The summer after graduation, I tackled the traditional "backpack Europe on a shoestring" adventure; and when I returned to the States, I had many choices to make. My family lives in Brazil, and since California continues to feel like home, the question remained: where do I live? Returning to Santa Barbara had a strong appeal, but it seemed too... convenient. I roamed the coastline, visiting friends, occasionally applying for jobs, and that's when I stumbled into SLO county. I was immediately drawn to the coastline, full of great waves; and plus, the small-town atmosphere and pristine environment seemed ideal for me right now. I thought, what a perfect place to embrace a lifestyle of simplicity and non-material happiness, in my post-college transition.
I wanted to keep my priorities simple: surf all day, work at night, and pursue all those things I'd left for the "backburner". In college, we have so many ideas, but no time to follow through with them. Finally, the opportunity is here, and though self-discipline is not an easy feat, I'm taking the first baby steps towards those ambitions that have remained dormant: I'm developing my writing skills, in the form of a novel and magazine articles; getting certified in massage therapy, which I'll accomplish by mid-April; and delving into yoga, tai chi, and capoeira. I'm also reading an exorbitant amount, which is a very rewarding process when done for one's personal pleasure and study. It took me a good 5 months, of wandering and rambling, to figure out how to mold my new life; but through luck and perseverance, I feel the puzzle pieces are finally coming together! The last few years at UCSB were one big jumble of "study study... party-eat-sleep... study study...". Now it's all about balance and continuity, a predictable and even mundane routine. How refreshing. It feels like I have breathing space, time to absorb all the stimuli, and look forward to where the surge of creative momentum takes me.
Perhaps the standard path would be to commit to a "serious job" and make lots of money. But for the time being, I'm having a great time serving pizzas and bartending, two evening jobs which keep my days free. I wake up at sunrise, surf or mountain bike in Montana de Oro, enjoying the ocean and rolling hills. I'll work for a few hours (which gives me ready access to good food), then read & write to my heart's content. And to top it off, I have massage school three times a week. As for the future, I'm looking forward to working at an international company starting sometime next year. I'd like to use the skills I learned at school, so I'm continuing to study Chinese and European languages, as well as exploring all kinds of intellectual tangents. This is perhaps the greatest thing about "down time": studying for one's own sake, which, in turn, helps develop personal energy and motivation. I must accept that future obligations may well lead me to a "9 to 5" career job, which is enough to set the heart of any carefree wanderer a-trembling; so how could I entertain that possibility, without first, fully embracing this current ideallic lifestyle? I just hope that I can continue to balance those two sides, being structured yet free form, as time goes by. My fortune was to have left college with such momentum for learning, and a thirst for experience, that I search for novelty and beauty on a daily basis - and for this I can only be thankful to my friends, my professors, and my family.
