"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving."
Terry Pratchett

Sometimes, grasping the bigger picture sounds like a much more manageable task in theory. Day to day, everything moves so slowly. A life of routine forms, sustained through power naps, dictated by essay deadlines and alarm snoozes. Once in a while, passionate things arise, giving us extra energy for the hour, maybe the day. But how is an individual made to sustain that passion?

I thought that moving away would be "it". Surrounded by history, culture, tradition; how could I ever fall victim to "routine"? With almost a month under my belt, I'm still not completely settled, but I think I'm realizing one of the biggest scams of life. As we grow up, we're constantly told that we can be whoever we want; that happiness is always within reach. Yes, this is true. But no one mentions that this quest for passion isn't passive.

Finding a reason to wake up, to be prideful, to be pleasant, is always an active search. As much as this "do what makes you happy" mentality suggests that passion will just present itself to you, it doesn't. I don't believe that individuals who are truly content with their lives are focused on one thing. I think that joy stems from a million different roots and that these reasons are varying in permanence and importance. There is no "Hail Mary" to life; no magic interest that will encompass your entire heart at once. Some days you live for that big presentation at work, some days you live to spend time with your family, and some days you live to just sit on the couch.

I always wondered if I was the only one who was unaware of what their passion really was. Through my travels, the people I've met along the way and a bit of self-discovery, I've realized that I've been searching for the wrong thing. Life is not propelled by a single thing but rather a collection of topics and interests. Each day requires a different mixture of these things to bring inspiration.

So, no, I haven't had a life epiphany of "this is what I want to do for the rest of my life." But I have figured out that I've been searching for a definitive answer to an indefinite question. Cheers to letting go and rolling with the punches.