New Adventure-Same Nerves

“Are you nervous?” It’s the same question I get before any big trip. I think it’s a common question because there is a lot to be nervous about. Will I be able to fit everything in my bags? How bad will the flight be? How will I handle the jet lag? Will I like my apartment? Will I make friends? These are all the questions that race through my mind before I jet off around the world.

I remember before going to China when people would ask me if I was nervous I would answer “Nope! Not at all” I wasn’t even lying. I was SO excited and had this sense of calm that everything would work out… all the way up until the day before I left. I woke up on my last morning and I was completely nauseous. I realized I needed a few last-minute things from Walmart so I hopped in my car, turned the key…and started bawling.

All the self-doubt and fears that had been voiced to me by everyone else for over a year were suddenly in my mind and I thought “What the heck am I doing?! This is CRAZY! Who do I think I think I am? I’m not some go-with-the-flow type of person that is required for traveling. No sir. Not me.

So I did what I always do in those situations- I called my dad. I’d like to say “he talked me off the ledge” but in all honesty, he encouraged me to take the leap of faith into the unknown beyond the ledge. He assured me that although I couldn’t see it, there was in fact a place to land and I wouldn’t fall to my death. 24 hours later I took that leap. I took it at a run and held my hands out in a cool “swan dive” with my eyes closed, praying that I would be caught by something.

I was met with a safety net of kind people, amazing experiences, and the absolute time of my life. The moment everything settled and I stopped bouncing, I looked up and asked God, “can I do that again?

So here we go... jump number 3. I think this time I’ll do a cannonball.