Parting from this island has always been bittersweet, but there was something else that made it feel like a goodbye.
Parting from this island has always been bittersweet, but there was something else that made it feel like a goodbye.
These past few weeks, I've been a riot of emotions because I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. I felt muddled, unsure if my judgment was clouded, but I was sure some quiet time would help give some clarity. As with so many of my recent trips, this one happened with not much planning; a friend decided on a place and offered to provide transportation the night before, so I agreed. It was a treat for me to sit back and relax as I'm usually the one left with having to find all the details and rally people t[...]
I read somewhere that "a journey is best measured in friends rather than miles" (Tim Cahill), and it's so true for me. I've traveled quite a lot since high school, for various reasons, but mostly as a cultural ambassador of music. As such, I had the opportunity of meeting people from all over the world at competitions, festivals, and concert tours; there is absolutely no greater souvenir from those trips than all the people that I've met and kept in touch with. Somehow, it has made the world feel both bigger and sm[...]