Rhododendrons were blooming and snow was falling.
One year ago this week, as I made multiple last-minute trips to REI, Lucy, several drug stores, and the travel store in Wallingford, stocking up on anything and everything I thought I could possibly need for the next six months of living out of my backpack - including a full box of Q-tips since I swear by the name brand and didn't want to be stuck somewhere across the world and have to use generic ones. Every day I am reminded of how ridiculous my decision to buy that box was when I use yet another Q-tip that took up valuable space in my backpack, and went unused for so many months.
I was filled with mixed emotions. Excitement, anxiety, hope, and sadness struck at different times. I was thrilled to be embarking on a great adventure, but was a little nervous about what I was about to get myself into and was wondering how I would handle being away from my family and friends for an extended period of time. Thank goodness for email and Skype. I can't imagine how I would've survived on a trip like that thirty years ago, when postcards would've been my only form of communication with the outside world - only giving, never receiving information about what was going on back home. I never would've been able to accept the one-sidedness of an arrangement like that.
I changed, I expanded my horizons, and I opened my eyes wider than they've ever been before. I learned about different cultures and grew in my appreciation for the way the world works. I was astounded by some of my discoveries and pleasantly surprised by others., which is the way learning should go, I think.
While I traveled, I took more photos than I ever could've imagined. Another reason I'm thankful that I live in the time that I do is digital cameras and the ease with which I was able to change out my three 4-gigabyte memory cards that took up less space in my backpack than one role of film would have. Some would probably say that I took too many photos since it took me so long to sift through them and weed out the good from bad, but I am thankful I took the number I did because I have forgotten about some of the everyday experiences we had that seem somehow remarkable now that I'm no longer having them.
A fair comparison can be made between traveling and everyday life. Some memories stick out in your mind more than others. Every day is remarkable in some way, but only when something is truly extraordinary do we take the time to reflect on what we have seen, heard, felt, smelled . . . and really appreciate a day for what it is. Photos help make a normal day more memorable. I carry my camera around with me, but barely ever capture pictures unless I'm in a social setting. This is something I will have to change going forward so that I don't forget about the experiences I have that make each day different from the next. After all, how often do you see a pit bull jumping on a trampoline so he can see over the fence? Will I remember seeing him in 10, 20, 30 years? Maybe. But if I had a photo of him, I'd certaily never forget.
