Out of the Box

"Out of the Box... OUT of the box!"

Do you remember this TV show which was on Disney at about the 10 o clock hour during the weekdays in 1998? It was a bunch of kids and two grown-ups, Viv and Tony, who built a GIANT playhouse out of boxes and sang songs, played games, did crafts and all sorts of stuff which was easy to do at home. (Their crafts, most times, would end up being their puppets for the puppet show at the end.) As much as the show was called "Out of the Box," they were most certainly inside the giant box of a playhouse. So where did the title come from? Oh right, what they were taking from the playhouse, OUT of the box. ("take one box, put it with another, lets find one thats long and wideee-out of the box, out of the box!" -- theme song quote!)

Anyway, not the point. So, I'm excited. First of all, today has been a great day. But more importantly, about today, there was an international education fair at school and I got information on going to New Zealand. I'm planning for the spring of 2009 and through one university in Chirstchurch, I can study, history, theology/religion, and peace/conflict studies (all which integrate into my majors/minor as well). Plus they speak english there, it's warm (at least warmer than here!) and it's beauty is beyond words to describe (or so I've heard). (Sorry, there are a lot of parenthesis around here...)

However, I'm in conflict. I have never been away from my family with limited access to their voices or faces for more than two weeks at a time anywhere farther than Pittsburgh, PA. At least, not that I recall. I'm not sure, but that was hard at first. However, that was in high school. By that time, I will be 5/8ths done with college and will have had more experience away from home. I think as long as I'm being productive, making friends and doing stuff I love, I will be fine.

This is not a post for me to just worry and explain feelings, by any means, but an opportunity, rather, for me to talk about stepping out of the box. Getting out of your comfort zone. Jumping away from the norm. Moving away from home base.

This is unusual for me. Yes, I'm a liberal. Yes, I like change. Yes, I like exploring and traveling. YES I'm excited to go! BUT it will be a change. Five months in a country I've never been to before, with people I don't know, and a culture unlike my own. It sounds more exciting right now than anything. but the fact that I will be there for such a long time scares me. i know it's a great experience and even better opportunity. but it scares the shit out of me. I like planning and knowing whats going to happen. This will be a great chance to branch from that.

Wow, this isnt turning out how I wanted...

well, here's the moral of the story.

Branch out. Take a leap of faith. It will be awesome and you'll be happy you did it because when you ever get an experience like it again??