After circumnavigating the globe in less than 90 days, I landed back in the US longing to settle down, rest, and reflect on the wildest adventures that encompassed breathtaking hikes and waterfalls and last-minute food poisoning, snorkeling in the Pacific and witnessing kids fighting for their future.
With hundreds of gigabytes of photos and journal entires to look back on, I had to put that briefly on hold as I now embark on my next adventure: full-time, adult life.
And this is where this blog begins.
As a student, there’s freedom and excitement. Yet there’s structure, a method to the madness. Each semester is 14 weeks long. We have 3 day weekends, Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, summer holiday. Lectures, recitations, labs. Problem sets each week, midterms, exams. Then there’s the next semester to look forward to, and the year after that. There’s the goal of graduating, finding a job, working on that research project, finishing that pset, mastering that concept.
As a full-timer, there’s even greater freedom and excitement, yet more responsibility and independence. I’m not sure what to expect, how I’ll adapt to this new structure. Will I find a work-life balance? Will I keep up with the work items, finances, and my physical and mental health? What devote my free time to, in the evenings and weekends? How will I spend my limited time off? What do I have to look forward to? What’s my next goal? How will I settle into a new city, a new group of friends and co-workers? What will my routines and rituals look like?
I can’t imagine how I’ll run out of things to do, places to explore, between settling into my new apartment, exploring the city, picking up new hobbies, meeting new people, learning on the job, making this place home, and so much more.
And it is my hope to document this journey into adulthood, the uncertainty, anxieties, and excitement of it all.
Hello world, indeed!