Passion

Passion is a funny thing. I have those easy to list passions that sounds cliche and overused: a passion for love, travel, food. But when you really think about what it is that we do that makes us happier and more accomplished than the day before, that is what I think a true passion is.  Today, I think I realized what my passion is, I've found the feeling that I will spend the rest of my life chasing. Let's start this story to days ago.

My first day in my new lab at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium the first thing I do is have a meeting with my host advisor and one of his graduate students. Now I do not speak a lick of chinese. Sure I took that language course last week, but basically I learned to count to 10. Now, here sits my advisor telling me I am going to spend the next 7 weeks working with this girl I just met who doesn't speak English. The panic starts to rise to my throat. How am I supposed to communicate with her, much less safely dive with her? And I can see the fear in her eyes too. We spend that afternoon speaking in broken sentences to each other and pointing a lot while we drive around the peninsula scouting dive sites. I was worried, but as we got out of the car and looked at these beautiful scenes, the same peaceful smile found its way upon both of our faces. Who cares if we couldn't speak to each other we would be okay.

The next day we begin to get a little more comfortable, we go on two dives together and she shows me how to order iced black tea from the side of the road stand.

Cut to today. The plan was to snorkel a site outside of the national park and collect lionfish. Unfortunately, the weather conditions kept us out of the water. But, as I rode around the rural areas of Southern Taiwan on the back of her motorcycle I found peace. This is my job and I am happy!

Moral of the story: I have found my passion in being pushed so far out of my comfort zone I find comfort. In letting go of that which holds me back and trusting the path I have come down. It would have been easy to shut down, tell my advisor that I would only dive with Cammie. But now I have this new friend, who I haven't spoken more than 20 complete sentences to. Go out my loved ones and push yourself beyond comfort even if it's something small. Try a new food without asking what is in it. Strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. Take a different way home from work. And maybe, just maybe, you'll find out something about yourself!

Love to all!
-Jules