I sat down and tried to write this post about five times. Every single time I got sidetracked by something else I need to do before I leave on Saturday. Listing one single thing I’m doing to prepare right now feels as futile as listing 30.

It’s getting my other work in order before I leave, it’s researching agencies and coming up with good questions, it’s making last minute edits to my portfolio, it’s sitting bolt upright in bed at 3 a.m. wondering if I’ve forgotten something important. (Maybe that last one is just a me thing) I need to clear everything out before I leave so that I can be more focused than ever on the actual trip.

In the whirlwind of trying to make sure I’m ready to go, I haven’t had much time to let the future feel real. Sure, I know what I’m going to do and what I want to see, but I don’t think I’m going to know what I was looking for on this trip until after I get back. Sometimes you just need to have all the data in front of you before you can figure out what you were looking for.

For me, this is an exercise in embracing the chaos without trying to anticipate the future. Whatever’s going to happen is going to happen, but you can only learn from it if you’re ready to accept it. This isn’t me trying to offer any wisdom, it’s more like a note to self.

Still, I’m beyond excited to be where I am and even more excited to see where we’re going.  

- Jordan Blackburn 5/2/18