As I looked at my calendar, I realized something. It's been a year since graduation. When I realized it, I just thought to myself, "Has it only been a year?" Wow. I mean, there was the support raising for Japan, the speaking, the car accident, the saying goodbyes. And that was before I came to Japan. And yet, when I think about it, at least recently, a year is a lot of time. Four years and college was done. Four years and high school was done. And within each of those four years, I've seen and experienced so much... and yet, I know that there's still so much to see and experience. Within each of those four years, I've changed so much. And now, having started a new chapter, I can't help but wonder about the experiences to come. A year into this new phase, and now I wonder, "Have I changed since graduation?" And if so, "How?" I guess I'm feeling a bit of a combination of nostalgia and reflection. Just one of those points in time where all you find yourself saying is, "Hmmmm."
In somewhat related "news," recently I've been seriously wondering whether I should stay an additional year here in Japan. The associate program for LIFE Ministries has a maximum term of three years. I committed to two. Right now, I'm in month number 9. So, I have a little over a year left as of now. It's weird. I mean, before, sure, I didn't know what was coming next, but I knew when the present chapter was going to end. Like, the transition out of high school. I didn't know where I was gonna go, but I knew exactly when I was going to graduate. College was pretty much the same. There was a definite end time. That's just not the case this time. Do I feel like I need a definite end time? No. I guess I'm just realizing what the situation is like. As I try to recall similar instances to help me know how to react to the circumstances, I find myself realizing that I don't have any similar circumstances to draw from.