last things first

the trip to Peru was amazing (more on that in a bit). what's been on my mind most since i got home is what the experience has left in its wake. it feels elusive and precious and worthy of its own post.

a little context first. i arrange most of my life around what should be done---at work, at home, with friends, with family. during the week i leave myself little personal time outside of work, commute, and social visits. every Saturday morning i pull an envelope out of the recycling bin and make a to-do list that includes every errand and mundane task that i might need to do between social outings that weekend. it's usually enough to fill three or four days. once all the should-dos are taken care of there's little time or energy for what i think of as the could-dos. i rarely pick up my guitar. i'm learning Greek at a snail's pace. i haven't written blog posts i've been composing in my head for a year.

i'm able to break out of this rut sometimes. sometimes it's an obvious break, like taking acting lessons, jumping out of a plane, or hiking to Machu Picchu. sometimes it's something small, like reading a book on the way to work instead of reading my e-mail. strangely, the big breaks are more common for me than the small breaks, probably because they can be scheduled. call it strong obligation inertia. i admire and envy people that seem to easily follow their sense of adventure and creativity.

but in the wake of the trip i feel certain that i could be different. after nine incredible days in Peru and with two more days off, my mind is full of all of the things that i could do with my life, youth, and talents, and the world feels magical with possibilities. truly life-changing events are rare, and often the change that could follow can't happen without conscious effort. this feeling will start to fade when i return to my routine (actually, it started to with the first load of post-trip laundry), but i hope i can make this adventure and the sense of possibility left in its wake change me a little.