New Year’s Revolution

Packed everything, remembered my passport, checked-in; luggage not overweight, said goodbye; said goodbye four other times, made it through customs, did it all with an hour to spare.

I’ve struggled these first two weeks of January to come up with a proper New Year’s Resolution: Something meaningful, achievable, and appropriate to where I’m going to be this year and what I’m planning on doing.

Nothing.

I’ve settled instead on accepting the fact that maybe this year, I’m in for more of a personal revolution than a single resolution. The fact is, I don’t know what I expect out of the coming year, nor do I know – by the end of it – what it is I want to have achieved. This year, I think, is going to be more about the “figuring it out” than about having it figured out and simply attempting to get there.

In just over an hour, I’m boarding my direct flight to London. It will be the longest time I have been away from home, and the longest time I have been outside of the Vancouver area. It will also be my first time in Europe.

I can honestly say that I have no idea what I’m in for, but I’m as prepared as I can be, and ready for adventure.

In a suitcase I had previously used for 5-day trips around the province, I’ve packed the essentials that will comfortably get me by for 5 months. If that fails, I’ve brought British pounds so that I can purchase more comfort.

In my carry-on, I’ve got a phone-sized video camera, a brand-new Nikon DSLR, my iPhone, my voice recorder, my e-reader, two scarves (layer-able), two pairs of gloves (not so layer-able), a guide book to Great Britain, and a European phrasebook. I would say I’m more than set to document my journey, as well as entertain myself during the long hours in transit.

I will keep in touch, I will blog, I will live-tweet as much as possible.

Here’s to a New Year’s Revolution: To unrooting myself and embarking on a journey to learn more about the world.

Here we go.

PS – Hi Grandma.