A mini reflection of my adventure...no climbing talk in this one.

I began to read a new book (my friend Rhea sent me off with several) the title is Rowboat in a Hurricane, I'm so hooked and almost finished. I never read books this fast, but love reading about peoples adventures. This woman decides she wants to row across the Atlantic Ocean. She is an average person, not a professional athlete or even a rower.  Her journey is pretty inspiring and I can relate to many ideas and feelings she expresses. One of my favorite quotes is when she is pondering if she made the right choice leaving her career and life as she is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, her partner/ fiance says "It's too easy to allow external pressures to dictate what we strive for, and not what really makes us happy." My adventure has shown that statement to be true in so many ways, while leading me to understand what I need to be happy.  

My happiness depends very little on monetary means and societal norms, and very much on the quality of landscape and proximity to adventure. I need change in my life, although being settled in an area is an ultimate goal for me, I need to allow myself to make changes big or small, frequently in my life.

Being back in Bishop is so comforting. It is a unique feeling to be this at ease. Every morning I wake to amazing views. The landscape here is inspiring and calming. The rising sun brings incredible lighting. The natural beauty is at times over whelming in a wonderful way. 

I feel these days I smile more than ever before. Those minimal moments where I start to have negative feelings or thoughts are so easy to address. I am able to change my mindset and view even negative moments in more positive ways allowing more growth to come from them. I have learned how I want to react to many different situations and am still learning of course.  

I am not at the end of my adventure, but nearing it. I have committed to a job, which will begin in May. Granted this job will be a very easy way to step back into the working world, but it is still a commitment. From there I will have some decisions to make. These are decisions I continuously push out of my mind as I tell myself I still have far to much time to begin to worry about "real world"choices.  As I reflect on the emotions rising to the surface every time my mind contemplates these questions, I realize this adventure has instilled confidence I thought I always had, and now realize I have only just discovered. I plan to look at handling those questions spinning in my head as an adventure of their own and look forward to what I will learn next.