Learning to Let Go

This past fall I took Drawing I with Julie Jacobson and while I had some improvement to my artistic skills the greatest lesson I learned was “everything’s a matter of perspective.” One of my favorite parts about traveling for an extended period of time is the ability to reflect back on my everyday life from a different view and see things I wouldn’t necessarily see if I were in the thick of it all. As many of you may know, the number one goal I have been chasing since about the age of 12 is to fall in love, get married, and have a family. Since coming to Tunisia one of the things that has continued to make its way into my endless stream of thoughts is the topic of love. For those of you that know me, you know I have a number of quotes I live my life by. One of the doctrines that I believe has truly brought much of the success I have been afforded over the years is the quote “Plan your work and work your plan.” Despite being able to apply this rule to many of the other ambitions I have entertained over the years, I have come to realize that this method maybe null and void when dealing with love. Being the semi controlling person that I am, It is a little unsettling to come to terms with the fact that I can’t plan love and that it may be my lot that the grand image that I had for my life may never be..... Regardless I realize that while love may be out of my control, maybe it’s for the best. As I sit here writing, the question “ How can one plan love?” comes to mind. I realize that true love can’t be forced. With that said I guess I must unclench the plank of control I’ve been holding on to and allow myself to fall into the sea of vulnerability. For someone like me who is always scheming and planning, it’s easier said than done but today I have decided, I’m learning to let go.