A Brief Escapade

i felt as if i just got there, and the next thing i know, i was back at the airport heading home. it was such a short visit, like a butterfly lightly touching the surface of the pond only to fly away instantly without the chance to enjoy the beauty of the pond and its surroundings. i had to move on before i got a good feel of what it's like to live there. that was my greatest regret of that weekend excursion. having said that, i had loads of fun, met some great people and it was a good break from my usual routine. to be clear, the excursion itself wasn't a regret at all. far from it, in fact.

if you ask me why i had chosen to go there if i had known i wasn't able to see much of that place, i'd tell you it wasn't so much of the destination as it was about the necessity to jump off my usual track to get a reality check. a self-evaluation of some sort. it didn't really matter where i went, as long as i went somewhere foreign, somewhere i haven't been before. i needed to get out of my cocoon, and put aside of my perspective of life for a moment to rethink my path, my goal, and where i'm heading. if there was such a thing as a "reset" button, that would be most apt for the situation. at least that was what i had in mind when i decided to make a trip out there. in reality though, i think i've gained more than what i'd bargained for--both the good and bad. for better or worse, i find myself really in need of a reality check - not just career-wise, but also in all other aspects.

every encounter with a different city is a chapter written about me and the place. this chapter started off very briefly, but i'm sure there'll be subsequent episodes in the near future, stories that i'll add to my library of travel notes and threads of memories. i'll be there again, to the windy city of Chicago. :) for now, this trip was quite an adventure, and i have my friend to thank - for the hospitality, the fun and all the awesome people i met through him.

in the future, though, if i ever wanted to go somewhere for a peace of mind, or to get a reality check, i should probably consider a monastery, or somewhere really really quiet and isolated. like maybe, deep in the fishing village somewhere in norway. or some icelandic pasture. :P