Enjoy the Process

Ok, I need to write in this more, not just once a month. Let me tell you why I started this blog. I don’t intend it to be just a travelogue. I guess I have a lot to say about why I’m doing this, what it really means to do something big that I’ve always dreamed of doing, and whether it all turns out as I imagined.

I had already been thinking about writing a blog, but my friend Mary encouraged me to start. I was having a particularly stressful day at work, just before school got out, and I stopped by her office for some support. She listened to everything I had going on: finishing the school year, getting ready to move, selling the house, etc., and she said, “Lee, you know you really need to write all this down so you remember. This part is important, too. You need to remember how you got to China, not just what happens when you get there.” This reminded me of my dad who more than once has told me to enjoy the process, not just the end result.

So my intent over the next few weeks, while we wait to leave, is to write about the process. Why did we decide to do this? What went into the decision-making? What were the steps? Hopefully someone will find it interesting, helpful, or maybe inspiring in following their own dream.

And many thanks to Mary. She’s currently a little sidetracked from her own dreams, while she recovers from a car accident. But she’s a great friend and mentor to me, and one of the people I turn to when I need a sane word or two to get me back on target. Mary, you are the best and my thoughts are with you.