As the calming waves tumble just beyond my toes, I sit in silence with my headphones in, listening to my thoughts. There is no need for music or nonsense tonight. No need to listen to the constant negativity pouring out around me. No need for the unappreciative comments while we live lives that we truly should be thankful for. Nothing is perfect to everyone, because nobody has the same definition of perfection. Sometimes people need to stop squinting at the details and lean back to take it all in. To see the beauty in simplicity and differences. To feel the beauty of floating with the current. To stop comparing sea glass to broken bottles and to realize that there is much so more out there, just beyond those tumbling waves.

this past weekend was one of the best in a long time. it reminded me how awesome my friends are, and also how much i am going to miss each and everyone of them while i am halfway around the world. i will still be in touch over emails and letters, but that can never replace sitting, laughing, talking, and sharing a smile from within the same room.

today marks the beginning of the thirty-day countdown until i leave for six-month journey to southeast asia. one month from now, i will be heading towards a new chapter of my life. a chapter that already feels different than any from the past. for some reason, i keep finding myself thinking about the day i return home, rather than the day i leave home.

i can’t pinpoint what it is. maybe i am afraid of losing what i am leaving behind and coming home to changes i will not be ready for. the future always seems to scare me, even when i am told not to think too deeply into things. maybe it is just too hard for me to understand that certain things are uncontrollable, and should be left untouched.

i made photographs of these weekend memories to bring along with me. wherever i am in the world, i know i will be able to find some peace, looking at the funny faces, the comfy futon, and the delicious food that made this past weekend so wonderful. luckily for me, these photographs are untouchable.

i was trying to figure out my life the other day, and i stumbled upon the website idealist.org. it is pretty awesome. i typed in photography and found all sorts of jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities. one of the volunteer opportunities that caught my eye was a position as a photography teacher in uganda. i emailed the organization to get some more information and they sent me a volunteer packet that broke everything down. basically, a volunteer must go at least 2 week and cannot stay longer than 6 months. they are looking for someone that can teach photography to children with a fun curriculum.

i want to do this.  that is all.