On Monday, Minneapolis had its first snowfall.
Autumn is unofficially over, and today I opted to make the best of it. In the morning, I photographed Lake of the Isles. Then I bought a bottle of Bailey’s, came home, and began writing. “It’s going to be OK,” I repeated aloud, whenever my thoughts turned to the weather.
In truth, I’ve been preparing for winter since early September.
My preparation has consisted of using a light box, getting acupuncture, and ingesting copious amounts of Vitamins B and D.
These little things seem to be having an effect. With the exception of one bad week, I’ve been in excellent spirits. And, inexplicably, I’ve also started “nesting.” I ordered pictures to hang on my walls. And, a black leather couch that pulls out into a queen-sized bed (to replace the faded brown specimen that I’ve owned since 2006). I’ve also been in search of a new floor lamp and a rug for my living room. And possibly a better comforter.
***
After living away for 12 years, I spent my first 17 months in Minnesota exploring my neighborhood (and Minneapolis at large). I’ve now got a slew of “favorites,” including a favorite coffee shop, donut shop, French restaurant, and lake.
But I haven’t been able to “nest.” In fact, I’ve struggled to put a single picture on my walls.
Psychologically, I identify putting up pictures as a declaration. You’re saying to the world: “This is where I live. This is my home.” And, until now, I simply wasn’t able to identify Minneapolis in this way. But now the pictures are on their way to me in the mail.
Ironically, I’ve begun “nesting” even as I continue to save for more international travel. In November, I reached the $6,000 mark, which is 1/3 of my savings goal. If all goes as planned, I will have enough money to take a 10 to 12-month backpacking trip within 24 months.
Unlike my 2011 backpacking trip, I hope to use this trip for more than just leisure and blogging. I intend to spend the time visiting slums, refugee camps, and nonprofits. I will conduct hundreds of interviews with people and I hope to turn my experiences into a book.
The experience of simultaneously saving for a trip and putting pictures on my walls has taught me that I’m capable of declaring a place as “home” (and truly embracing that “home” in the here and now) even if I’m not 100% sure I will live there in the future. I’ve also learned to be flexible. I continue to save for travel without holding myself to the rigid expectation that it will happen in exactly 24 months time.
As winter begins, I remind myself that the greatest adventures I’ve had in my lifetime have come about through a combination of planning and being open to the future and the many (unexpected) opportunities that are capable of transpiring within it.