Crosby Stills & Nash (click me)

"When you see the Southern Cross For the first time
You understand now why you came this way'
Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small.
But it's as big as the promise
The promise of a comin' day."
-Crosby Stills & Nash

A wise and trusted friend told me today that we have a small window in our lives to love and be loved. If that is true, then I got a lot of love to give, and a lot of love to give right now. The Southern Cross is a constellation in the southern hemisphere that has widely been attributed to being the big dipper's opposite. I shall lay eyes upon it for the first time in my life tomorrow. It's technical name is "Crux"and for centuries it was pivotal in navigating the open waters of Oceania.

The dictionary defines the word "Crux" as a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point and I couldn't think of a better symbol for my journey. (Thank you sis). We all travel for our own reasons. Some are obvious and some are not and I wont begin to bore you with them. But I will say this.

I once wrote that backpacking/traveling was like playing on the teeter-taughter at the school playground. But instead of balancing between the sand and the sky-you are balancing between what is controlled by fate and what is controlled by you. Where you go is determined by you. Who you meet and how the journey effects you is determined by fate. A good traveler has found the right balance and weight distribution so that neither side of that teeter-taughter touches the sand or sky. Its the perfect combination of knowing when to let go and when to control. Its a skill learned only through the most tedious of practice. Everyday life beats away at that skill and over time you forget, and its time to learn to play again.

But this time, I invite you to come with me. A playground is no fun when you are the only one using it. I promise to be truthful and write when I can. But mostly keep in mind that this is an experiment and I may not be in front of a computer regularly. Chime in when you can, I promise to be here in some way or another.

I don't know where the Southern Cross will lead me (that's the fun of it), but I do know that I have wonderful people to come back to when I do. My mom always says that I am a lucky person, and the fact that I have all of you to lean on is proof of that. So here's to the pivotal points in our lives and everything in between. Welcome to my world and see you in 2009!