A friend asked me not too long ago, “what’s been your favorite trip so far?”
My response was, “It’s always the last one.”
For me, no trip stands on its own because they all build each other up and form one big journey. That’s why the most recent trip always ends up being my favorite. I just returned from China yesterday, and once again it’s probably my favorite trip and I’m blown away once again by what I can learn from traveling.
It was an 11-day trip to two cities, Chengdu and Beijing, which was full of activities, conversations, and lessons. However, one lesson that I want to share in this post is the concept of change.
First of all, some things will never change. I’ve always felt so blessed to have a group of friends that I know will remain a constant in my life, and to be able to go thousands of miles to the other side of the world to see one of “bros” get married was a reminder of that truth.
Be that as it may, change is inevitable. As I left China and separated from the “bros” I realized that some things will never be the same. We are all in different stages of life and who knows when the next time we’ll be able to take a trip like this again: Starting from the small immediate changes like no more breakfast together, no more constant “trolling” on each other (even though plenty of it gets done virtually), no more exploration of a new city; to the more permanent changes such as marriages, children, and etc.
I truly believe that age is just a number, especially since I’m a personal trainer and I try to take care of my body. That belief made me have a skewed view of reality. Seeing my friends take their paths to becoming all grown up have made me realize the actual truth…that I am actually getting older. Older doesn’t just mean my age is going up but I’m actually taking on new chapters of my life story, and THAT is inevitable.
In summary, I guess all I’m trying to say is change can be scary. I’m a very optimistic person who appreciates changes. However, realizing that even the most important parts of my life can change brought out some pessimistic thoughts which then led to fear of the future. All I can do is control what I can control and embrace whatever comes my way. No right or wrong…just accept things as it is.
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