Halfway point: how is your journey?
Initially I asked myself how my journey is progressing - as in, how far have I come?
I worriedly talked to friends about falling behind on this imaginary progress bar. Then I was reminded: this is definitely one of those journey things. You said it yourself, it's not just about reaching that goal. (Thanks, Marita!)
Reframing, my question to you, fellow side questers, is: how are you enjoying your quest?
Personally, I love having told people about it, and having people check in, even when I feel guilty for falling behind. (I'm late on these updates, and I haven't signed up for my climbing instructor class yet). These reminders hold me accountable, and have several times prompted myself to reevaluate if I've chosen the correct one (answer is still yes).
For me, what I've enjoyed the most, is talking to new people about side quests. These conversations never fail to take an unexpected direction. Updating this substack has been the hardest, but I'm going to continue trying.
Talking to people about side quests, has exposed peoples passion for completely different side quests than me, challenging my preconceptions of what a side quest is. While some people instantly reply that "I'm doing this thing this year", others has spent an extended period thinking before their reply. However, both has sparked inspiring conversations about life, curiosity and exploration.
I'll spend my summer checking in, and hopefully provide some halfway updates over the coming weeks. I think it's only fair that others get to see the inspirational stories I see.
