Circle of Trust

I thought about having an adventure run this morning where everyone pretty much run wherever they want. But the Site Q may not like that idea… 

I realized in my middle age years that somehow my life has become quite monotonous. I am missing that sense of adventure and excitement I once had as a younger man. We take care of our families and provide for them and our lives have gotten quite systematic and repetitive.

I remember the sense of adventure when I first came to this country.

I was 26 years young when I arrived in the States. That was 33 years ago.

It was February in Chicago. I will find out later that this is what they call dead of winter. Cold. Very cold. All I got on was a t-shirt, A sweater and a nylon jacket with thin lining. I had a suitcase and $20 in my wallet. On that same wallet was a picture of my 9 month old daughter and beautiful young wife.

Lost in the excitement of setting foot in another country was the realization that I am now half a planet away from them, and it’ll be years before I see them again.

There is a certain glorious feel of foreign travel. I understand and talk English but not the way you understand  and speak it.

There was a sense of childlike excitement in a place where I was  ignorant of almost everything. 

I went to McDonald’s for the first time and was amazed at the exquisite menu selection; they have Quarter pounder, Big Mac,  Chicken Nuggets, Cheeseburger and Hamburger. I have never been to McDonald’s so I don’t know what to order. I looked back at my sister and asked what should I order. She said, “just say quarter pounder”. 

The counter girl asked, “with cheese?” 

I said I don’t know, do you have Swiss? She said no, “American cheese” Of course, I thought to myself, you’re in the US, dummy. 

The counter girl asked, “For here?”

I said “No,for me”.

She laughed.

The next few months in Chcago seemed like my whole existence became  a series of interesting guesses as I navigate the North American culture.

Someday I hope to go to another country where I don’t understand  the language and not able to read anything; to only have  the most rudimentary sense of how things work, and feel the ignorant bliss of a five year old again.