Midnight struck and I found myself seated in the window seat of an Airbus 320 in route to Guatemala City. It was July 15, 2016 and Los Angeles never looked so beautiful. My home for over 21 years was at the grip of my hands and I was about to depart from it all, and explore another part of the world that was so unfamiliar to me.
A part of me was scared shitless considering my flying phobia, the fear of heights and the thought of death. Another part of me was beyond thrilled to return to my motherland -- after neglecting it for over 10 years. And finally, another part of me felt miserable knowing I'd leave certain people behind with the chance of coming back to broken promises, friendships, and hope.
In the back of my mind I knew this departure would do more than wonders for me. It was well needed, considering all the chaos happening in my life at that time. Change had occurred all around me and I needed to get away from it all. It was like a new beginning, kind of -- it was a reset to my alarm clocks. But the fear of missing out on memories (fomo) and the idea of knowing things would be completely different when I came back overcame any type of excitement I had for this 2 week trip.
I left Los Angeles without saying goodbye ...
I left this city with the intentions of coming back a better me. I wanted to come back with a stronger mindset and a mended heart. I wanted to forget everything and anything but a part of me felt like I was running away from my problems, was I?
My mind was racing back and fourth and all I could do was panic and sit still. The airplane began to move and it quickly accelerated at a high velocity. My mind was racing at the same speed. I felt the plane detach from the ground and just like that -- so was I. Here I was -- a thousand + feet off the ground detached from everything that had been holding me down. I was free. I was above the clouds.
I glanced at the window and saw the Los Angeles lights turn into little specks of gold. I looked above and realized I was staring at the moon from such a short distance. I was gone.
What this journey would do at this point was a mystery. What this journey would teach me would be more than I would have ever imagined.
I departed from everything I thought mattered. I departed from the routines, the comfort, and the usual.
