Season of Change and Life Plans II

It’s time to turn over a new leaf.

It’s time to take a count of what is right with life and time to fix what isn’t.

As I shed the rough skin of summer, I look for treasures and renewed hope in the colors of fall. I have to take the time out to remember that what seems endless and brutal will give way to something more peaceful and beautiful.

In my short life of 27 years I have learned the values of taking time to reflect, to take a count of my life and review my plans for the future. Am I on track or are there changes I still need to make to eventually reach the highest goals of my life?

Winds are blowing and times are changing. It’s time to buckle up, chin up, and pray hard.

Read Part I here.

As I sit atop my bed I can see the gray skies and slanted raindrops from a band of Hurricane Sandy. It’s still hurricane season here in Florida although we will get nothing more than a few scattered storms over the next few days – we aren’t in the storm’s path. I am on an emotional roller coaster that’s just as stormy and unpredictable as the weather outside.

Last month I found out about the Disney College Internship Program. My life plan at that moment? Alex and I  would both apply, both get accepted, and move to Orlando to open the doors to a world of possibility and magic at Walt Disney World.

Just one problem with that plan: I bailed out before my final phone interview. A number of factors played into my decision, including the need to finally finish college.

Last Thursday we found out that Alex was accepted. I never had any doubts. Our first instinct was to get our own place in Orlando and make ourselves a home. But after a realistic talk with our parents and comparing the cost difference of Alex living in Disney provided housing vs. us paying for all the bells and whistles that come with living in a major city, we are opting out of the decision to set up house together in Orlando. For now.

Alex will be taking a pay cut to do this internship, and there is no guarantee that I would make anymore money with a job transfer to Orlando.

So, he is going and I am staying. January 22nd – August 9th. That looks like an eternity.

One single decision of mine has changed the course of my plans forever. I regret cancelling my interview everyday since. Not because of the separation in the upcoming months, but because of the opportunity I was afraid to take.

We have a new plan, although my heart still hurts and my emotions are still stormy. Frequent visits (he is only an hour away), I am going to install Skype on his laptop if he likes it or not, and August will come with anticipation of a joyous reunion where we can think of our next Life Plan.

In the mean time I can go to bed early a few nights a week, wake up with the sun for early morning workouts, catch up on some reading, and work on becoming a better version of myself. Only then will I be able to reach the highest goals in my life.

… What will seem endless and brutal will give way to something more peaceful and beautiful.