This post is a compilation of my thoughts as I sit, anxiously, in a coffee shop in Honolulu, trying to convince myself that it’s okay to board a plane home next week.
I fear an abnormal amount of things in this life, change being one of the scariest, most frequent challenges I deal with. I can only hope that my fear of becoming stagnant in life will one day overcome the unknown threat of change.
It’s understandable to be hesitant to willingly abandon the comfortability of routine and walk blindly into the darkness of the unknown. However, our comfort zone is just that, a safe haven where knowledge and familiarity sheilds us. Though it offers protection from our darkest fears, it more so handicaps us in ways we refuse to acknowledge. The soul’s path was never intended to conform to a life of rigid structure. Our desires should never be suffocated by the weight of our fear’s limitations. Our futures have no real restrictions, these are simply appropriations of our immobility.
I’m learning, slowly but surely, that life is all about adjustments, words my father has kept on a broken record since I was a little girl. Well, Dad, I think I’m finally starting to understand. Leading a life where your soul remains lively and captivated can only be achieved once this realization is met. True happiness depends on our ability to fully and completely embrace the experiences we have in between these massive changes. Let the looming possibility of change force you to run as wild as you can, fearlessly interact with your environment, let the beautiful minds of strangers expose themselves to you. There is a great deal of life to be lived.
Through deep reflection and some writing, I’ve realized this. There is far more beauty in the entirety of this experience than there is sadness in its closure. I did it. Hell, I flew 5,090 miles away from the only comfort zone I’ve ever had. Sure, I was content there. I also had no idea what I was missing.
The experiences I’ve had on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii are something I’m not sure I can quite articulate in words. The people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard, the connections I’ve made with people from all over the globe. The days spent traveling, conquering fears, reaching new heights, assimilating into a lifestyle that I consider to be polar opposite than that of my own. I lived as hard as I possibly could, gaining perspectives on life that I promise to cherish forever. The significance of my time here is not lost through the impending change that awaits me. In fact, these past four months will continuously enrich me as a human for years to come. Next adventure.
Shoots,
Devin Fiona.
Love, Devin Fiona 