“Do dumb things, but do them smartly.”*

Flounder. Definition by Merriam-Webster: to struggle to move or obtain footing: thrash about wildly. Before I left, I planned every minute detail I could think of in an effort to be prepared but more as a futile attempt to find comfort in the fact that I am moving to Viet Nam for a year. Unfortunately, my preparations only did so much; I never achieved the traction or control I sought. These were my feeble attempts to push, pull and otherwise will my universe into the direction of my choosing.

Leap. With a single leap of faith, I embarked on a 35 some hour trip to the other side of the world. When I think about the leap, the jumping motion if you will, there is a moment when I reach the top of the parabola. In that moment of suspension, I cannot will myself in any particular direction. I have relinquished control**. So in this moment of suspension, I found a peace defined by faith in my decisions and acceptance of my situation. So what did I do with this new found peace?

Sleep. I slept on every flight, pretty much through the entire flight. Awesome. Like a small child, I only woke to eat. (I did not sleep on the flight to San Francisco. That was the flight fireman Ryan imparted his words of wisdom to find adventure but to be safe***.)

Arrive. 35 some hours later. I am settling in at the hotel and getting ready for my first day of orientation. Hopefully all goes well! =)

* Words of Wisdom from Firefighter Ryan
** I am aware that this sounds cheesy, but alas, the majority of my extraneous thoughts are cheesy.
***On the two hour flight to San Francisco from Phoenix, Ryan and I exchanged adventure stories including but not limited to: sky diving, snowboarding, water skiing, backpacking, hiking. Ryan’s adventures were less tame often involving things like base jumping and injuring himself.