Long time, No blog

"The Journey is the Destination."

This is a quote from the journals of Dan Eldon, a photo-journalist with a fascination for capturing humanity, specifically in Africa during a time of tumultuous politics and civil unrest. He had a desire to learn about the world and a desire to change things, and at the young age of 22 his quest was ended prematurely when he was stoned to death by an angry mob in Somalia. Despite his tragic death, Dan left a legacy through his journals; a legacy that will continue to affect lives, inspire change, and bring hope. Dan's journals are the inspiration for the spring line of TOMS, which is why I've been thinking a lot about him lately. And his motto: The Journey is the Destination.

This reminds me a lot of a blog post I was writing one year ago while traveling out to California on the journey of a lifetime. I was referring to the cross-country journey I was experiencing with my dad. Little did I know- my journey was so much bigger than the 3,000 mile roadtrip I took last January.

There are many journeys one takes in a lifetime. Whether it's a journey lasting a few hours, weeks, months, or even years, we are constantly faced with decisions. Right or Left. Yes or No. To get out of bed, or not. I wish these were the only decisions I've been faced with. But there are decisions much harder and much scarier than deciding if you will turn right or left. There are certain fears one has in life that are unimaginable. And then, in the blink of an eye, or the ring of a phone, the un-imaginable becomes the must-imaginable. And the journey takes a course so scary and so painful that you can't prepare yourself for, one that no seatbelt can protect you from. And even when you think that the hardest decisions are in front of you, there are only a few that really matter. You must decide to believe in hope. You must have faith. And you must trust in the journey.

I have this quote posted on my Facebook profile, and just recently saw it again. I actually forgot it was there. And now I can't get it out of my head:

Life is a series of experiences,
each one of which makes us bigger,
even though it is hard to realize this.
For the world was built to develop
character, and we must learn that
the setbacks and griefs which we endure
help us in our marching onward.
-Henry Ford

For me, February is the hardest month of the year. It is for many people back home, because we are reminded of how fast so many of our worlds can be turned upside down. It will mark the third year that has passed since our friends were taken from us. We'll never forget, but we must march onward. We must trust in our journey and we must have faith in the road ahead.

To learn more about the incredible life of Dan Eldon, go here: http://www.daneldon.org/site/