Since February 11, 2010, i have been away from the United States. It's not the longest time i've ever been away, but it's not been the easiest visit overseas. No, this has not been an adventurous 18 months, rather it has been one of soul searching and great inner turmoil. i've been searching for my place in the world, my place in American society, and most of all my place in myself. i believe i have found that place.
As i write my current location is the south coast of Sri Lanka, and so far only half way around the world. My tentative plan up until this point has been to apply for PhD programs to begin in August, 2012, and to remain expatriated until then. But that's not really what i want to do. What i want to do is get back States side and find work as a librarian, and begin my career. The truth is is that i want to be part of a team, i'm bored with reading professionally, i don't want to be a professor, and i need to make some cash. Plus librarians are darn cool. Besides all of that i've got some major debt to pay off and honestly i haven't been able to travel with a clear conscience because that responsibility is weighing on my heart. i haven't been shirking the responsibility, the bills aren't due yet, but i'm having a hard time enjoying myself knowing that what i really want to be doing is settling into a routine that will carry me through the next decade and see these financial concerns cleared up, and then possibly reemerging onto the world scene with a lot more freedom in my step.
So that's what i've decided to do. i'm not jumping on the next plane home, but i am going to be a real traveller rather then just an ex-pat from here on. i hope to get back to the states by Christmas. This blog is dedicated to detailing the adventures i'll have over the next five months. i don't know my itinerary, i'm not sure how i'll do it, but the plan is to finish my first circumtour of the world and get back into Hawaii where i started in mid December, then onto the mainland for a family reunion by Christmas time.
i have a few other blogs going at the same time, and plan to continue to expand those while i also add to this one. The lines will probably get confusing at times and the purposes for each blog blurred for sure but i do most of my journaling and commentary on Facebook anyway so these blogs aren't very well maintained to begin with. But i'm gonna put in a concerted effort here.
Nathan
