Home

I leave in one week. At this point I'm really not sure it's worth it to get all worked up over leaving because I'm very used to the idea by now. A recent flight to Boise introduced me to a handful of single-serving friends who had all sorts of questions about how I feel these days, leaving and all. I always thought that I'd be freaking out during my final days but I've been able to keep calm. In fact, I feel great right now. I've always believed that when things like this come up in life that you have one of two options in terms of how you deal with it. These two options are to be happy or sad. I feel like it would be a waste of time and energy to be sad about leaving so the only other choice I have is to be happy. I really hope that all those who are dear to me can understand that I really am happy about this pending adventure. I do not want to be remembered as being fearful because there is no room for fear.

My friends are as close to me as my parents and I feel that they have all raised me well. I can draw from each of them a different perspective of life and apply it to my own. I have been so incredibly fortunate to meet people that have this effect on my life. Each of my friends has challenged me to be a better person, in one way or another, and I have done my best to live the life of a person who learns from his mistakes; and I've made many mistakes. My only hope is that those dear to me have been able to draw that same form of learning. I never wore a mask in front of anybody I've met in the last few years. There is no need to act differently in front of different people because pretending to be someone else is lying.

I've been in E-communication with a few people that I will be crossing paths with in Samoa. To me, these strangers have offered validation that what will happen to me next week is real. These are other folk who are unplugging their lives from everything they know to embark on adventure halfway around the world. We get each other excited. At my next stop, Los Angelas, we will meet for the first time; its nice to have a friend.

For anyone who reads my blog and keeps in touch with me over the next 27 months I want to tell you ahead of time that I am extremely grateful for your support. It is safe to assume that my means of communication, for the most part, are going to occur via the internet. Soon I will post an adress where I can be reached in Samoa. I'm looking very forward to writing letters both elecronically and the old fashion way. This is the only information I have so far about how to get ahold of me:

mookfish@hotmail.com
mookfish.blogspot.com (Over time I will upload any and all pictures from my adventures)

I will post any changes.

I went on a road trip with some friends to Savannah, Georgia during the summer that I graduated from highschool. I think this was a good enough dose of adventure to get me through the beginning of college. The trip helped me to develop a personal belief that I still hold onto today:

Home is where the heart is.. inside of you. Understand this and everywhere you go will be home.