Originally Posted June 4, 2011

Part 1

A city in season presented itself as a blank slate.  Opportunity for experience awaited upon the forefront of one young man’s summer.  Beginnings of loss were discovered with friends leaving in droves.  Yet those who remained were poised for the creation of memories.  The weather became a reflecting sign of optimism.  Sunshine and warmth were wholeheartedly met with days spent in its brilliance.  Parks dense in beauty were enjoyed thoroughly by friends.  Sudden spontaneity paved the way for a trip to a city of renowned knowledge.  Upon its conclusion, set was one to the task of a search for employment.  Many have faced this daunting task.  None revel in its splendor.  Days became a struggle.  Though vain attempts made such days thrice in length, the weeks quickly passed.  A young man struggled to hold on to his final months, yet holding time was like holding water with an open hand.  This search was taking its toll.  A sense of stillness, of lacking, of loneliness.  Unable, or unwilling, he was simply not brave enough to voice the emotion.  Friends from home visited to allow welcome distractions.  Laughter presently felt, melting away the chill of solitude.  This momentum was aided by the familiar activity of exercise and sport, and rewarded with employ.

In but a few short weeks, a young traveler had become a barista.  Gardens flourishing in lattes, with flowers poured by the dozens.  Emptiness soon filled.  Time became split between the financial necessities of work and the enjoyment of a city proper.  Film festivals, pub nights, bouldering, concerts, cafes, football matches, the Stonehendge, Bath, an attempt to experience a culture in expiring days.  Though satisfaction is difficult to measure, he found himself safely content with time past.  Yet a new enemy had presented itself.  An enemy feared by those who crave the horizon.  This enemy was routine.  A young traveler was yearning to once again literally hold his life on his shoulders.  To pack all but the bare necessities and go and take life.  No longer to wait and hope for her appearance.  He was longing for her; her name was travel.  The sweet silence of no obligation.  For each moment to be unsure of the next.  The anticipation of a moments potential.  That this moment could soon become a memory that will forever be apart of you.  This feeling a reminder that one is still alive, living in the moment. Living.  A simple notion easily and frequently overlooked.  Appreciate the moment, as one may never get it back.

No Regrets.

Pete