Moving On, Moving Forward
When I made my first trip back to Canada in 2002, I felt a strange mixture of disappointment and relief. It was a blessed opportunity to see my family and friends but it felt like home was at a stand still - nothing changed since I had left 8 months earlier. My friends were still trying to find their careers and themselves. And because I was so far away, and in such a different environment, I almost expected things to change dramatically in 8 months. But on the same coin, while I was in Japan, I would get sudden feelings of fear, as if my life was passing me by and that I was missing so much back in Toronto.
Now, I'm on my second vacation home, a year and a half later. And things are completely different. Most of my good friends have all started sucessful careers, continued their studies, gotten married, have children. And you know what? I am SO proud and happy for them all. I don't know what I would be doing now if I had decided to stay in Canada instead of moving to Japan, but I no longer have feelings of worry or fear about 'missing something'. Everyone is given a path to follow in life. Some paths are straight and smooth. Some paths are full of stones and sharp turns. The path I have chosen isn't smooth in the least. But I am enjoying every step of the way, and I wouldn't turn back for anything.