On the verge

Do you ever have a feeling that you're at a point where your life might diverge into a way that you hadn't yet imagined?  Cause I'm feeling that way right now.  I feel apprehensive and excited, but also a little scared.  It's easy to feel brave when life looks like how you're planning it... but these surprises can pop out from anywhere!

It's interesting, because if you believe in the mysteries of quantum physics, then you have to consider the possibility that our infinite universe, always expanding, contains different worlds where these small little divergences occur.  It's like this tree, where there's all these root systems, but the history goes back to one single trunk of the universe coming into existence.  Sometimes I can sit in a chair and ponder this for hours.

The problem with thinking about these divergences?  As I'm recognizing these different opportunities, I need to give serious thought to how I want my future to look.  It's like the quote from Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorite quotes in literature, in fact):
"Would you tell me please, which way I go from here?" asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." Said the Cat.

So, where do I want to get to?  I'm not sure.  I'm doing a lot of thinking , and I think I need to call my mom.  She brought me into this world, I think talking to her might help me better determine where I want to go.

Running and writing.

Yesterday, I browsed through my various blogs. And I realized it's been a long time since I've written in this blog, and so I got to thinking about why I hadn't written in here.

I think I know why. I started this blog with the intention to document my road trip plan (you can replace "plan" with "fantasy") of two years ago. But I think that really I should have looked at the "write or run" portion of this blog's address. Writing and running both bring me great pleasure, and I know that things are going well when I have enough time to feed those pleasures. However, I think I find it hard to make time for both, and therefore it's hard to get enough of either one.

Basically... what I'm saying is that I need to channel this blog back onto the things that bring me pleasure in life, and in that way I'll document the metaphorical road trip of life that I am on. I'm getting to a point in life where I am feeling closer to balancing out the work-play factor, especially as I'm striving to find ways to make work feel like play. I do hope that my parents will know how grateful I am that they introduced me to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic.

Geek Alert!

Okay. It's true.

On my break, I started looking around on google maps as part of a facebook application (was tracking where I've been, as well as some places I want to go to) and started zooming in to find more places I've visited in England. Anyway, I've discovered I frickin' adore maps.

When I was young, I would entertain myself looking at fictional maps (such as those in the Redwall series and Sweet Pickle books). And I've always wanted a classy second-hand globe from a flea market. But I realize too that maps will help me tremendously when I'm on my road trip. Cause duh. It's good to not be lost.

Some people have suggested having GPS in my bus... but I don't really want to go that route. Far easier to accidentally get lost using a paper map than when using something that knows your location. It's only when we get lost that we're given an easy opportunity to find ourselves. Everyone takes a few wrong turns on the way to getting somewhere, but that presents an excellent time to appreciate when we arrive at our destination! If it was an easy route, what do we learn? Sometimes easy is just, well, a little boring.

Besides, as long as I have my sense of direction, I'll always be able to find my way home. That's what matters the most, isn't it? That I get where I'm going and that I make it home?

Anyway. I'm excited to track where I go, and to keep this more updated than it has been. I've been driving my bus around, mainly to go and watch sunsets. I need to learn more about the engine, cause I think there are definitely some things that need fixing. I'd like to get the urgent matters attended to before I start doing weekend excursions with friends, and I think I'll begin those in May, so I want to get on this.

Dad offered some muffler wraps which should buy me some time before replacing the muffler, I'll apply that this weekend. That will make my ride quieter at least! I'm also going to need to get some new seals for the rear, and fix the back hatch (which doesn't open, the latch is broken)... with all the rain and snow and bizarreness weather-wise, I've discovered that water leaks in and soaks my pillows. Not good, I say, not good at all. I still love the bus though. It's a beauty, it's stinky, it's loud, it's me.

Anyway, should grab a bite before lunch is up! Let me leave you with a picture!