The view looks different from here or does it look the same. I can't tell

 My simple life took a drastic turn last year. For the first time in my twenty-nine years of existence, I packed up my life and moved across the country away from my family and friends. As I enjoy my first California winter of mostly clear skies paired with a light jacket, I can't help but think of my winter jacket. I left it back in New York at my parent's home. 

I thought of my winter jacket as I put on my favorite Adidas sweatsuit to go for a hike with a friend from work. I thought about how I would layer up under my winter jacket to travel around NYC in search of adventure. I'd usually wind up at a museum or some cool pop-up show but I usually didn't need to plan it out. And if all failed, I'd resort to watching the Husdon River from Brooklyn Bridge Park or Brookfield Place while thinking about my life. As I searched for experiences and pondered on how I can make enough to survive on my own, I was neither sad nor happy. If I'm being honest I felt, and at times, still feel lost. 

These thoughts were in the back of my mind as I hiked with my friend. The trail we hiked got very intense very quickly. The incline was not a joke. I struggled to balance the conversation we were having with breathing. But the further I walked, I got lost in a series of thoughts, Who even created hikes? Who created this trail? 

That's when it hit me. Creativity is everywhere. No idea is too far-fetched. I mean someone created a path in the middle of the woods for leisure activity. At one point, my friend and I stopped to admire the view. I wanted to cry because I never thought my life would change the way it did. And while I am still struggling to find my place in the world, I realized that maybe, just maybe, what I am looking for doesn't exist. Maybe life is a series of experiences we create. Maybe I just need to continue trusting the path that I am on. This season, I don't have the comfort of my winter jacket. 

The path also made me realize that I never plan out my life. I continually take paths hoping that I will get to a place that I enjoy and if it doesn't work, I know I can take a different path. But this is all speculative and aspirational. But, I hope I never stop taking paths. The experiences, the place, and the view, while it doesn't make me happy or sad, give me perspective and fill me with thoughts and curiosity.



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