Ride The Wave.

Date: July 9 2010.

We are currently flying over the Northern Territory, with about 4.5 hours until we get to Singapore. I thought it appropriate to start writing now, over the red desert of outback Australia, because my last adventure was a trip to Darwin, NT, last year. I learnt a lot on that adventure, mostly about how beautiful Australia really is & how much I love it & am grateful to have grown up in such an amazing part of the world. I'm feeling even more grateful now, as I sit above the clouds & gaze down upon my homeland, thinking of all it has given me; a great family, beautiful friends, a good education, freedom, & so many opportunities. I am truly blessed in so many ways; there are no words to describe how happy & grateful I am for the life I've had so far, & what's coming next will surely prove that dreams can & do come true as long as you believe in yourself above all else, & never, ever, ever give up or settle for something less that you've always wanted. Now, I'm taking everything I've learned from my people & my country & heading off on my first, but certainly not last, excellent adventure.

I was wondering the other day about how I was really feeling about this trip. So many people have said to me over the past few weeks, 'You must be excited!' & I always thought to myself, 'Must I?' Of course, there is a part of me that is very excited, but I've also been feeling scared, doubtful, nervous, anxious, & most of all; impatient. I have always hated waiting, especially when you're waiting for something as exciting & life-changing as this. For me, the fear, worries, anxieties... they all live in the time between making the decision to do something big & then actually doing it. I have no doubt that the fears that arise during waiting periods are what make people settle for less instead of going after what they really want. I've had to wait 7 weeks to get on this plane. That's a lot of time for fear to creep in & infest your mind.
Sticking with the theme of Australia; I can relate this to a surfer waiting for that perfect wave. Surfers wait for ages, just sitting on their boards, floating atop the ocean as they wait for the next thrill. Once they see a wave forming in the distance, they begin to prepare themselves for the ride, but as it gets closer & grows larger, the fear & doubt sets in. Even if only for a second, they question whether they can handle this wave, if they are capable of staying above the water. But, as soon as the wave hits, the thinking stops, & the just go with it.
I've been waiting for this wave my whole life. I've had a few weeks for the fear to set in, but I won't let it stop me anymore. This is my chance to do something big, take risks, & come out the other end a better & wiser person. I know there will be times went I will struggle to stay above the water, & there will be other times when I come out on top. For the most part thought, I'll just be trying my best to ride the wave.