About a year ago, I purchased my second journal. It looks like this:

I finished all 100 pages of my first one (it was panda themed, obviously) in less than three months and wanted to keep on going on. I was able to gain a lot of personal insight and vent out a lot of my frustrations through writing in these journals. It was certainly a time in my life where I needed to have a dialogue with myself.

I haven’t finished this journal (yet) but have obviously kept up the dialogue, just inviting you to join in the conversation this time around.

Anyways, that’s not the main point of this. When I was choosing my new journal, I saw this one’s cover and thought it was absolutely the right one for that point in my life. It was a time where I felt stuck, bored, and wanting more. Fortunately, in the time since then, I have actually gotten time to explore. In that time, I have traveled far past the boundaries of America and far past my comfort zone.

I’ve been back for over three months now, and it’s time to explore again. In two days, I’m taking off to visit a friend from London (Connie) in Portugal for the week. I know – I’m extremely lucky to be able to do something like this so soon. Thanks parents!

My last quarter has been very down to business. It’s been cold, studious, and filled to the brim with applications and cover letters and resume-tweaking. And I know that it will all be worth it for the adventures that my life has in front of me, even just days away, whether those adventures are across the ocean, where I live, or within myself.

It’s always time to explore.