"Like Sands Through the Hourglass, so are the Days of our Lives."

Last night, as I had retired to my comfy chair to read the paper, smoking my pipe and wearing my usual evening robe, my wife brings to my attention that she has a little over a week left before she takes off. I sat there, staring at the paper (something about the Queen being caught up in yet another scandal with the Prime Minister) the words became a jumble and for the first time, I think I realized how quickly this is all coming upon me.

Am I excited..? Yes. Am I anxious..? Yes. Am I sad to be leaving..? Of course. Do I still want to go..? More than ever. My wise Grandfather once told me, along with the history of my royal Norwegian heritage (quite a story that must be told in another blog... and something I intend to claim!) that when you leave somewhere "you can never really come home". I realize this and, to an extent it makes me sad. I realize even though I am not here, life here still goes on. Things will change and because of that, you never really can come home. However, I can remember before heading off to Japan the first time I was nervous... for the same reasons. Two years later I got home and things had changed (and the family had miraculously increased by one). Now, five years later here I am married myself. Are things different from how they were before initially leaving for two years? Yes, but they are so much better. Now, looking at the same mentality, am I sad and anxious? Yes. Like in the last example can I assume that in five years, even though things have changed they will be better..? Yes.

Reason I write on this topic is because I want people to know that yes I am excited but, yes too I am nervous. I know in our (my wife and myself) lives this is where we need to be going so, no regrets. I am in for one of the great life adventures! Now how long will we be gone? Like a blind man in a maze, I'll just have to feel my way out of this one. At least 2 years... but, like I've always said Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.

Now that I've cleared my mind, its off to smoke my pipe and catch up on the news.