Hi there :)

As much as I had a general idea of what I wanted to do with this blog, naming it was so much harder than I thought. To give something a title, as I’ve learned in a playwriting class last semester, is to give it a certain dignity and purpose. It has been given a “proper name,” so to speak, a way by which it will be associated and referred to perhaps for all eternity. 

So I pondered long and hard about what to call this blog, which would give a weekly (more or less) insight into my experiences and thoughts while abroad. I even considered my star sign—Sagittarius, apparently a Fire Sign. I’m by no means knowledgeable about or into astrology, but some friends at school (you know who you are) educated me on its multifaceted merits and revealed some disturbingly accurate things about me. One characteristic of a Sagittarius that I continually noted when (casually) reading horoscope after horoscope was an apparent love of travel; in more artistic terms, we are what you'd call “restless spirits.” Now I don’t know if that’s entirely true—I’m a huugeee fan of sitting at home doing nothing—but there’s still that unmistakable thrill of stepping out of the airport and into the sights, sounds and smells of a foreign place, a thrill I’m sure many people (even a Capricorn!) have felt, and a thrill I certainly did when I landed in London over a week ago. Sometimes it's not until you're in the thick of it, on a busy street in the middle of a crowd, when you realize how alive this world is.

But long story short, there didn’t seem to be a name that I felt fit my personality and taste. A title that was centered around something I myself wasn’t passionate about seemed misleading. More importantly, I wanted to title it something that would reflect the overall experience of living your life, trying something new—whether that means studying abroad, or another bold venture of your choosing. Do you see where I’m going with this?

I can’t remember the first time I read Dylan Thomas’ “Do not go gentle into that good night,” but I do remember reading it over and over again. Like anyone else who has a favorite poem, I felt like it was trying to say something to me. Granted, the poem as a whole is an ode to the poet’s dying father (f a c t s), but it also encourages one to live a full, well-lived life, to resist the urge to go quietly. It is a challenge to live a life so full, with eyes that “blaze like meteors” and words that fork lightning, that death itself is a final, triumphant exit from a world they made their own. Or at least that’s how I interpret it—inquire if overcome with an urge to share other perspectives.

When I thought about it, I realized that is the kind of life I would like to live: one with a ~healthy~ amount of fear, but a limitless reserve of inner strength. If there are highs, they will humble and remind me of the hard work needed to achieve them. If there are challenges, they will make me better and wiser. In other words, I plan to “not go gentle into that good night.” Will I succeed? Ideally. Hopefully. Now that I’ve given my intention a title, it’s got that certain dignity and purpose to it, doesn’t it?

#donotgogentle #postone #amidoingitright