Saturday, October 8, 2011

Fear is stupid. So are regrets.

The past two years (yes, TWO years) since college graduation have been some of the most significant years of my life thus far.  I believe your twenties should be used to get to know yourself... to figure out who you are, and who you want to become.  Everyone does that in a different way, with no one RIGHT recipe to follow... my recipe of choice just happens to often add stamps to my passport and involve relocating every six months or so to a new country.

I've posed with some of the most identifiable man-made structures in the world.





Touched the lives of young people.



Drank wine while watching the sun set behind the Italian Dolomites.



Remembered the heroic acts of some...



...and the inhumane actions of others.



I've swam in Caribbean waters.



I've hiked the Austrian Alps.



I've jumped off a cliff in Switzerland.



Ferried through the fjords of Norway.



And yet, when I'm in the United States I am reluctant to tell of the things I've seen, and the experiences I've had that have changed me for the better.  Discussing my life outside of America leaves me an uneasy feeling... as if I'm flaunting a lifestyle that many dream of but is often left as just a dream.  There is definitely something to be said for building a stable, routined life at an early age... believe me, I see the benefits of that often.  But when I am faced with making a life decision, an image of myself enthusiastically telling of my adventures to a classroom of thirty young history students flashes through my head.  I have made many life decisions based on what would make a better story to share with my future students.  But my future students should not be the only special people who know the details of my adventures... and what better place to share but on the internet... telling stories only to those who care to read!  My stint in Europe is over, but with new discoveries and experiences to be had in Asia.  So here we go... in the words of Marilyn Monroe, "We should all start to live before we get too old.  Fear is stupid.  So are regrets."  I don't want either in my life.

3 comments:

  1. You Ms. Culley have a great blog going! I will be sure to check back often and see how the adventure is going. Continue the Journey!

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  2. Katy, you are wise beyond your years. I'm glad I saw your blog link in my news feed. It made my day. I've been feeling so bored and trapped with my life lately and I've been tossing around the idea of teaching English in South Korea but the thought of going somewhere completely unfamiliar by myself scares me half to death. This blog might be the push I need. You're inspirational :)

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