This past Saturday was my birthday. I turned 26. I had read about a craft beer party that a beer import company, Beervana, was having in a city not too far from my village, Khon Kaen. So that is what I did; I went and drank delicious Oregon craft beer, ate pizza, drank beer from a brewery in Khon Kaen, and ate bruschetta and potato salad in dill sauce. I stayed at a hotel and took a shower with hot water. It was a good birthday.
I suppose I’m in the middle of a so-called quarter-life crisis. I joined the Peace Corps, arguably, to buy some time before committing to a career. My future plans only consist of where I want to travel. I have vague notions of pursuing my dream job, but also of going to graduate school, but again also of teaching English again in a different country, but then again of going back to Portland and I don’t know, but then again of going back to Detroit and getting a loft and starting a magazine. It’s fine. Really. I still have another 14 months here in Thailand. I’ll just put that off.
But then again, this marker of the passage of time combined with all the time that I have on my hands here ends up with me thinking about what my legacy is so far. It’s not too shabby. But it’s not all that I want my life to have been. So I’m taking this opportunity to celebrate the life that I have lived, which includes multi-continent travel, appreciation of nature, evolution of liberation beliefs, empowering of young minds and always striving for more. I’m also taking this time to make note of what’s left for me to do. I’m not entirely sure of what that all is, but I have a vague idea. Perhaps you have a suggestion?