The spirit of freedom and enthusiasm upon which we conjured this trip has been reignited on our last evening in Los Angeles as we admired the setting sun while speeding along the open Pacific in a sailboat. I had never sailed before, but once Jason—the seasoned sailor among us—commanded that Gigi and I sit upon the bow as he sped the boat upwind into the bronzing horizon creating arcs of warm California water and rainbow mists splashing in every direction, I discovered a new passion. And in the process rediscovered an old one.

As we drove home from the marina, I sat in the backseat feeling a sudden sense of comfort and confidence. As I expressed a bit in my San Francisco post, the immediate future holds a lot of unanswered questions for me, questions that have been quietly lurking throughout the highs and lows of this journey. While I’ve been out here having a blast, I’ve still been feeling a bit of apprehension about the unknown. Not knowing where I’ll be living, how I’ll be supporting myself, or by what essential core values I want to be driving my life. I find comfort in the ability to accurately describe at last part of my near future, and when there are too many unknowns to do that, the future can become a frightening place.

As we were sailing back into the harbor at dusk on a boat with no lights, we knowingly made the semi-foolish decision to stop off at a marina-side seafood restaurant for a quick bite. By the time our detour was over, it was quite dark and difficult to navigate with confidence around the harbor. As Jason started the outboard motor and ran across the boat to prepare for docking, I controlled the rudder and led us back out into open water. While I should have been somewhat frightened by the darkness, the danger of sailing without lights, and my own naivety and inexperience, I was focused on the task at hand and exhilarated by it. We were clearly at risk of colliding with other boats as our motor stalled and the wind gusts picked up. But we survived and docked the boat beautifully. Once we secured the boat and packed up, I couldn’t help but smile. Sailing was an unknown. The dark harbor was an unknown. But that’s exactly what made it so much fun!

In the backseat of the car I was reminded of a lesson I have learned many times in recent years but find so difficult to follow faithfully: That unknowns are what make life interesting. And that as long as they are approached with the right state of mind, they are the only opportunities to put yourself in a new, potentially better place. I instantly felt a wave of warmth and comfort in the notion that all the unknowns out there, particularly the ones that have been nagging me for the past few weeks, are truthfully just undiscovered better places. If I can simply have faith that I will approach my unknowns with the right attitude and take advantage of the opportunities in front of me, I have nothing to fear. Unknowns present an invitation to adventure, to explore and, ultimately, to improve our lives.

I am no longer frightened but rather thrilled and intrigued by the uncharted islands ahead. Land ho!

Posted on October 8th, 2007 by Derrick
Filed under: Uncategorized