Real-life adventuring 101

Greetings from the legendary land of Middle Earth! Or, to some, Los Angeles International Airport.

The illustrious JRR Tolkien wrote, "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to." As wonderfully foreshadowing as this profound bit of prose is in The Fellowship of the Ring, I always felt as though it was lacking a practicality for one's everyday life. Now, a mere couple of hours before we transplant our lives to a new country, I realise just how fitting it really is. When I was first going back to grad school, I had no idea that it would turn into a round-the-world adventure. I wasn't watching my feet, and all of a sudden I find myself travelling inexorably down this new road to Galway.

Right now, waiting in the airport to board our first flight, I'm awash in so many emotions I can't make sense of it all. I'm excited for the new adventure, anxious because we still don't have a house, sad to be leaving friends and family, and utterly exhausted from packing and sleepless stress-filled nights.

Leaving California for Galway will certainly be an adventure, though I haven't decided if that's necessarily a good or a bad thing. Maybe a bit of both. At any rate, like Frodo's epic journey, it will be a transformative experience. One that will force me to grow in many ways rant remaining in California never would.

So here's goodbye to California. We had 28 spectacular years together, and I hope to see you around sometime. And I take solace in the fact that though I'm currently wandering, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm lost.