Taking Off
Friday, July 15th, 2005If there is one thing I have learned in college, I’ve learned how very little I know. Higher education is incredibly humbling. It has managed to strip me of that blissful childhood ignorance, while showing me the vastness of knowledge and how much I have left to learn. It has sent me through internal struggles, not only about “what I want to be when I grow up” but more importantly “who” I want to be.
Three years at Madison quickly burst the “Brookfield Bubble” in which I was peacefully confined for so long. It has fueled my desire to venture out and learn about the world and myself first-hand. And what better place to continue my education then Sydney, Australia- the land of “no worries.” Maybe a thick Fosters and the Carpe Diem attitude of the Aussies is just what a self-proclaimed worry wart needs to lighten up a bit;)
Along with my worrisome nature, I have learned many other things about myself. I can have a hard time letting loose. I am often too intense. I tend to shy away from life’s toughest challenges. I put needless pressure on myself. I’m scared of failure. I take life too seriously.
And out of all the humbling things I’ve realized, these are the most valuable, because they are what I hope to change. Change, but not erase…for although these flaws are unbecoming, they will always be a part of who I am. But hopefully, after 5 months in Australia, a very small part;)
I am incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity, and I intend to make the most of every last minute. It will challenge me in ways I cannot fathom; but then again, life’s toughest challenges often hold the greatest rewards. For as a good friend told me: You only get one shot at life, so you might as well make the most of it the first time around;) And thats exactly what I am going to do.
Traedogg