3 more weeks

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When I sat down to write this first entry I realized that in exactly 3 weeks I'll be leaving for London. That's three weeks to finish figuring out what I'm going to do when I land at Heathrow. Three more weeks to say goodbye to friends and family. And three more weeks of alternating between excitement and fear. Not very much time at all really.

Since this is my first entry, I think it's worth taking some time to write about why I decided to quit my job, sell my stuff, and buy a one-way ticket to Europe. I graduated from college in 2004, and immediately started working for a credit card company in Virginia. I found the first year of work to be both exciting and challenging. However, shortly after my first anniversary at the company something changed. Work became less interesting. I started to wonder what I would be doing in five years time. At the time, I didn't realize that I was starting to question what I was doing with my life, so for the next nine months or so, these thoughts simmered in the back of my mind as I ran from one big project to another. Then, this past April I took my first real international trip. I went to Canada once to see Niagara falls, but I don't think that 2 hours spent looking across a river at NY state really counts as an international trip. Anyway, I went to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and when I got home I was a different person. My whole outlook on life had changed and I started hatching a plan -- a plan to spend a year exploring the world and figuring out what I really want to do with my life. I think it was more the trip than the destination that made me question my direction in life. At the same time, it's tough to ignore the impact that seeing Kilimanjaro rising out of the savannah for the first time can have.

I don't think I made the wrong decision to start working immediately after college. I mean, the pay was good, the work was interesting (at least in the beginning), and I gained invaluable experience. Not to mention, the job market in 2004 wasn't all that great so I was pretty happy to have a job. And without spending these two years working this trip would not be possible.

I've spent enough time reading other people's travel blogs to know that the decision I made is not at all unique, although try telling that to my mom! Although many people set out on adventures like this, often for similar reasons, everyone's experiences are different. And the ways in which those experiences shape their lives are always unique. It is the chance to really experience life that I am after, and to hopefully learn something about myself along the way. So, there you have it -- work, go to Africa, question meaning of life, quit job, sell stuff, try to find meaning of life 😉.

I'm quite confident that I won't miss work for the next year, but I'll certainly miss all the people I met and became friends with. And on that note, I've included some pictures from my farewell party a couple weeks ago.

-Andrew

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Photos

kili
The summit of Kilimanjaro from 15,000 feet.

sneak attack
Who did I give my camera to again?

mmm guinness
Vivek and myself enjoying some tasty beer.

who's da man?
Emre's da man!

the gang
Rather late in the evening, so I'm surprised I was able to take this picture!

end of the night
Pete, Stephanie, and myself