So as promised, here is my post for the week! It has been a little hectic this past week in Greece, as I have been debating back and forth whether I should go home for Uncle Bob's funeral. I decided against it, figuring that 40 hours at home was not enough for the 31 hour plan ride. I don't know if I will ever know if I made the right decision; I kept feeling guilty last week that I wasn't there supporting my aunt and cousins. Instead, I spent the day going to the dog park and eating Pad Thai, both of which I know Uncle Bob enjoyed and I enjoyed doing with him. It was a nice day, full of few thoughts but enjoyable nonetheless.
Last week, I also purchased two round-trip tickets: one to Naples and one to Prague. I've become concerned that I will not be staying a second year, because four people have reapplied. In addition, after Uncle Bob's death, I've been feeling this need to live this experience to its fullest. So here I am with two trips booked to the last two places outside of Greece I want to go to. I'm excited (surprisingly, worried about the cost) but excited all the same.
While I miss Uncle Bob terribly, he taught me a few invaluable life lessons, one being that we never know when we are going to die or when we will lose the power to do the things we love. He had been so young, so full of life when he died. It felt like I snapped my fingers one day and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Death may just happen unexpectedly so up until that point, I need to be living and loving every minute of my life, just as my uncle had done. He brought so much joy to my life, making my family a family. He invested so much of his heart and soul into creating family traditions and brought as much joy as possible to every occasion. I hope that one day, I will be remembered for having a spirit as joyous as his.
He also taught me how unimportant superficial things, such as clothing, having a grown-up job, or what my hair looks like are and that my focus needs to be on being happy and healthy. Uncle Bob never cared about material possessions; he cared about enjoying life and family. Whenever I lose my focus, I need to remember what is important in life, what he taught me. If I have those two simple things, health and happiness, covered then I know that I am doing exactly what I need to be doing.
So what is what is leading me to think about my next direction after I finish in Greece. Since I am coming to realize that I may not be staying here a second year, I have been looking into other programs aboard for the following year. While staying in Greece is still my top choice, I also have applied to teach in Spain and Thailand and also to the Peace Corps in Thailand. While these options may not be ideal for financial and career reasons, I cannot help but reminder my uncle's life. It was cut short too soon and I don't want to miss out on the opportunities to see and do what I want to do because I think it is the wrong choice financially or career wise.
Maybe I am making the wrong decision, I know most certainly my parents will not agree with my choice. With one brother off to Notre Dame and the other off to Northwestern next year, I can only begin to imagine what they will think about my next journey. But if I can have the opportunity to continue traveling, seeing the world, and doing what I love then I need to go for it. I can worry about the rest later after this aching desire to see more of the world is settled, after I can say that I have accomplished all that I have wanted to accomplish since being gone.
And hopefully, just hopefully, I can return home wanting to start a family and build upon the traditions that my uncle had built for me and our family.