As we move through life, we’re constantly making promises to ourselves, especially in our younger years; some we keep, most we don’t. There’s the typical ones, such as, “lose ten pounds, cut out sweets, go to the gym five times a week, and stop shopping online…” and then there’s the more serious ones like, “if you’re not married or a mother by age thirty-six, you’re quitting your job, selling your belongings, and walking across Liberia, taking photographs and writing stories of those you meet along the way” — yes, that last one was crafted by yours truly at the young age of twenty-six. And no, it wasn’t a joke, even though most seem to think so.
Over the summer, on the heels of turning thirty-three, I contemplated my travel options and decided my next destination would be Sierra Leone and it’s neighbor, Liberia. The trip would serve as a building block — my first step in making that promise a reality, for it appeared that my path had likely been chosen. The problem with Liberia is that information on the current situation is virtually impossible to find from afar. If you want to know, you must go, and that’s precisely what I had planned to do… until fate — or the world wide web — stepped in my way. With credit card in hand, ready to make my reservation, the ticket price suddenly doubled. I tried again, and again, and again, but it kept crawling up. Being the rational person that I am, I couldn’t justify spending $3,600 on airfare, so I watched and waited, but the day never came.
Knowing that I needed to make a decision, I opened Google Maps and simply stared at the screen for a good twenty minutes. I’d zoom in, zoom out, but nothing was catching my eye. And then suddenly, they fell on the maze of dots floating between the Indian and Pacific — some 17,000 mismatched shapes — all unique and completely unfamiliar to me. I paused for a moment and said the name allowed, “Indonesia. I-N-D-O-N-E-S-I-A.” — As if saying it slower would it allow it to stick. And maybe it did the trick, because after ten minutes and a few clicks, it was a done deal. I was headed to Indonesia for the holidays. One thing was certain: my family would not be pleased.
How does that old saying go… it’s easier to ask for forgiveness, than to beg for permission? Let’s hope so.
