed my “zen move” which – with military-precision – had three trucks going to drop off, deliver, and ship all of my belongings (thanks to Peggy, Pablo, and Andrew). My BFF Lucy (who also blindfolded me earlier in the day for a impromptu brunch party) spearheaded the painting team (Lauren, Justin, Zosia, MB, and Marghet) to turn my lime green surroundings back to the standard white that greeted me two and half years ago when I moved in. As you can see – we succeeded and, hopefully, with security deposit in hand (which will fund an entire month of travel). Huge thanks to everyone who helped, I couldn’t have done it without you!
Now that I’ve wrapped up the move, I hope to write more and give everyone more details about the trip and how I got to this point. I’ll also be working on some how-to posts for others thinking about taking a leap, from moving cheaply to the monster check list of to dos before leaving.
