on my way again

Exactly two weeks from today, I will finish up my last day of work with Grassroot Soccer Kimberley, pack my bags and hit the road. I cannot even begin to describe how bitter-sweet my impending departure is, nor can I justly extol the incredible people that I have met throughout the past year. But I can say that I am ready and excited to be on my way once again.

The last time I went on my way, I knew right where I was going: Kimberley, South Africa. This time though, I have no idea where I'm heading. That in itself is a little daunting... I have spent the past few months applying to a plethora of jobs and even had some interviews, but thus far, my efforts have done nothing but produce the realization that I am not "experienced" enough for the likes of prospective employers... Major buzz kill. A year ago I could excitedly tell people that I was on my way to South Africa and now all I get to say is that I'm on my way to... my parents house.

But at least I'm still moving. When I created this blog a year ago, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to call it. I like words a lot and I didn't want to settle for a mundane title like "Lauren in Kimberley." The title I finally chose was inspired by Rusted Root's song, Send Me On My Way. I love this song. It's simple, albeit a little confusing, it's got an uplifting beat and I felt that I could really relate to the repetition of "on my way" throughout the song. A year ago I was on my way to what ended up being the greatest adventure of my lifetime. Today I am happy to still be on my way. I don't really care where I end up because as the song (and hopefully my blog) suggest, the best part is the journey. 

And even though I am a little discouraged with the whole joblessness thing, I'm still pretty excited to be on my way. I have no job, no apartment, no steady income and no attachments. The world is my proverbial oyster. I can do just about anything, I guess. I could bike across a continent. I could become an ice-picker in Antartica. I could open my own kota stand in the States. Or I could wrap things up in Kim, road trip through South Africa and go spend a week with my family in Cape Cod. And that last option is exactly what I plan on doing!