change is good, apparently.

And sometimes, understandably so hard, stressful, intimidating, boring, not all it's cracked up to be, questionable, boring, sad, iffy, ho-hum. Sometimes. But mostly good. Take it from me.

This blog is dedicated to all my friends (you all know who you are) that have made a bold move this new year by making a major change (namely, moving to a new place. Not knowing where you will work, where you'll live, how you will get by, where you'll find that coffee shop with that cup of coffee that tastes "just right", etc and so on). I know it is not easy to make a change. But (and please excuse my Halmark Channel-esque sappy tone here) know that making this bold move is so worth it.

As of late ("as of late" meaning, the past two years of my life, give or take a few calendar pages), I've been consumed with the idea of "being alive". Feeling alive. Doing, acting in a manner that makes you grasp, in all its wonder and peculiarities, life. I think living in Burkina Faso has helped me in this process. It's addictive. Yes folks, I, Joel Turner, am High on Life.

The cynical, sardonic, facetious Joel is cringing at this blog post (as are, I am sure, select blogging compatriots...i've failed you, Dabbler). I can hear my critics already: "How can you write such light, good-hearted sentiments, Joel? We want dirt! Disdain! The grass is always less brown on the other side-ness! You are tilting the blogosphere balance!" True. I tend to gravitate towards the "glass is half-empty because we ran out of water to fill it all the way up" perspective, but sometimes, on occasion, I like to be disgustingly positive. Forgive me. No, indulge.

So. Observation. I like - no - LOVE, to use commas. I am, as they say, a comma fiend. I am confident that my comma usage is legitimate, albeit excessive. I guess it is a product of how I think. I think in commas. For instance, right now. I also think in periods. So. Kind of like this. You know?

Readers of this blog, forgive me. I have fallen into that river of chocolate in Willy Wonka's (circa Gene Wilder, mind you, NOT Johnny Depp (shudder)) chocolate factory. The deep end.

Where was I? Oh yes! Bold moves. Big changes. People that are, to me, inspirational. Thank you guys for making a conscious decision to scare yourselves. To feel alive. You won't (i'm about 90% sure) regret it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I am going to hop on a bus and return to my mud hut just north of the middle of nowhere. Google Earth me sometime. I'll be waving from below.

j