delicious ambiguity + the joy of possibility

via Dismount Creative

the question I am asked second most about our move to Taiwan is this: what are you going to do?

when most people ask that question, they usually mean “do” for work, not just “do” in general. I don’t as of yet have a job lined up. there are some options I could pursue to continue working in my current field as a consultant. the school has said it would be easy for me to find work teaching English, or possibly tutoring other subjects. or I may not have a job at all, in the conventional sense or otherwise.

so what am I going to do? the short answer: I don’t know.

there was a point in my life [not too long ago, actually] where that would have terrified me. I was always the girl with the plan. in fact, I sat down and scheduled out every single class I wanted to take throughout college before I ever moved in to the dorm. and you know what? that plan, like most, didn’t work out. instead of loading myself up on classes and doing a summer internship so I could graduate in 3.5 years, I let myself actually enjoy college. I had time to meet friends, and Husband. I found an incredible internship and moved to New York and found a great job. and it all ended up working out much better than my original plan. so not having it all planned out, not knowing what I’m going to do? that’s ok.

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.”
― Gilda Radner

but, no, really. what am I actually going to do? the long answer:

let me start by answering the question with another question… what is it that I can’t do? seriously. I have two whole years where I can choose to spend my time however I like. two whole years to accomplish anything. I could write a book. start a business. complete a happiness project. build a kickass photography portfolio. bake 10 million cake pops. run a marathon on the Great Wall of China… the possibilities are literally endless.

I might not accomplish all [or any] of those things, but I have the opportunity to try them. or anything else I want. how incredible, how fantastic, how completely awesome that I have the chance to do this with my life.

[cue the fireworks and dancing unicorns]

and it might turn out that life in Taiwan may not be all pyrotechnics and musical numbers. it might just be little things like running through the park. reading. walking to the farmer’s market. meditation. learning to surf. skype dates. keeping a clean house. photography. cooking. learning Mandarin. biking to the mountains. daily journaling. planting a balcony garden. traveling. crafting. blogging to you lovely people… and that’s ok too. in fact, that all sounds pretty awesome.

so what am I going to do in Taiwan? I am going to live each day as it comes. enjoy the moment. try new things. kick the fear of the unknown in the teeth. do what I love. attempt to seize all this possibility and make something of it. and maybe in the process, if I'm lucky enough, I might unearth some deep self-truths about who I am and what I want to do with my life.

but at the very least, I will have an adventure.