Time Unused is the Longest Time

I have to admit that this weekend was a challenging one. I've been undulating between absolute excitement about my trip and absolute denial because of how much I'm going to miss Darryl. Saying "goodbye" to my folks helped reality set in more.

8 months from now I imagine I will look back at this and wish I could tell myself to just enjoy this time. So this is what I'm going to try to emphasize inside of myself for this next week... enjoying those last moments with Darryl and friends before my life changes, and remind myself that before I know it, I will be back and ready for my next adventure.

"Time unused is the longest time" is a quote I came across recently on a blog, which was found on a tree at Wat Umong (a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai). I think it's an excellent mantra for the fleeting (yet never ending) time I'm experiencing, the travel I'm undertaking and hopefully for the rest of my life.

We all spend too much time worrying about the unimportant things: stresses at work that consume us whole, petty arguments with significant others and friends, or sitting in front of the TV for hours at a time trying to forget what bothers us (this is me).

I personally hope that living in a new culture (where around 95% of the population practices Buddhism) helps me find some inner peace and the ability to focus on what really matters, and stop wasting this precious time that so many would give anything to have more of.

So... onto the fun aspects of departure: happy hours with friends, a Star Trek themed going away party, one last Husky football game, and oh yeah, that next week I will be in GERMANY!! with Darryl and my best friend, Dustin. :)

-Erin