Musings on Life

I could give you a number of reasons why I haven't blogged in a long time. But really, they're all just poor excuses. This blog was meant to be about all the wonders and marvels I experienced while living in Korea. However, I'm starting to realize that blogging about only that topic might be tough for me to do. I've never had a personality that allows me to keep focus. I've always been a person that loves adventure and doing new things. Putting my thoughts to words is only really natural when I can change the subject according to my feelings. So, I've decided to change this blog slightly, decided on a new path for it. This blog is going to to try to become a walk through my life. It won't always be about where I am, but more the musings I have in my life. Don't worry though, I'll still be updating you on the happenings in Korea. But I'm hoping this gives me more reason to write more frequently.

I don't know if it's Korea that's changed me, or just the fact that I'm becoming older, but I'm becoming a bit more thoughtful and dare I say, wise. I'm still fun-loving and goofy, but I've come to realize more and more things. People always say many things can happen and your plans can change at any moment and I think they might be on to something. As I said, I've always had many interests, many things I want to do at any given time, but many times, my general goals are fairly constant. So, I'm going to talk about one of the goals today.

For as long  as I can remember I've wanted to perform in an orchestra. I used to play the trombone in band, but I started to hate the instrument, so I stopped playing as soon as I finished high school. I still kept the dream though, and one day wished I could play the violin in an orchestra. I thought the dream was dead, that is until one day I made the decision to learn the violin. I signed up for lessons and rented a violin. I can't remember why I suddenly made the decision, but still I thought it would be a long time, if ever, until I would play in an orchestra. But then a strange event occurred, one that I had not foreseen in the slightest. It turned out my grandfather had a violin and had been learning it when he passed away. So I was given the violin, and it sits here with me in Korea, as I had no plans to abandon it, even after I stopped taking lessons and moved to Korea.

Then came another strange set of events that lead me to where I am now. One of the teachers at my school plays violin in an orchestra, and offered to take me along to one of the practices. Since that first practice, I've signed up for the orchestra and play violin there. It's truly a situation I never imagined I would be in, especially in a country where I still don't speak the language too well and am still unable to play the violin that well either. But all the orchestra members haven taken me under their wing, and I'm having a wonderful time.

So I guess I need to revisit my earlier statement, the one about your plans changing at any moment. It is true that this occurs, but even with such chaos, it's possible to keep some order in our life; that is, our dreams and our goals. Your dreams and goals are the only constant in this chaotic, ever-changing world, funny as that may be. They are truly one of the few things you have under your control. However, even though we wish for them, often we choose to judge them as impossible or out of our reach. Even though we're brought up being told to follow our dreams, we can so quickly throw them aside in favour of something easier. We pretend that people who achieved their dreams are different than us, that because of circumstances out of our control, they can achieve their dreams and we can't.

During my life, I've come to realize the opposite. Once you make that one decision, to follow your dream, pursue your dream, or even put that first foot forward, you put into motion your dream becoming reality. I made those first steps, with choosing to come to Korea and with learning to play the violin. And look at where that's got me. If I can paraphrase the words of my favourite author, Paulo Coelho, once you take that first step, the whole universe conspires to make you dream come true. And from what I can tell, that much is true. So dream lots, dream big, and don't be afraid to take that first step.

Well, that came out much more like an inspirational speech than I had intended. Next time, I'll write about something a bit more humourous. That's all for now!