788836_wild_river.jpgHave you ever gotten a very powerful feeling that you’re about to enter a new phase in your life?  That you’re standing on the edge of an unexplored and unfamiliar territory (at least to you), and you know that the only way to go is head-first into it?  It’s kind of like the slow-climb up the first hill of a rollercoaster–you’re scared, excited, but most of all, waiting.

Last night that feeling hit me like a subway car.  Gretchen and I were out on the North Shore taking a stroll up and down the river, and I caught a glimpse of a perfect scene–the sun was setting, the river was glittering, and the buildings downtown oozed grandeur.  We both sat on a bench and stared for a while, silently.

It wasn’t the first time I felt like that.  The night before my last day of high school definitely qualifies, and I think I remember regularly feeling that way at the end of every summer vacation.  This time’s different, though.  I knew what was coming all of those other times; I had already been accepted to college, and I knew school would start again after vacation.  This time I don’t really know…as we were sitting on the bench, I let out an unconscious shiver, and Gretchen put her arm around my shoulder.

I do have one comforting thought, though–there are a lot of options out there.  It might take me a couple tries to find what I realy want to do, but that’s life.  I know I want to do something good for people and the world…the trick is just translating that into a paid profession!