Worth It?

I’m back where it all began. The nation's capital... the pulse and vibe of the city, it's sprawling lawns and majestic monuments, the daily rhythm of business suits and laptops, Starbucks coffee and uniquely flavored martinis after work, amongst snippets of political banter every which direction, just as I remember it. I am back! ...in front of a computer screen.

The year I’ve left behind —the experiences, at times thrilling, then disheartening, on occasion breathtaking, and sometimes lonely— slowly recedes into memory as my days settle into a once-familiar pattern of predictability.

A year has passed since I set off in search of adventure, meaning, a break in the traditional cycle of an average life. And while I've been gone, DC has remained mostly unchanged in my absence (though we'll see what the next election brings *"Politically Polarized Partying" Article*).

As I transition into a more settled state, I am given the opportunity to reflect on what I've gained in the past year. and, well...between a stolen passport, a lost camera and a diminished savings account, my only solid, clear-cut gain has been.... weight.

Worth it? I think so...For the life of me, I wouldn't give up the past year of Chilean Empanadas from a local bakery in Barrio Brazil while hung over from too many Piscolitas, Centolla (Patagonian king crab) on my 25th birthday caught fresh from the Strait of Magellan, lips stained maroon drinking glasses of Argentine Malbec at a Tango show in San Telmo, Peruvian fresh tropical fruit smoothies slurped down at a dizzying altitude of 4200 meters, Artesanal Spanish cheeses in the central plaza of Madrid, Moroccan Tagines served in the sweltering heat of a maze-like city and so much more.

Yes, it's been worth every pound, every penny, every overnight bus ride and uncomfortable red-eye flight... even my beloved passport and camera.

And while I don't have all the answers (and probably never will), I'm back to the "same old shit" with a new perspective.

Life is what you make of it.