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"An obstacle may be either a stepping-stone or a stumbling block...Its your choice."~unknown
This past year has been a real transition year for me. It's been a year of great change for both my family and myself. This year saw me make the transition from working part-time to working full-time. Even though I still work from home, the number of clients I'm juggling fills my entire work week. While I have been blessed with lots of opportunities for contract work, the challenge has been to stay balanced with work, family, and other commitments.
This past year also marked the end of my homeschooling journey. This Fall, my eldest will be starting university to pursue a degree in Engineering, and my youngest has decided that he'd like to experience traditional high school. So this August, one son will begin carpooling with his father to the university each day, while my other son boards a school bus. Knowing this homeschooling adventure would soon be over, I spent this past school year teaching one last round of homeschool co-op classes. Even though this meant an incredible amount of additional work, it was totally worth it. It was kind of our homeschool "swan song".
As a coincidence (are there really any?) the last class I taught was a unit study on Israel. I spent four weeks teaching a group of about 25 homeschool teens about my favorite country. I taught them about the geography, history, demographics, economy, biblical sites, and the politics of Israel. To prepare for the class, I spent countless hours doing research on all the topics covered. As a result, I found myself even more intrigued with this tiny little country. The more I discover about Israel, the more I marvel at the country's achievements.
At the conclusion of our class, I decided that one of the reasons I was "called" to teach it was to get me back on the right path. Now that my sons are moving towards their own journeys, I am free to shift the focus to my own goals.
As a result of other events that happened this year, I am more aware of all that needs to get done in the next 500+ days to make this dream a reality. For starters, as a result of the trip I took to Europe last Fall, I now know that it is absolutely imperative that I learn to speak Hebrew. One thing I learned in France is that it's rather frightening not being able to speak the native language. While I was in Paris, a freak accident shut down the entire metro service on the day I was heading to the airport. Not being able to speak French, I was at the mercy of strangers as I tried to figure out a hasty backup plan. Therefore, I feel I must know the rudiments of Hebrew before I get on a plane bound for Israel.
Another thing I learned during my trip to Europe, is that despite preparing a detailed budget in advance, everything ended up costing a whole lot more than I expected. The life of a world traveler is certainly an expensive one. Therefore, to survive 100 days in Israel I'm going to need a lot more money than I first imagined. This is why I am now researching possible sources of funding. I have already begun to look into possible research and/or arts grants. I am also looking into the possibility of having the entire trip funded as part of a book deal. I believe that the funding out there already exists, I just have to find the people that are looking to help me.
Finally, my trip to England and France, provided me with some great learning experiences that helped me decide if I was cut out for world travel. At the beginning of my journey, I did find it a little scary to be a "stranger in a strange land". However, with each new city, town, and country I visited, my confidence began to grow. I learned that to be a savvy traveler you just need to keep your wits about you and stay flexible. Most importantly, you have to find a pace that doesn't wear you out. While you may be tempted to "do it all" you will never have the time, energy, or finances, so you need to have realistic expectations. With that in mind, I will plan my Israel itinerary accordingly.
Now that I'm back on track with my dream (and this blog), it would be wonderful if I could begin making daily posts. However, I think it would be more realistic if I strive for weekly updates instead. The key thing for me right now is being able to maintain balance in my current life, as well as work towards my future goals.
