And so it begins...

Amidst all the festivities and cheer there is a certain amount of subconscious panic that descends as talk of Christmas begins. Why, I wonder? Is it perhaps because Christmas heralds the coming to a close of yet another year? Suddenly it feels as though the months have snuck by us unnoticed. One would even be excused for feeling somewhat cheated at their swift & silent progression. As Christmas decorations begin to appear in the shopping malls and carols are broadcast from their sound systems, I find myself frantically trying to account for the many months that amount to yet another year. What do I have to show for the swift progression of time? And then, inevitably, I give up the search of my memory to begin the search for the perfect Christmas gifts. Distraction replaces distress.

But only for so long. For here I stand, adding yet another Christmas, yet another year, to the annals of my memory. Only a few days remain. Days for contemplation: of what has been and what is yet to come. Another year is in the throes of completion.

I am spending the final week of 2010 in the middle of the African bush; food, drink & game drives aplenty.  Red earth and blue sky: the perfect backdrop for contemplative thought. Yet surprisingly, very little comes to one’s mind when so at peace. One thing I have decided, though. Starting this next year, I will begin to consciously determine my fate. Gone are the days of simply going with the flow, of making the best of bad situations. This next year I plan to grab life by the figurative balls and live it to the fullest. I will decide what it is I want and go for it, guns blazing. No more of this half-assed, scare-to-fail bullshit. Life is indeed too short!

And what better way to begin than by taking hold of the reigns of my life, saddling up this damn horse and heading into the great unknown. To clarify, I am starting this New Year by packing up my life and moving to one of the greatest cities in the world, London. I cannot wait to explore: a new city and myself in it. And better yet, to record my experiences...the good, the bad and the ugly. May it make for great reading!

xoxo

g.a.