Never Gone Longer
I love this Walter Mitty quote for two reasons. One reason is because "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" has become one of my favorite films the more I watch it. I love how it gives me the ability to lose myself in the story, whisking me away in the dream world of spontaneous adventure. As I traveled myself, I unknowingly learned similar words to be mantra. Somehow I recently remembered this quote and upon finding it I realized how perfectly it has described my life recently.
In September, I packed my bags to leave for a month, but I stayed for three. I've never been away from home longer than I have now. I’m feeling myself grow immensely because I have let go of so much of what I thought equaled happiness. I am pushing past my learned ways of order so that I can be so much more of who I know I am. Letting go has given me so much freedom. In turn life has proven to be rich in experiences and human connection, and I have proven to be brave, confident, and less afraid of change.
Though I haven't found the right way to fully describe our experiences here, I'm exploring how I might. For now, I'd like to post the pictures we're taking to document it. We've been here working at Oki Doki City Hostel for a month now, and we've met such a wide range of people. Perry and I work as the event coordinators so each night we have the chance to bring people together through different experiences. Some, we only see for a day or two and others stay for a week, but all make characteristic impressions on us. There is a uniqueness in this hostel compared to all the others we've stayed in, because almost all the staff here are locals so there is a definitive culture that we are immersed in, and it has opened our world up. We've seen this city as a culmination of the people that pass through, and those who stick around. It characterized our experience in a way that became addicting, unique, and priceless. Living, working, and socializing in the same place has been one of the most precious and bizarre growing experiences for me to date, and it is because of the people who color it.
Take a look at some of the reasons I'm falling in love with Warsaw:
