The wonderful thing about 'ideas' is that they are always coming. Sure, sometimes we may have a lack of idea flow, but there is so much in the world around us to be stimulated by that there are always new ideas coming from somewhere. So, in a world where we could argue that we are in fact over-stimulated, I found some inspiration. I wish I could say that it came from a tree, a gust of wind, or from some deep philosophical thought, but alas I can't claim that. Instead it was a TV commercial that caught my ear while I was at work. (Yes, inspiration came from an advertisement produced by high-technology, and from a medium classically known as the "boob-tube".) It was a commercial for some kind of insurance, but the following words tickled my ears and spawned an idea about this upcoming China adventure...
"When we get to a place where no one knows us, we become most like ourselves"
As soon as this sentence processed I grabbed a marker to write it down right away so I wouldn't forget. Of course there are so many roads of conversation that this sentence could lead to, and to some degree it is a rather sad statement. However, I'm a glass-half-full type of person so I'm going to go with the "Yay China!" route.
Where was this sentence when I was trying to process my experience from last summer?! Being abroad released an inner persona that had been trapped and stifled for so many years. Becoming acquainted with this 'new person' was not something that I expected to do, but I soon fell in love with who that person was. This past year possessed the challenge of keeping that person alive while living in America. This made for some confusing, frustrating, and lonesome times. Originally, only glimpses and snippits of this new person would pop out, but as I continued to process my experience and let it become a part of me, I realized that the person I fell in love with could also live in America too {it just took awhile}.
Now, don't get me wrong. This is a very common process for many individuals who spend time abroad, this is not just applicable to me. Frankly, I was simply astounded that a TV commercial could be so... deep.
-I'm going to a place.
-No one is going to know me.
That being said, I am so very anxious to see how alive I will become and in what ways I will become 'myself'. I should be recieving my placement soon so... you'll be the first to know where I will be spending this upcoming year!
~Sunshine
