A revelation, an epiphany; if you will

I do believe I had an epiphany today, although I didn't realize that I was having it, until I was writing it down in words (we all know I work better in writing)- but I do believe it was only sooner or later until I had this one...but we'll get to that in a few.

First I went to spinning tonight with my host mom,
so you climb a mountain one day, and go to spinning the next,
and the day after that you go running along the Vltava River- which is what I plan on doing tomorrow afternoon.
This doesn't sound much like me huh? SO very very active... you are probably asking yourself, "Who is this girl?"

And well, I'm still me, but here is the thing. At home I was consumed with school, and it left me a big massive stressed out basket case. But here, school is less than consuming and I have time to put energy towards the things I never let myself have time for- and I'm enjoying them all very much.

It's great the things you start to enjoy when you have enough time. This for me, I believe, is a new way of life. When I get home I will keep it up- get mine and my moms ass out of bed and off to the 5 a.m. spinning class. I don't care if I have to set 10 alarms- various places around the house, because by the time I turn them all off I'll be awake, and might as well go to the gym, right? What else am I going to do at 4:30 a.m?

Not only will I do this to stay physically fit, but also mentally, It will be a good release for me. I am not going to allow myself to become all depressed when I get home and eat my way back to fatness, ummm Yeah....No. I don't think so.

This whole year is about discovering a new place, a new culture, new people. It is about leaning a new language, figuring out who I am, improving myself mentally and physically; from the inside out. It is a year in a sense to relax, breathe, and get a chance to take in this world that is around me. A year for me to observe and take note of the smallest of things, giving like I do- and realizing where this life is going to take me.

And here is my Epiphany...

I think it should be a requirement for every high school student to spend a year abroad in order to graduate. I think everyone should have the opportuninty to gain a new perspective and grow through experience. I think the youth of our country would come back more cultured; worldly even. Our society would consist of people that could see outside of the box, that were aware of the existence of the world.

So our school system requires that you take P.E. in order to graduate, yet they have no concern about students who have never been out of the country, let alone their own state. Those people do exist. And they go out into our society with their tunnel vision perspectives firmly in place- Oh, but don't worry- they took P.E.
And where will that get them in life? Where?

And these are the times when people who have lived a good portion of life- put absurd standards in place. Perhaps, the people setting these standards are the one's that never left the country, but took P.E.
I suppose this could be accurate, although I truly hope it's not.

So go out and discover the world,
there will never be a "right" time to do so
it's one of those things you do without looking before you leap,
one of those crazy spur of the moment things- that changes you forever
and leaves you with something you wouldn't have gained otherwise.
Select a random location on a map---and make it a goal to go there one day and discover just what that place is all about...
you won't be sorry you did.
And if you are- then the problem lies with you- not with the place.
Live---my friends, that's what this life thing is all about.