New Beginnings

I love a fresh start. They come along in the most predictable way every single day which is I think why so many people ignore the endless possibilities they present. You know another one is coming along tomorrow so squandering today's fresh start offering is perceived as no big deal. Don't think I'm getting all preachy here because I'm as guilty of this crime as the next person and when I become aware of my transgression I do feel a tinge of regret.

But once in a while life provides more significant fresh starts... The new job, new home, new relationship, new school, new year; they are big ones. Hard to miss them and hard to ignore the opportunities they inherently provide you. And there are less significant ones, they come along more regularly and although are not as life changing as a new job or new home, they still offer a new beginning if you choose to view them that way.

I picked up my latest new start yesterday, my new passport. Gone are the stamps, gone is any easily-portable governmental acknowledgement that I have been anywhere outside of my home country. And so of course, when I flip through its fresh, un-creased pages (and get over the shock of how tragically horrible the photo is) all I think of are the countries waiting for me to visit them. My Dad always said he didn't mind my sister and I missing school when we were travelling because we would learn far more from seeing the world than by reading about it and of course he was right.

If, for the rest of my life I had to choose between clothes and travel on which to allocate my discretionary money, I would choose travel (and those who know me know what an epic statement of commitment that is). There is a world of difference between reading an article about the Mona Lisa and looking directly into her eyes. And although I have been lucky to experience so many of the wonders this world has to offer there are countless more that I haven't and even more than that who's existence I am not even aware of.

So my blank passport will not be blank forever and until then, like every fresh start it holds for me a world of possibilities. Let's begin!

Closing the door

As with any end to a relationship there are always loose ends to tie up... So today we tied them up and cut them off.

We had, a couple of months before the end, taken a beautiful trip to Italy and we took lots of beautiful pictures.... All of these pictures were loaded to his computer... Which of course lives at his place.  It has been over a month now since the end and I had yet to get the photographs.  The longer I waited, the more anxious I became.

Was the computer broken?  Were the photographs lost?  Was he just not getting them to me to be difficult?  None of these sounded like an agreeable option.

So, I waited.  Waited for a message or a package or a sign of some sort that the photographs were somehow going to make their way to me.  And of course nothing happened. 

When I was with my girlfriends (who as I have already mentioned, are very wise), they advised me to take action.

"This is too important to you, what are you waiting for?"

"The longer you wait, the harder it will be."

"Take the lead and send him a message.  Suggest a meeting and get the photos!"

"Put on your big girl panties and just do it."

Wise.

So I did all of the above.  I sent the message (with my girlfriends by my side giving me courage).  I set the date and place.  I went.

Of course, first I prepared myself... I steeled myself against any potential confrontation.  I was ready to show him what he was missing.  I was ready for anything.

As it turned out, none of it was necessary.  It was relaxed.  Friendly.  Calm.  Kind.  He complimented me.  And then it was done. 

"We should keep in touch," he said.

And like I have said to so many other people exiting my life, "yes, of course we will."

Next.