“Maybe it won’t work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever!”
Our youngest daughter, now a college senior used to say that she loved going on ‘ventures. These ‘ventures came in the form of digging deep holes at the beach or even in our backyard so she could visit with her cousins in China. Spoiler: she doesn’t have cousins in China! Ha! Ha!
These ‘ventures also included evening drives at Christmas to see the lights while dressed in pajamas. Numerous trips to Walt Disney World and one to Disneyland. And, as she got older trips with her Girl Scout Troop, school friends, color guard, a student exchange program where she went to Japan, and most recently trips with her sorority sisters.
There were fun and exciting aspects of each adventure. And every once in awhile, something unexpected and unplanned that wasn’t as fun. Even with the not-so-fun times, she has not lost her sense of wonder and adventure. As a marine science major, she has even joked about moving to Australia! The thought of her moving that far away only makes our hearts ache. Surely there is plenty of ocean in the U.S. that she could study!
But, what if it doesn’t work out? What if she can’t find a graduate school that fit her needs or offer the program she seeks? What if she ends up without a job or internship? What if she ends up doing something completely different? She will never know unless she tries.
She won’t get into a graduate program if she doesn’t apply to them. She won’t be able to study sharks, her passion, if she doesn’t look for opportunities to study them. She won’t get to live in Australia, Hawaii, or any other coastal community unless she takes steps to get there.
And it’s when we make those plans and take those steps that our real adventure begins. We have to move forward to learn and grow. We have to experience life in order to learn from it. And things we thought we liked and enjoyed could lead to other things we like and enjoy. But, if we never try, we will never know.
So, as our youngest gets ready to embark on her next ‘venture, she will take with her the experience, knowledge, and lessons learned regardless of what works out and what doesn’t.
Enjoy the adventure, sweet girl!
