"The highs are high and the lows are low"

Normally I prefer not to write so much about my personal emotions and feelings for a few different reasons:

1. I prefer to keep some things private. I don't really want the entire internet knowing all about the way I am feeling as I go through life.

2. I realize it's not that interesting to read just about feelings, because who really cares about my daily emotions?

3. I don't want to accidently offend anyone with my honesty.

4. And again, privacy. I don't want everyone knowing everything. I am not a blogs-ibitionist (I just made that word up, pretty good, huh?)

However, I am going to talk vaguely about emotions for a purpose. The title of this post is in quotes because this is something my dad told me while I was getting ready to leave for Chile. His advice to me was just to ride out the waves and experience life; he told me that I would experience a lot of highs and a lot of lows and that when I looked back at the experience, I probably wouldn't remember anything in between. And boy was he right. The highs are certainly high and and the low points are quite low. Personality wise, I have always been a bit of an emotional roller coaster; those who know me well can attest to this, like the weather, my mood can change quickly and unpredictably. But this statement speaks to more than just changes in my mood. It is more about experiences. I think that anyone who has ever lived somewhere new can relate to this, whether in a different country or not. When you adapting to a new place or a new experience, it isn't easy. The high points are great, and for me quite often. Sometimes it is just something little that I consider to be a "high" such as an enjoyable night spent with new friends or even figuring out how to pay my bills all on my own. And there are the bigger more intense highs, such as breakthrough moments in forming real and meaningful relationships with members of my family and seeing new and beautiful places.

And then there are the lows. Living in a foreign country that is far away from the home I know and from many people I love is full of challenges. Throughout the course of the day I may feel frustrated, lonely, homesick, sad, annoyed that I can't properly communicate my thoughts, and so on. But, throughout that same day, I have moments where everything falls into place or something good happens and I remember how great my life is and how lucky I am to be experiencing this. I am learning a lot. So, Dad, you were right.