One Week...

In exactly seven days, I will leave behind everything I have ever known to go live in a house with 50 people in San Diego. No, Anna, I did not make it past the initial audition round for The Real World. Instead, my journey with Invisible Children will begin with 49 other people who are equally nervous/terrified/excited to start changing the world. It doesn't seem real that it is almost here. I have been thinking about it and analyzing it for months now, and it's almost here.

A few days ago, the New Year began. 2009 will be fresh and new. A chance to start over. Some people love this idea. Some hate it. I am of the first camp. I don't want to erase the past year. It was a good one, after all. I graduated from college. I worked at a great organization for a few months. I ran a camp with Anna and Chelsea. I went on a random, spur-of-the-moment beach vacation with Ashleigh, Britni, and C Gallowa. I went to Disney World with my best friends. I experienced my closest friend get married on the beach. I got accepted by Invisible Children as a roadie. I turned 23. Yikes!

In 2009, I definitely have some goals and some ideas of how I would like things to go. I want this next five months with IC to be a time of change, openness, honesty with myself, and eye-opening clarity. I would love for this opportunity to make way for another opporunity of world-changing, but also bill-paying employment. I would love if nothing earth-shattering happened at home while I'm gone. You know, no deaths, engagements, or anything major.

But, I know that life, for whatever reason, never does exactly what you wish. Alanis was not kidding when she said it sneaks up on you. Some of the things that happened in 2008 truly came out of nowhere. I was blindsighted. They made me hurt. However, some of the sneakiness was amazing. I didn't expect some of the awesome things that happened. I guess that is what life boils down to. After all your plans and hopes, there are somethings you just can't control. There is death and life. Happiness and heartache. Random beach trips and random hospital trips. All I can really hope for 2009 is to be strong enough and present enough to handle or soak up the bad and the good.

Happy New Year.

With Hope,
Brandon